Unique margin problem when making PDFs

[JR]

Lots of people have margin problems with Word 2004, but I haven't found
an answer to my question. I am working on a complicated Word document
with many sections and different margins in each section. (All on 8.5 x
11 paper.) Some pages have graphics to the edge of the page. All pages
have headers and footers. I cannot change the actual margins in the
document or it will mess up the formatting for other users.

When I try to make a PDF with Adobe Acrobat Standard, the headers,
footers, and graphics on the edge of the page are cut off (after I am
warned that margins are outside of the printable area of the page). I
need to know how to fix this.

Previous postings suggest creating a Custom Paper Size under Page
Setup. I don't seem to have an option for saving a new custom paper
size. (That wouldn't work anyway since the margins are different in
different sections of the document.) Another posting suggested trying
to use the preset function in the print dialog box. That didn't work
either.

I really hope someone can help. It is quite frustrating! Thank you.

Mac OSX 10.3.9
Word 2004 for Mac v 11.2

 

[Elliott Roper]

Lots of people have margin problems with Word 2004, but I haven't found
an answer to my question. I am working on a complicated Word document
with many sections and different margins in each section. (All on 8.5 x
11 paper.) Some pages have graphics to the edge of the page. All pages
have headers and footers. I cannot change the actual margins in the
document or it will mess up the formatting for other users.

When I try to make a PDF with Adobe Acrobat Standard, the headers,
footers, and graphics on the edge of the page are cut off (after I am
warned that margins are outside of the printable area of the page). I
need to know how to fix this.

Previous postings suggest creating a Custom Paper Size under Page
Setup. I don't seem to have an option for saving a new custom paper
size. (That wouldn't work anyway since the margins are different in
different sections of the document.) Another posting suggested trying
to use the preset function in the print dialog box. That didn't work
either.

I really hope someone can help. It is quite frustrating! Thank you.

It would seem that your problem lies with Acrobat. Find some method of
tricking it into believing that the 'printer' can print to the edge of
the paper. I don't have Acrobat Standard to test this. You will be
looking for a way to reduce the printer's noon printing edges to zero.
This is mostly distinct from Word's margin settings, although it seems
that Word will do its part in confusing things. It may not let you set
margins wider than the printer you currently have selected, even though
that is almost certainly irrelevant to your final product.

You might like to describe how you are asking Acrobat to prepare your
PDF. Are you selecting the Acrobat print engine in Word's (Mac) print
dialog? Are you using drop folders?

My local trick for dealing with this involves specifying a printer that
will print edge to edge before using the OS's print to PDF or PDF as
Postscript. I try to ignore Acrobat as much as possible. It is the
nearest a piece of software can come to malevolence.

I would add that you have dug a hole for yourself by creating a mess of
margins. If you ever want to share documents among a number of users,
start with a template with generously wide margins. That way, even
those recipients with the crummiest printers might have a chance of
printing the Word doc with some minusule chance of it paginating the
same as it left you. Remember too, that even if you succeed in
producing a PDF without cut off extremities, it is unlikely that
recipients will be able to print it if their physical printer won't do
edge to edge.

 

[JR]

Thanks for your reply. I am pretty sure that the problem is in Word
(Mac), not Acrobat. I can't find any way in Acrobat to adjust the
margins. Also, other people using Word for PCs are able to make PDFs
from this same document just fine.

Playing around in Word with a simple document with 0 margins, I was
able to get Acrobat to print to the edges. I am printing from Word and
choosing Acrobat as the printer.

One suggestion that the Acrobat Help had was to make sure that the
Custom Paper Size (not Custom Page size) was bigger than the actual
paper I am using. But in my version of Word, under Page Setup, there is
no way to save a Custom Paper Size (even though many of the postings in
this group say I should have that Save option). Is there another
place/way to do this?

Another question: you suggest choosing a printer that can print to the
margins. Is it possible to do this if you don't actually have such a
printer hooked up to your computer?

I hope this extra info may give you (or anybody else!) another idea for
me to try. Thank you.

 

[Elliott Roper]

Thanks for your reply. I am pretty sure that the problem is in Word
(Mac), not Acrobat. I can't find any way in Acrobat to adjust the
margins. Also, other people using Word for PCs are able to make PDFs
from this same document just fine.

Playing around in Word with a simple document with 0 margins, I was
able to get Acrobat to print to the edges. I am printing from Word and
choosing Acrobat as the printer.
Hah!

One suggestion that the Acrobat Help had was to make sure that the
Custom Paper Size (not Custom Page size) was bigger than the actual
paper I am using. But in my version of Word, under Page Setup, there is
no way to save a Custom Paper Size (even though many of the postings in
this group say I should have that Save option). Is there another
place/way to do this?

Another question: you suggest choosing a printer that can print to the
margins. Is it possible to do this if you don't actually have such a
printer hooked up to your computer?

OK I played about with this a little more. Word margins can be set to
print to the edge. If I set the paper size to be A4 for an A4 printer
that won't print closer than 0.5 cm from the edge, I get a warning that
the margins for Section 1 are outside the printable area for the page.
If I continue the PDF is clipped round the edges.

I then changed the page set-up as you said others suggested to use a
custom paper size. It turns out that works, even though I left the
printer selected to one that won't print to the edge. Sorry for
misleading you earlier.

You seem to be missing the howto for setting the custom paper size.
I'm on OS X 10.4.6 so your OS X might be slightly different.
(Yes it is. I just checked on my missus' Mac, still running 10.3.9)
On Panther, in Page Set-up, select Attributes rather than paper size.
In there you will find the custom paper size dialog. Make a custom
paper, call it Edge to edge US Letter or something memorable like that,
make it 8.5 * 11 inches and reduce all the margins to zero.

Then go back and choose your edge to edge from the page set-up » paper
size and print to PDF.

(In Tiger the custom paper size set-up dialog hides under paper-size »
manage custom paper sizes... at the bottom of the list of sizes you
already have.)

Note that I tested this with the print to PDF of OS X rather than
Acrobat, but I think you will be OK with Acrobat too. I also didn't
risk divorce by completing the testing on my wife's machine. I like to
give good service here, but not at the risk of my neck. No way!

I should have tested my earlier advice before posting rather than
relying on my (faulty) memory. I hope I didn't dead you around too
much.

 

[JR]

Success!! In a roundabout way.

I still cannot find any option for saving a custom paper size. (There
is no Manage Custom Paper Size option anywhere under Paper Size, nor
under Attributes.) However, if I Select All, then go to Page Setup,
choose my regular printer, under Paper Size there is an option for
Borderless photo 8.5x11. I chose that, then selected Print, and Print
to PDF. Success.

I see what you mean about the malevolence of Acrobat, though. Every
time I tried to choose Print and print to Acrobat, it got partway
through the printing process and Stopped Jobs before it finished. But
the Print to PDF option in Word works fine. (Makes me annoyed I spent
the money for Acrobat!)

This was my first time to post to a usenet group, and I want to say
that I very much appreciate this service and your help, Mr. Roper. I
spent hours and hours trying to solve this problem and your advice
finally worked. Thanks very much.

 

[Elliott Roper]

Success!! In a roundabout way.

I still cannot find any option for saving a custom paper size. (There
is no Manage Custom Paper Size option anywhere under Paper Size, nor
under Attributes.) However, if I Select All, then go to Page Setup,
choose my regular printer, under Paper Size there is an option for
Borderless photo 8.5x11. I chose that, then selected Print, and Print
to PDF. Success.

Heh! I like that kind of cunning! You probably did not need to select
all?

I see what you mean about the malevolence of Acrobat, though. Every
time I tried to choose Print and print to Acrobat, it got partway
through the printing process and Stopped Jobs before it finished. But
the Print to PDF option in Word works fine. (Makes me annoyed I spent
the money for Acrobat!)

Mine (different version) is not quite that bad, but I still hate it!

This was my first time to post to a usenet group, and I want to say
that I very much appreciate this service and your help, Mr. Roper. I
spent hours and hours trying to solve this problem and your advice
finally worked. Thanks very much.

This is a pretty civilised group. I came here a while ago with a
problem like yours and stayed. I still get more out than I put in.

One of the things the regulars like best is feedback like yours when
something works (or doesn't quite). I think everyone will enjoy helping
you with further questions, and then one day, you will know the answer
to something in Word that baffles someone else....

 

[JR]

Thanks again!

Heh! I like that kind of cunning! You probably did not need to select
all?
Mine (different version) is not quite that bad, but I still hate it!


This is a pretty civilised group. I came here a while ago with a
problem like yours and stayed. I still get more out than I put in.

One of the things the regulars like best is feedback like yours when
something works (or doesn't quite). I think everyone will enjoy helping
you with further questions, and then one day, you will know the answer
to something in Word that baffles someone else....