Margin problem for mass printing PDF files

[rmcveigh]

Hi All, I'm wondering if someone could help me with this: The PDF "Preview" default print settings are working fine for my PDF documents. However, when I try to batch print a few of those very same documents, different margin settings are applied, and the top is cut off. I have a big set of PDF files that I'd like to print in batch. How can I get the batch printing settings (with respect to margins) match the settings that are being applied to single documents?

Randy

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

-Which version of OS X/macOS?
-Which version of Preview?
-How are you attempting to batch print the PDFs?
-How many PDFs are we talking about?

C

 

[rmcveigh]

Hi Cory,

I'm using OS X El Capitan 10.11.6
Preview version 8.1 (877.7)
I've been trying to batch-print by highlighting multiple files in Finder and clicking File -> Print, which opens them individually in Preview windows and prints them.
Currently, I've got 112 files to print; however, I'm willing to break this into smaller chunks as necessary. Unfortunately, even batch printing them in groups of 2 is causing the margin issue for me.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, thanks.

Depending on the source(s) of the PDF files, some margin/printing settings can vary, as different applications were used to create them.

I haven't ever tried batch printing PDFs, so I don't have an easy answer for you. You could try combining the PDFs with Preview, and then try printing them: Use Preview to combine PDFs on your Mac.

C

 

[rmcveigh]

Okay, thank you - I will try this combining method, and if that doesn't work, I'll try to solve it at the level of the original app for future PDF's (I've been creating the PDF's myself as print exports, mostly from Word and Mail).

Randy

OK, thanks.

Depending on the source(s) of the PDF files, some margin/printing settings can vary, as different applications were used to create them.

I haven't ever tried batch printing PDFs, so I don't have an easy answer for you. You could try combining the PDFs with Preview, and then try printing them: Use Preview to combine PDFs on your Mac.

C

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK...understood.

I wonder if part of the issue is that the files are being created by different applications, which may have different margins set when the PDF is created?

C

 

[rmcveigh]

Maybe that is the case.
I've just tried your method, and it works great - I'm able to open the first PDF in Preview, then combine the rest into the file in batch (with the method you linked to), and print the one combined file - Everything nice and consistent, no margin problems. Thank you!

 

[Cory Cooper]

Excellent...glad it worked.

Be well,

C