Printing layout sheets on 11x17 or 24x36

[ADallas]

I thought I was pretty clever. I designed an ARCH D (24x36) sheet with wide margins specifically so that I could print at 50% scale and have it fit on ANSI B (11x17), which my printer can handle. I would work on 50% reductions that were still scalable and then print commercially on 24x36 as needed. (If you're curious, you need 1-3/4" margins all around on the 24x36 if you want to fit inside 3/8" margins on 11x17.)

 

Except that my print dialog doesn't allow me to center the 50% reduction on the 11x17 page. It aligns at the top left, and wants to use 4 tabloid pages to print 1 ARCH D drawing. It "works" if I tell it to "fit," but now my drawings are some weird scale.

 

Is there a solution of which I'm ignorant? What does everyone else do?

[Francois]

The reduction factor will affect the design on the layout but not the size of the page which can be change in Paper Source in the Print dialog.

[ADallas]

Thank you, Francois! That's the solution--can't do 24x36 at half scale on 11x17, but you can do 22x34 (ANSI D), and the wide-margin 24x36 layout that I made works just fine on 22x34. A commercial printer would just print on 24x36 if they didn't have 22x34, so the effect is just the same. Excellent.

[Gawdzira]

I realize that most clients you would send to would not have 12x18 paper, but, if you are printing in your office I highly recommend the Epson ET-16650, Eco Tank printer. I have 12x18 sheets printing on it. The Eco Tank is spectacular for not needing to replace cartridge's and the print quality is good. I have 2 trays for paper and then the 12x18 loads in the back on a sled.

[VHampton]

Quote

 What does everyone else do?

 

The fit to paper option works well.  For an 11" x 17" 95% is usually the ideal fit.

It's not to scale however, but the clients don't usually scale drawings. At least not yet anyway.