This method also covers sizes where each side is 36" or less and the sides are unequal, such as 24x18, 18x12, etc.
Covers printing from a Windows computer.
- Convert the drawing to a PDF and open in Acrobat Pro.
- Optimize the PDF.
- On the toolbar, set the view to 'Fit One Full Page'. This makes it easy to view the entire document on screen.
- Rotate the document on the screen so that the widest edge is the width. Click View > Rotate View > Clockwise. You want the screen view to mimic how the document will come out of the printer (same orientation). Since the plotter paper width is 36", we rotate on screen so the width is 36".
Correct orientation:
Incorrect orientation (wastes a foot of paper and takes longer to print):
Click File > Print. Select a plotter from the drop-down list. If you see a postscript version of a plotter, always pick POSTSCRIPT, i.e., Pichu2-Postscript. Why? Using the non-postscript driver can sometimes cause parts of your drawing to drop out. Not worth the risk!
Leave page sizing to 'Fit' for now.
Make sure to UNCHECK 'Choose paper source by PDF page size' as this can mess things up.
Orientation should be set to 'Auto'.
Don't use the Page Setup button.
Now click the Properties button.
Choose from the following to continue.
- Click Advanced.
- Click 'Edit Custom Page Size'.
- Enter the width and height, just like it's on the screen. Width is 36 and Height is 24.
- Make SURE to change the paper feed direction to 'Long Edge First'.
Setting this incorrectly is the number one reason why prints are cutoff on Luma. Think of paper feed direction as if you are standing in front of the printer. The edge that comes out first is the 36" side, which is the long edge (24" being the short edge).
- Click OK three times to get back to the Print window.
- The small preview should show the print as 36x24.
- Note that you can't always depend on the preview to be accurate (i.e., if you forgot and left short edge first selected, the preview would still appear correct even though it will rotate and cut off your print).
- Note that you can't always depend on the preview to be accurate (i.e., if you forgot and left short edge first selected, the preview would still appear correct even though it will rotate and cut off your print).
- Confirm that page sizing of 'Fit' is what you want. You may want to use Actual size at times if you left enough of a margin and you are printing 1:1 with the page size.
- Now click Print. After Acrobat has finished sending the job, head over to https://arch-print.syr.edu to release it.
- Click Custom to set the page size. It's best to do this each time you print rather than rely on previously saved settings.
- Enter a width of 36 and length of 24. You can leave the name as Custom or name it something else.
- Click Save and ignore the following message (just click OK).
- If you use the same name 'Custom', it may ask if you want to override the name. Click Yes.
- You may notice that the width and length flipped. Just click OK.
- Click the Layout/Output tab and change the following two settings:
Set orientation to 'Landscape'.
Set rotation to 'Rotate by 90 degrees'.
The small preview should then display correctly.
- Go back to the Paper/Quality tab and verify the following:
Make sure Print Quality is set all the way to the right towards Quality. If you set it less than this, you may get lines or banding in your prints.
Check that the paper type is 'HP Coated Paper'. - Click OK to get back to the Print window.
- The small preview should show the print as 36x24.
- Note that you can't always depend on the preview to be accurate (i.e., if you forgot and did not set the print to 'Rotate by 90 degrees', the preview could still appear correct even though it will rotate and cut off your print).
- Note that you can't always depend on the preview to be accurate (i.e., if you forgot and did not set the print to 'Rotate by 90 degrees', the preview could still appear correct even though it will rotate and cut off your print).
- Confirm that page sizing of 'Fit' is what you want. You may want to use Actual size at times if you left enough of a margin and you are printing 1:1 with the page size.
- Now click Print. After Acrobat has finished sending the job, head over to https://arch-print.syr.edu to release it.
- Click Advanced.