ELLAHow to print large print documents well
A good large print file can still print badly. These steps keep the type at the size you asked for.
Print a large print file
- Open the file in an app you trust to show it faithfully, such as Word for a Word file or a PDF reader for a PDF.
- Open the print dialog and look for the scaling option.
- Choose "Actual size" or 100 percent. Do not choose "Fit to page" or "Shrink to fit". Those can make the type smaller than you asked for.
- Choose the paper size that the file was made for. If you are not sure, check the page size in the file's properties.
- Print one page first and measure it or ask the reader to try it.
- Print the rest, single-sided if the paper is thin.
Paper
- Use matt paper. Gloss reflects light and makes reading harder.
- Use paper that is thick enough that text on the back does not show through. If it does, print on one side only.
- White or cream paper both work. Ask the reader which they prefer.
Colour and ink
- Use a black or very dark text setting, not a "draft" or "economy" mode that makes grey text.
- If the reader prefers a dark background with light text, print only if your printer can do solid black well. Otherwise provide the file on screen.
Binding
Large print takes more pages. Staples may not be enough. A spiral or comb binding lets the book lie flat. Loose pages in a folder let the reader take out one section.
Check the first copy
Hold the printed page at the reader's usual distance. Look for text cut off at the edge, tables running over the margin, and pictures with labels too small to read. If something is wrong, go back to the file. See large print for what ELLA changes, and Word and PDF for what to check in the file.
A4 and A3
A4 is the usual paper size. A3 is larger and holds bigger type per line. Say in your request which paper size you will print on, so the pages are made to fit it. Do not print an A3 file on A4 at a reduced scale, because that shrinks the type.
Still stuck?
Browse the help centre, or contact support and say what you were trying to do.