How to Print PDF Pages on Different Paper Sizes Using Acrobat
Question details
The user wants to automatically print a two-page PDF with page one on 11x17-inch paper and page two on 8.5x11-inch paper using a printer with separate trays.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Automating a mixed-size print job for a two-page document to an enterprise production printer using Acrobat JavaScript.
- Observed behavior
- The user is seeking a JavaScript solution, but Acrobat's JavaScript printing controls often struggle to reliably route individual pages to specific hardware printer trays.
Confirm that the actual dimensions of your PDF pages match your intended output (e.g., exactly 11x17 and 8.5x11 inches) and verify that your printer driver supports mixed-size page routing.
Configure Printer Settings for Mixed-Size Routing
Because Acrobat JavaScript has limited control over hardware tray selection, configuring the printer driver's native page-size routing is the most reliable method.
Acrobat JavaScript printing APIs cannot always force proprietary printer drivers to switch trays on a per-page basis. Relying on the built-in PDF page size mapping ensures the printer pulls from the correct tray automatically.
By matching the PDF's native page dimensions to the printer's tray configurations, the print spooler handles the paper switching seamlessly without custom scripts.
Open your document in Adobe Acrobat, navigate to File > Properties, and check the 'Description' tab to ensure your pages are natively sized at 11x17 and 8.5x11 inches.
Click File > Print or press Ctrl+P (Windows) / Cmd+P (Mac) to open the standard Acrobat print settings window.
In the Print dialog, locate the 'Page Sizing & Handling' section and check the box for 'Choose paper source by PDF page size'.
Click the 'Properties' button at the top to open your specific printer's driver settings. Ensure that the 11x17 and 8.5x11 trays are correctly mapped and enabled for auto-selection, then click OK and Print.
Use Acrobat JavaScript PrintParams (Limited Method)
If automation is strictly required, you can use Acrobat JavaScript to trigger the print job, though tray selection remains largely dependent on default driver behaviors.
Easily Print Multi-Size PDFs with WPS Office
WPS Office includes a robust PDF editor that simplifies complex printing tasks. You can easily configure it to automatically select the correct paper tray based on the PDF's native page sizes, entirely bypassing the need to write complex JavaScript.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your multi-page PDF document containing the mixed page sizes.
- 2. Access Print Settings: Click on the 'Menu' button in the top left corner and select 'Print', or simply press Ctrl+P.
- 3. Enable Page Size Auto-Selection: In the print dialog under Paper Handling, check the option 'Use PDF page size to select paper source'.
- 4. Print the Document: Select your target printer from the list and click 'Print'. The printer will automatically pull from the corresponding trays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't Acrobat JavaScript reliably select specific printer trays?
Acrobat's JavaScript API (specifically the PrintParams object) has limited access to proprietary, OS-level printer driver commands. It cannot directly force hardware trays on most enterprise printers; it can only request that the driver respects the document's page sizes.
How do I check the actual page sizes of my PDF document?
Open the PDF, go to File > Properties, and look at the 'Page Size' under the Description tab. Alternatively, hover your mouse over the bottom-left corner of the document window to see the exact dimensions of the current page.
Can I print a single PDF document on both A3 and A4 paper automatically?
Yes. As long as the PDF natively contains pages formatted to A3 and A4 dimensions, you can check 'Choose paper source by PDF page size' in your print dialog, provided your printer holds both paper sizes in separate trays.
What if my printer ignores the 'Choose paper source by PDF page size' setting?
This usually indicates a conflict in the printer driver settings. You may need to open the Printer Properties from the Print dialog and explicitly enable mixed-size routing or configure the specific trays to match the requested paper sizes in the driver's Advanced settings.
