How to save as oversized PDF

[tanyaviola]

I have done this before and it worked fine. For some reason, I cannot save my 11x14 score as a pdf. Argh. I keep getting a "invalid paper size" error. I have tried saving as a graphic but that looks terrible. What am I missing?

Thanks,
T.

[miker]

Have you tried using the Graphics Tool to export as a PDF?

[michelp]

• File -> Page setup should have the correct Paper size and orientation
• Document -> Page format should have the correct parameters, applied with the Page LayoutTool -> Redefine Pages -> All Pages
• In the Print window, the Paper size should be correct, too

Then, in the Print window, Pdf -> Save as pdf is one possibility.

[tanyaviola]

Have you tried using the Graphics Tool to export as a PDF?

Yes, I mentioned I tried that already. Looks terrible.

[tanyaviola]

• File -> Page setup should have the correct Paper size and orientation
• Document -> Page format should have the correct parameters, applied with the Page LayoutTool -> Redefine Pages -> All Pages
• In the Print window, the Paper size should be correct, too

Then, in the Print window, Pdf -> Save as pdf is one possibility.

All correct. Still won't do it.

[motet]

If exporting pages from the graphics tool menu, make sure you specify PDF, not some graphics format. Since PDF is vector art, it should look good.

[mmike]

Many people have complained about printing or exporting to PDF from Finale. It appears the best way is to print to a virtual PDF printer such as Cute PDF or PDF Creator, which I have used for a long time without any problems, printing to any page size. Make sure that at the first Print Dialog you have checked Fit to page, then go to Setup to choose the Printer, sizes, pages, etc. (works in Windows anyway, maybe it's different for a Mac)

[Peter Thomsen]

Have you tried using the Graphics Tool to export as a PDF?

Yes, I mentioned I tried that already. Looks terrible.

If it looks terrible, then I suspect that you got a bitmap graphic format, because you did not specify PDF.
As motet pointed out, PDF is vector art which looks good at any magnification.

[tanyaviola]

If exporting pages from the graphics tool menu, make sure you specify PDF, not some graphics format. Since PDF is vector art, it should look good.

I definitely clicked 'PDF'.

[tanyaviola]

Many people have complained about printing or exporting to PDF from Finale. It appears the best way is to print to a virtual PDF printer such as Cute PDF or PDF Creator, which I have used for a long time without any problems, printing to any page size. Make sure that at the first Print Dialog you have checked Fit to page, then go to Setup to choose the Printer, sizes, pages, etc. (works in Windows anyway, maybe it's different for a Mac)

I tried creating a 'fake' printer (I read that somewhere else) so that I could select it for the PDF. Same result...and will not allow me to choose 11x14 for that particular printer. I haven't tried printing to my PDF Expert software. Will that work? If so, how do I add it?

[mmike]

I don't know about PDF Expert or Mac, but on my Windows system, when printing to PDF Creator, there is, in Advanced Document Settings, an option where you can establish a Postscript Custom Size Definition, which I set to 11x14, and that works (for me ...). I would imagine that virtual ("fake") printers for Mac would have a similar option somewhere.

[tanyaviola]

Unfortunately when I add a printer, I don't get all those fancy options to set.

[mmike]

I find it hard to believe that there wouldn't exist a Mac program that can do this, but this is beyond my sphere of knowledge. Time for a Mac person to jump in ...?

[tanyaviola]

I don't know what happened....but all of a sudden it let me save it at the correct sized PDF!

I don't print this size normally so hopefully that's it, haha. Thanks for all the suggestions though.