Exporting Image Files

[bc]

Perhaps this is the best place for my querie.

Hello, I was hoping someone could give me an idea as to the best way to create proper PDF's for use by my local printer. My drawing sheet size is Arch D (24x36) but my own printer will only print 13 x 19 maximum.

I can export all of the sheets as image files and compile them into a PDF. When I open the PDF my size indicated in the lower left hand corner of the PDF window says 13 x 19.

This has me thinking it will print to that size as compared to my sheet size of 24 x 36. Am I correct? Will I have to install some large format printer driver in order to spec 24 x 36 in Page Set-up and then be able to actually export JPEGS at 24 x 36?

What might be my best strategy to generate a file of my sheets that I know are the right size? Thanks, Bradley

[Travis]

You will need to create a custom print size of 24x36. You don't indicate which printer you have, but in our Epson 2200 (a 13x19 printer) page setup dialog there is the option to specify a custom sheet size. If your printer doesn't allow this, you'll need to install a large-format printer.

Secondly, I'd skip the image-file step and print directly to PDF (it's built-in the Mac OS, tho the 10.4 version is more bullet-proof than 10.3). You'll still need a PDf writer (we use Acrobat) to compile everything into a single file.

Good luck,

[alanmac]

Another quick and easy to use program to compile pdf's together is pdflab for the Mac available at

http://www.iconus.ch/fabien/pdflab/

I use it all the time, very simple and quick, never had a problem.

regards

Alan

[bc]

Yes Travis, this is the way I ended up doing it, thanks, and yes Alan I read your pdflab tip a while back on the list and I am using it now but I did have a problem with the pdf generated.

I had 10 sheets to be printed so from within VW and using OSX I generated 10 single PDF's which, alone, each was 24 x 36 and filled up their PDF pages. When I ganged them all up into one PDF via pdflab, the individual pages said they were 24 x 36 in the lower left corner of the window but the actual image was a tiny portion of the page (almost 8 x 12 in size) and they could not be used with their print machines.

I ended up just using the 10 separate PDF's alone and they printed fine. Is there some setting in the pdflab I am missing? Or any solutions otherwise?

Thanks for your help with this, Bradley