HELP! save as pdf from word:mac cuts off bottom of document

[vikkimac]

I need to save a document from word as a pdf to add to a webpage. When I choose "save as" >pdf, I get the error that the header and footer are outside the printable margins... if I continue, it doesn't just cut off the footer, it cuts off about an inch an a half of the document.
I've reset the margins in word to accommodate the entire thing, but it still cuts it off in pdf format.
I've searched for other answers, but it seems that people have more printing issues, not just saving issues.

 

[GPSJane]

Are you using Mac OS?

The reason for your problem is the same as the people trying to print to PDF; the print driver will only allow you to print within printable margins and since the PDF converter uses the print driver you get only what would be in the print margins.

When you "save to PDF" you are still printing to PDF.

You can try installing a printer with a driver for a printer that can do borderless printing and print to PDF from there. I haven't had any luck with that though.

 

[Yerman]

I have the solution for you. It's because there are pre-defined margins that are set for the PDF printer. However, you can bypass those settings. Do this:

1. In Word, go to "Format Document"
2. Click "Page Setup"
3. Under "Paper Size", select "Custom Sizes"
4. Add a custom sized page with user defined non-printable margins to your liking, and use this as your new Paper Size moving forward.

 

[samh]

I have the solution for you. It's because there are pre-defined margins that are set for the PDF printer. However, you can bypass those settings. Do this:

1. In Word, go to "Format Document"
2. Click "Page Setup"
3. Under "Paper Size", select "Custom Sizes"
4. Add a custom sized page with user defined non-printable margins to your liking, and use this as your new Paper Size moving forward.

I know this isn't exactly the newest thread, but THANK YOU for this! It was exactly what I needed in order to generate the desired edge-to-edge PDF.

 

[tim805]

Thank you!!!

You rock - that fix totally worked.

Thanks again...

Tim Mc

 

[Simsonic]

Thanks

Two years later and this still works! Awesome!

 

[SpiderDude]

This community...

Thanks guys.

 

[wp2023]

Thank you and one addition

Thank you very much for this great tip!
One addition: For me it did not work when I set the margins to "0". Only when I set them to "0.5 cm" it worked fine.
(Mac Word 2011, OS X 10.8.4)

 

[afinch1992]

I have the solution for you. It's because there are pre-defined margins that are set for the PDF printer. However, you can bypass those settings. Do this:

1. In Word, go to "Format Document"
2. Click "Page Setup"
3. Under "Paper Size", select "Custom Sizes"
4. Add a custom sized page with user defined non-printable margins to your liking, and use this as your new Paper Size moving forward.

Just wanted to thank this guy! Saved me from going crazy trying to get my resume to save into a pdf correctly. For the record I used 0 for all margins and it worked flawlessly

 

[Getekid]

I'd also like to thank you for the tip. After a few minutes of googling this one made it!!

So thanks, I needed it for an organisation where many people were printing our template with cut edges. You helped more than one person here !!

Had some minor cuts with Preview but Acrobat Reader show it perfect!!

 

[6tel]

I have the solution for you. It's because there are pre-defined margins that are set for the PDF printer. However, you can bypass those settings. Do this:

1. In Word, go to "Format Document"
2. Click "Page Setup"
3. Under "Paper Size", select "Custom Sizes"
4. Add a custom sized page with user defined non-printable margins to your liking, and use this as your new Paper Size moving forward.

----

And four years after this is still working as well. Thank you, Yerman.

 

[Kriz]

Yerman, great advice! Worked for me too! Thanks so much!!

 

[vwoval56]

same here. Good tool!

 

[asoksevil]

Up up up!

Working like a charm

 

[audieannie]

Yes

Thanks! Worked like a charm and kept me from screaming at my computer when my 44-page document kept cutting off the footer. Thank heavens this thread was one of the top hits on google

 

[pameladennis]

My simple solution for Mac pdf cuts off bottom

I was preparing my book for Createspace and kept losing the bottom page numbers. I tried all the suggestions here to no avail and was losing my mind.

Then I looked at the document in PDF "Preview" and the numbers were there, so I printed the PDF directly from the preview. The documents name was automatically changed to add "Microsoft Word" in front of the book title "Dead Girls Don't Blog". The pdf was perfect. Then I renamed the pdf to remove the"Microsoft document" words.

Hope this helps!

 

[ESD Architectural Design]

I have the solution for you. It's because there are pre-defined margins that are set for the PDF printer. However, you can bypass those settings. Do this:

1. In Word, go to "Format Document"
2. Click "Page Setup"
3. Under "Paper Size", select "Custom Sizes"
4. Add a custom sized page with user defined non-printable margins to your liking, and use this as your new Paper Size moving forward.

Dear Yerman,

Thanks for the above info.

I tried this, set up the new custom page size with zero values for the borders and saved this new custom setting.

Having selected the new custom page size I click OK to confirm it.

However when I go back to "Save As" to save the document as a PDF, the page set up simply reverts to its previous standard page size (in my case A3) and the problem remains you.

Could somebody kindly point out what I am missing?

Thank you

 

[SamFromSam]

One can change it either by changing page margines (they should be 2 at least), or by opening it in Pages and then exporting it to pdf.

 

[leon coppola]

workde for me too, 8yrs later! Thanks Yerman.

 

[NhungDo]

I have the solution for you. It's because there are pre-defined margins that are set for the PDF printer. However, you can bypass those settings. Do this:

1. In Word, go to "Format Document"
2. Click "Page Setup"
3. Under "Paper Size", select "Custom Sizes"
4. Add a custom sized page with user defined non-printable margins to your liking, and use this as your new Paper Size moving forward.

This is totally useful for me!! 6 years later and this problem continues to making mac user crazy! After whole day of googling, finally I find your solution. Thanks a lot!!!!

 

[kylebogucki]

I have the solution for you. It's because there are pre-defined margins that are set for the PDF printer. However, you can bypass those settings. Do this:

1. In Word, go to "Format Document"
2. Click "Page Setup"
3. Under "Paper Size", select "Custom Sizes"
4. Add a custom sized page with user defined non-printable margins to your liking, and use this as your new Paper Size moving forward.

[doublepost=1475763160][/doublepost]5 years later and this STILL WORKS! thank you!

 

[cewdda]

Interestingly, I did these steps before coming to this site, yet it is NOT working for me. No matter what I do, my document gets cut off when I print to PDF. It will work, however, when I convert it in Adobe, but that's not what I want.