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Directions for Printing PDF Documents

If you need help printing PDF (*.pdf) documents that were designed for printing and distribution (brochures, posters, fact sheets, etc.), please remember the following:

  • All PDF documents require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
  • For best results and picture clarity, print the original draft with a high-resolution (dpi) color printer. If one is not available, save the file to an external media device (flash drive, disk, CD/DVD-ROM, etc.) and bring it to a professional printshop to have it printed there.
  • Once the original draft has been printed, you can make copies on a color copier or high-quality black-and-white copy machine. For best results, it is recommended that a professional printshop print both the color and black-and-white copies.
  • For more information on PDF files, please see CDC's File Formats page.

Troubleshooting


When printing, the document seems to shrink and does not line up properly (especially the brochure)!


To align your document properly *:

  1. Open the PDF file.
  2. Click on "File", and on the drop-down menu that appears, select "Print"; the Print window will pop up.
  3. Within the Print window, look for the section entitled "Page Handling". Within this section is a drop-down box labeled "Page Scaling". Select "None" from this drop-down.
  4. Click the "OK" button.

Note: You will need to have paper of the appropriate size in your printer, otherwise printing may be stretched out over 2 or more pages (for instance, if you are printing an 11 inch by 17 inch poster, but your printer only prints on 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch paper, then using this technique will force the content to print over several sheets).


How do I print onto 11 x 17 paper?


Some of these materials, particularly posters, have been designed to be printed in 11 x 17 inch format.

To print the posters in 11 x 17 inch format *:

  1. Open the PDF file.
  2. Click on "File", and on the drop-down menu that appears, select "Print"; the Print window will pop up.
  3. Within the Print window, click on the "Properties" button; the Properties window will pop up.
  4. Within the Properties window, click on the "Effects" tab.
  5. Check the "Print Document On:" box and choose the "11 x 17" option from the list.
  6. Click on the "Paper" tab.
  7. Go to "Size is:" and choose the "11 x 17" option from the list.
  8. Click on the "OK" button to exit the Properties window and return to the main Print dialog box.
  9. Go to "Page Scaling:" and choose the "Fit to Printable Area" option in the list (this may also be labeled as "Fit to Printer Margins").
  10. Click on the "OK" button to print.

If you do not have 11 x 17 paper available, you can try printing onto standard 8.5 x 11 paper by taking the following steps *:

Method One

  1. Open the PDF file.
  2. Click on "File", and on the drop-down menu that appears, select "Print"; the Print window will pop up.
  3. Within the Print window, look for the section entitled "Page Handling". Within this section is a drop-down box labeled "Page Scaling". Select "Shrink to Printable Area" from this drop-down.
  4. Click on the "OK" button to print.

Method Two

  1. Open the PDF file.
  2. Click on "File", and on the drop-down menu that appears, select "Print"; the Print window will pop up.
  3. Within the Print window, click on the "Properties" button; the Properties window will pop up.
  4. Within the Properties window, click on the "Effects" tab.
  5. Check the "Print Document On:" box and choose the "Letter" option from the list.
  6. Click on the "Paper" tab.
  7. Go to "Size is:" and choose the "Letter" option from the list.
  8. Click on the "OK" button to exit the Properties window and return to the main Print dialog box.
  9. Click on the "OK" button to print.

* Because printers vary, these instructions may not be exact for your printer or its interface. Consult your printer manual for more details.

 
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