Producing a PDF in MS Project

[Marina]

Hello. I am trying to print a poster-size "view" of my project to present in
a meeting. I have asked a local print-shop and they need the file in a PDF
format. I've tried the copy to picture functionality to get a .GIF image
file and then saved that into a PDF, but the resolution is grainy and my
poster ends up a 3'x11' size. Unless we have 12' ceilings, this won't work.
: ) I also see that MS Project doesn't allow you to set a "larger" size
paper size. It allows for custom, but you can't set the size. Has anyone
out there tried to do the same thing I am trying to do with any success?

Thanks!

 

[Rob Schneider]

Hello. I am trying to print a poster-size "view" of my project to present in
a meeting. I have asked a local print-shop and they need the file in a PDF
format. I've tried the copy to picture functionality to get a .GIF image
file and then saved that into a PDF, but the resolution is grainy and my
poster ends up a 3'x11' size. Unless we have 12' ceilings, this won't work.
: ) I also see that MS Project doesn't allow you to set a "larger" size
paper size. It allows for custom, but you can't set the size. Has anyone
out there tried to do the same thing I am trying to do with any success?

Thanks!

Marina,

I answered this for you last week. Did you miss that? I suggested you
not do what you are doing since it won't work too well.

Instead, install Adobe Acrobat (or other PDF-making software) and create
your PFD using that tool.

Also Project WILL allow to print to whatever the "printer" you have will
create. Your problem is not due to a restriction in Project. You just
don't have the right "printer". Creating a PDF with Adobe Acrobat
emulates a "printer" by making a file. You give this file to your
print-shop.

 

[JulieS]

Hi Marina,

You mention that you are converting a GIF image to a PDF file. Can you
print directly to the PDF program? I have Adobe Distiller installed and
when I choose that printer from the drop-down list in the File > Print
command, I click on the Properties button and on the Layout tab of the
Acrobat Distiller Document properties there is an Advanced tab.
Clicking the Advanced tab brings me to the AdobePS Acrobat Distiller
Advance Options. When I select PostScript Custom Page Size from the
Paper Size drop-down, I can set Custom Page Dimensions.

--
I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for FAQs and more information about
Microsoft Project.

 

[Marina]

Rob,

I apologize for the repeat question ... I could not find my original
question with your reply. Now that I have both your replies, I will try
this. Thanks!

 

[Marina]

Thanks for the information. I will try printing directly to a PDF.
Hopefully, I can get this to work.

 

[JulieS]

You're welcome Marina and thanks for the feedback.

Julie

 

[Luc Overdulve]

Hi! I make a lot of pdf's in Microsoft Project using both Acrobat
Distiller and/or Cutepdf. Both programs have A3 as max predefined
'paper'. As Julie said, there is a way of defining custom paage
dimensions. So, if you like to produce posters, you will have define
the larger formats yourself, but this works very fine!
Very regularly I make oversized posters of 594x1880mm and 841x2600mm.

Tip: You can also use pdf's for some better matching output to a
particular page size; for example you use a A2 or A1 pdf to be printed
on A3!
Here are the missing default sizes in mm: A2 (420x594), A1 (594x841),
A0 (841x1189)

Luc

 

[Luc Overdulve]

Hi! I make a lot of pdf's in Microsoft Project using both Acrobat
Distiller and/or Cutepdf. Both programs have A3 as max predefined
'paper'. As Julie said, there is a way of defining custom paage
dimensions. So, if you like to produce posters, you will have define
the larger formats yourself, but this works very fine!
Very regularly I make oversized posters of 594x1880mm and 841x2600mm.

Tip: You can also use pdf's for some better matching output to a
particular page size; for example you use a A2 or A1 pdf to be printed
on A3!
Here are the missing default sizes in mm: A2 (420x594), A1 (594x841),
A0 (841x1189)

Luc

 

[Rob Schneider]

Hi! I make a lot of pdf's in Microsoft Project using both Acrobat
Distiller and/or Cutepdf. Both programs have A3 as max predefined
'paper'. As Julie said, there is a way of defining custom paage
dimensions. So, if you like to produce posters, you will have define
the larger formats yourself, but this works very fine!
Very regularly I make oversized posters of 594x1880mm and 841x2600mm.

Tip: You can also use pdf's for some better matching output to a
particular page size; for example you use a A2 or A1 pdf to be printed
on A3!
Here are the missing default sizes in mm: A2 (420x594), A1 (594x841),
A0 (841x1189)

Luc

Luc,

I've never used Cutpdf, and it's been years since using Distiller (it
was replaced in Adobe Acrobat 6.0 which I recall was release more than
three years ago). I don't recall the paper size limitations you now
notice in Distiller, and surely no restrictions no longer exist in the
contemporary versions of the product.

In Adobe Acrobat, built-in (far as I know as I've never configured
anything) has 38 different paper sizes (to all kinds of national and
international standards and conventions). "Pick and Print" and the PDF
is created.

And what's really neat with PDF is that even though the PDF is created
emulating a big piece of paper, if you print to a printer that does not
have that size, Acrobat will "shrink" or "tile" the page to fit on the
paper size that you do have (Page Scaling Setting). This means that
poster size printouts can be created and tested even if you don't have a
postersize paper, in prep for sending on to to someone with a poster
size printer.

 

[Steve House]

Adding a comment - FYI ... any application's list of available paper sizes
in the print settings is controlled by the printer driver installed in
windows and generally not the application itself. If your printer driver
says that particular model of printer only accepts 8.5x11 paper, that's the
only size that will appear for any of your applications.

 

[Marina]

Hi there ... thanks to all of you for all the information sharing. What I am
finding is that although I can set a larger size custom-size paper (thanks to
everyone's feedback), I am getting some weird results. I try to print all my
tasks to 1 page (36"x48" or 36"x60") but my tasks get cut off or overlap?
Luc, have you seen this. Since you have produced lots of PDFs perhaps you
can help me out. I have 830 tasks spanning across 1-2 years. If I cut down
tasks significantly (65 or so), the output is accurate. Anything else does
not give me my desired results.

Thanks again!!!
Marina

 

[Rob Schneider]

See http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm, Question 44 re scaling, etc. You
have to futz with the settings (timescale, fit to n x m pages, number of
columns printed, etc.)

Also, assuming you are trying to print this 1-page view landscape, then
fitting 830 tasks on 36-inches vertical means each line is only 0.043
inches high. I wonder how practical this is. You're probably going to
have to compromise by using more pages, or show only summary tasks or
something.

Use print preview to get what you want before creating the PDF.

 

[Marina]

Thank you so much for your help. I think I have all the information I need
now. Have a great day!

 

[poster_printer]

Hello. I am trying to print a poster-size "view" of my project to present in
a meeting. I have asked a local print-shop and they need the file in a PDF
format. I've tried the copy to picture functionality to get a .GIF image
file and then saved that into a PDF, but the resolution is grainy and my
poster ends up a 3'x11' size. Unless we have 12' ceilings, this won't work.
: ) I also see that MS Project doesn't allow you to set a "larger" size
paper size. It allows for custom, but you can't set the size. Has anyone
out there tried to do the same thing I am trying to do with any success?

Thanks!

There is free software (open source, GPL) that allows you to create a
poster from ANY application using your own normal-sized printer. The
poster is assembled from multiple output pages. The result is almost
professional quality.

The software installs a new "virtual" printer on your system. You
simply print your document to it, and a dialog will come up that will
allow you to choose the size of your poster and then print it to a real
output printer.

The main web site, with screen shots to really show you what it can do,
is http://posterprinter.sourceforge.net/

If you want to download it right away, the download page at
SourceForge is
https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=172256