How do I select a different paper size from the document page size when printing brochure?

[JohnBanister]

This is regarding US Engish LibreOffice Writer 4.2.0.4 installed under Win7 x64

I have a document formatted for US Letter (8.5" x 11") that I would like to print at full size on US Tabloid (11" x 17") paper. When I choose to print brochure, there’s appears to be no option to choose a paper size, and the pages get shrunk to two tiny pages side by side on Letter sized paper. If I choose a page size as Tabloid before printing, my document gets stretched in strange ways, trying to spread out into the extra space. How can I print the document at full size in brochure format on larger paper?

Also, as it is an 8 page document to be printed onto both sides of two sheets that are to be folded, I would like page 8 and page 1 to appear on the same side of the same sheet. Is this possible?

Finally, while RICOH says the (SP C811DN) printer will print duplex on tabloid, it is never willing to actually do that. Is there a way to print brochure format on just odd or even numbered sides of the paper (different from pages in this format) or print brochure format to PDF so that I can print pages individually?

Thanks very much for taking the time to consider these questions.

[ROSt53]

If I understand the situation correct then you first should change your page format to US Tabloid size.
Format > Page > Paper format > Format
and then select the printer settings

Make a backup before you do major changes in your document!

[JohnBanister]

As I mentioned above, the problem with changing the paper size of an existing document is that it doesn’t grow properly. Columns will get wider, but the font size doesn’t change so the pages get big white spaces at the bottom. Also, the graphics sometimes don’t move with the columns. Also, the two sizes have different aspect ratios (tabloid is 1:1.55 whereas letter is 1:1.29), so when Writer shrinks a tabloid document (looks like photoreduction) for brochure print, the resulting shrunken pages look bad because they’re a superposition of the wrong aspect ratio. Finally, even if I select all, changing page size only applies to the page visible on the screen, which means I need to do it over and over again (with the above failures) to every single page of every document I might want to print in this manner.

[ROSt53]

I canundertand that changing page formats can destroy the layout especially when the aspect ratios are different. If you print letter format on a tabloid paper yoiu will phase the same/similar problem. It might then all depend on the printer: you can adjust either the width of your letter document to the width of the tabloid format or the height. The result will be as you described it in your question.

[Regina]

No, do not change the page size, it should always be the original size. It is important, that your page size is exactly the half of the landscape paper sheet. That works will for DIN A5 document on DIN A4 paper sheet.

What method works depends on printer. So you should try all of them.

• In the printing dialog go to tab “Page Layout” and check option “Brochure”, then back to tab “General”. On tab “General” click on button Properties in section Printer. You should get the driver dialog of your printer. In the driver dialog choose Tabloid, landscape, duplex with bind on short edge. If the driver dialog does not have this settings, you might need to use the tool panel of the printer. You need to explicitly select the paper sheet format at the printer, otherwise LibreOffice will default to the page size as paper sheet format. Carefully look at the measures at the preview.

If you cannot make your printer use duplex, you can restrict the print to front side and back side in the tab “Page Layout”. Depending on the kind, the printer puts out the sheets, you might need to check “Print in reverse order” on the tab “General” either for front sides or for back sides.

• Look into the driver dialog. It might be, that it has “Brochure” as option. If yes, follow the manual of your printer. In this case, do not check “Brochure” inside LibreOffice.
• Export the document to pdf and print it using the Acrobat Reader. It has a setting for “Brochure” too. You still have to explicitly set the paper sheet format in your printer driver or your printer tool panel.

If you manage the brochure printing once, immediately note all the steps needed, and pin it to your printer

[w_whalley]

Here are directions for printing two pages on one sheet in order so they can be folded into signatures. You may be able to adapt this to your situation. These directions are briefly to print the document two pages on one sheet and with the pages in a fixed order depending on the total number of pages and with blank pages inserted where necessary. For a four page document the first print sheet would have page 4 on the left side of the print, page 1 on the right and on the reverse, page 2 on the left and page 3 on the right, so the print order to specify is 4,1,2, 3. If you have a one-sided printer, print odd sheets, then put them back in the printer and print even sheets.

The directions are for a PDF file with gnome on linux. I did a quick test with Adobe reader on Windows and it appears to work the same way. You can even omit the PDF export and print directly from LibreOffice and specify the page print order in the same way.