How to Print Mixed PDF Page Sizes in One Document
Question details
The user wants to print a multi-page PDF containing different page sizes (A4, A3, and A1) and needs the A1 pages to be scaled down to A3 size during the print process.
- Product
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing a single document with multiple varying page sizes without manually cropping pages.
- Observed behavior
- Printer drivers typically apply a single scaling setting for the entire print job, making it difficult to print standard pages at actual size while simultaneously shrinking oversized pages.
Verify your printer's supported paper sizes to ensure it can handle A3 and A4 paper. Make sure you have enough paper loaded in the correct trays before initiating the print job.
Print Oversized Pages Separately Using Custom Scaling
Since most printers apply one setting per print job, printing the standard pages first and the oversized pages separately allows you to correctly scale the large pages down.
PDF viewers usually send a single set of printing instructions to the printer for the whole document. By breaking the print job into two parts, you can retain the original size for standard pages and apply shrinking only to the oversized pages.
Open your PDF and note the specific page numbers for your standard sizes (A4, A3) and oversized pages (A1).
Go to File > Print. Under the page range settings, enter the page numbers for your A4 and A3 pages. Select 'Choose paper source by PDF page size' if your printer has multiple trays. Click Print.
Open the Print dialog again. Enter the page numbers for the A1 pages. Under Page Sizing & Handling, choose 'Fit' or 'Shrink oversized pages', and ensure your printer properties are set to output on A3 paper. Click Print.
Resize PDF Pages Permanently Before Printing
You can create a new version of the PDF where the A1 pages are resized to A3, allowing you to print the entire document in one go.
Easily Manage and Print Mixed-Size PDFs with WPS Office
WPS Office provides an intuitive PDF editor and printer interface that makes it easy to manage page extraction, resizing, and custom print scaling without losing document quality.
- 1. Open the PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your mixed-size PDF document.
- 2. Access Print Settings: Press Ctrl + P to open the Print dialog box.
- 3. Configure Page Scaling: Under 'Page Handling', select 'Fit for printing margins' or use custom scaling to shrink your large pages to your printer's supported paper size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I force my printer to automatically select A4 and A3 trays for a mixed PDF?
Yes. In the print dialog, look for an option like 'Choose paper source by PDF page size'. As long as your printer has both A4 and A3 paper loaded in separate trays, it will pull from the correct tray automatically.
Why are my A1 pages getting cut off when I print?
This happens if the page scaling is set to 'Actual Size' on a printer that only supports up to A3 or A4. To fix this, change your print settings to 'Fit' or 'Shrink oversized pages' so the content scales down.
Is it possible to print A1, A3, and A4 pages in a single click without resizing?
Only if you have a large-format plotter printer loaded with A1, A3, and A4 rolls or trays. Standard office printers require you to either scale the A1 pages down or print them in separate batches.
How do I find out the page size of a specific page in my PDF?
Hover your mouse over the bottom left corner of the document window, or go to Document Properties (Ctrl+D) and look at the 'Page Size' description under the Description tab to see the dimensions of the current page.
