🖨️ Printing an A1 Poster on 4 Sheets of A3

Author: Elle Smith, Nov 2025 (last updated: Nov 2025)

This guide details how to split an A1 poster into four separate A3 PDF sheets for printing on University of Leeds printers.

1. Initial Setup in PowerPoint and PDF Creation

  1. Ensure your poster is correctly formatted as an A1 size document in PowerPoint.
  2. Go to the print dialogue.
  3. Select the PDF-XChange 5.0 for ABBYY printer option as shown in the image.
    • Note: This acts as a virtual printer to convert the document.

selecting PDF print

2. Configuring Printer Properties to Split the A1 Page (Critical Step)

  1. Click on "Printer Properties".
  2. Navigate to the "Paper" or "Paper Settings" tab.
  3. Set the Page Size to A1 (e.g., $594.0 \times 841.0 \text{ mm}$).
  4. In the "Layout" section, set the Sheet Size to A3.
  5. Locate the Position boxes (X and Y coordinates) to define the four A3 sections. You must repeat the print/save process for each position.

A1 Poster Split Coordinates

A3 Page Section Position X (mm) Position Y (mm)
Top-Left (Part 1) 0.0 0.0
Top-Right (Part 2) -297.0 0.0
Bottom-Left (Part 3) 0.0 -420.0
Bottom-Right (Part 4) -297.0 -420.0
  • Action: Print/Save as a separate PDF file (e.g., Poster_Part1.pdf) after setting each coordinate pair.

selecting positioning

3. Printing the A3 PDF Sheets

To successfully print A3 on campus:

  1. You must be connected to the VPN.
  2. Open each of the four saved A3 PDFs (e.g., in a browser like Chrome).
  3. Initiate printing.
  4. Select the Staff on LeedsPrint print queue as the Destination.
  5. Click on "More settings".
  6. Set the Paper size to A3.
    • Note: The user found this method more reliable than using the MyPrint portal.

using chrome to print

4. Alternative Printing Options (If Laptop Fails)

If printing from your personal laptop fails or the print queue is unavailable, you have other options:

  • Use a wired computer in the library.

  • Print through the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).

  • (Refer to University IT services for up-to-date guidance on these options).

5. Assembly

Each A3 sheet will print with a border.

  • To create a fully joined-up A1 poster, you will need to cut the borders off and stick the four A3 sheets together with Sellotape.