Print to PDF makes multiple files

[Alan Quirt]

I've seen hints elsewhere that this is not a new problem, but I can't
find anything in the archive about it.

Mac Word v.X 10.1.6 in OS X 10.3.8. Two different Macs -- a desktop dual
450 MHz and a new PowerBook, each with at least 640M of RAM.

Last week I made a few small changes in a Word document, and since then
when I print it to PDF it comes out as two files, one with the first two
pages (which are the first section) and one with the rest (two sections,
one for Table of Contents and one for body).

There are programs to recombine the PDFs, but I would prefer to fix the
Word document so that it once again prints as a single file.

 

[Emanuel Vahid Towfigh]

Hi Alan,

that's a known issue: when you put a section break, the document is split
in two. Word then, for some reason, sends two files to the printer (even
when printing to a *real* printer)! The only solution I found is to remove
the section breakes :-(. I have the feeling though that with Office 2004
it's been better... Sorry but I'm not capable of a more definite answer.

Bye,

e.

 

[Elliott Roper]

I've seen hints elsewhere that this is not a new problem, but I can't
find anything in the archive about it.

Mac Word v.X 10.1.6 in OS X 10.3.8. Two different Macs -- a desktop dual
450 MHz and a new PowerBook, each with at least 640M of RAM.

Last week I made a few small changes in a Word document, and since then
when I print it to PDF it comes out as two files, one with the first two
pages (which are the first section) and one with the rest (two sections,
one for Table of Contents and one for body).

There are programs to recombine the PDFs, but I would prefer to fix the
Word document so that it once again prints as a single file.

Hi Al, long time no see.
Yep, you have a section break or some other subtlety which changes the
page orientation, size, or margins.
Google this group with "pdf section" for the whole sorry tale.

 

[fatihkocer]

if you do not have any page layout changes (margins, orientation etc),
selecting the whole document (cmd+a) then going to page setup and just
clicking okay may help your problem.

if not, you can use combine pdfs freeware to merge pdfs generated

http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/Freeware/CombinePDFs.shtml

 

[Alan Quirt]

if you do not have any page layout changes (margins, orientation etc),
selecting the whole document (cmd+a) then going to page setup and just
clicking okay may help your problem.

if not, you can use combine pdfs freeware to merge pdfs generated

http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/Freeware/CombinePDFs.shtml

Thanks for that hint. Your trick has my document printing all together
again.

There were no actual changes in page layout between the first and second
sections, but Word obviously had become convinced that there were.

I will download the program you suggest anyway since it may be helpful
for other purposes.

 

[Alan Quirt]

Hi Al, long time no see.
Yep, you have a section break or some other subtlety which changes the
page orientation, size, or margins.
Google this group with "pdf section" for the whole sorry tale.

Thanks for the Google hint. That brought up lots of examples of this
issue. The solution was selecting all the text then choosing Page Setup.

It's not clear what triggers this bug. My action just before the problem
occurred was eliminating an unwanted page number in the footer of the
first section. But at the same time I redefined the page numbering
styles in the other two sections, and they both remained part of the
same document. All three sections have identical page size, margins, and
orientation.

Oh well, it's just one more glitch and not a very serious one as long as
there is a work-around.

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Hi Alan:

It's not clear what triggers this bug. My action just before the problem
occurred was eliminating an unwanted page number in the footer of the
first section.

That would do it. It would create a variation to the running footer.

Word is allowing for the possibility that a new sheet of paper will be
required following the change. It can't tell for sure if one "will" be,
because Word is not doing the print lay-up; OS X is, and neither of them
"have" at this point in the operation.

So Word puts a Job Start command in the file and hands it over. It's not an
ideal solution, but it's "safe". You don't get stuff wandering off the edge
of the paper

Cheers

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 4 1209 1410