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Specifying the page size and orientation


    Adobe Illustrator normally uses the page size default in the PPD file for the selected printer. However, you can change the page size to any of the sizes listed in the PPD file as well as specify portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) orientation. Page sizes are listed by familiar names (such as Letter) and by dimensions in points. The dimensions shown in parentheses after the page size are the limits of the imageable area. The imageable area is the total page size less any unprintable border used by the printer or imagesetter. Most laser printers cannot print to the exact edge of a page.

    If you select a different page size (for example, change from letter to legal), the artwork is rescaled in the preview window. This is because the preview window displays the entire imageable area of the selected page; when the page size is changed, the preview window automatically rescales to include the imageable area.

    Note: The imageable area may vary by PPD file, even for the same page size (for example, Letter), because different printers and imagesetters define the sizes of their imageable areas differently.

    Make sure that your page size is large enough to contain your artwork as well as crop marks, registration marks, and other necessary printing information. To conserve imagesetter film or paper, however, select the smallest page size that accommodates your artwork and necessary printing information.

To specify a page size:

  1. In the Separation Setup dialog box, choose an option from the Page Size pop-up menu.
  2. Specify another separation option, or click OK.

To specify the orientation of the page:

  1. In the Separation Setup dialog box, choose Portrait or Landscape from the Orientation pop-up menu.
  2. Specify another separation option, or click OK.