PDF guides
How to Change a PDF's Page Size to A4
Find out what page sizes your PDF holds, then make every page A4, Letter, or any size, without turning the text into a picture.
A PDF can hold pages of different sizes, and most of the time you don't notice. Then you print it. One page comes out with wide white borders, the next has its edges cut off, and the slide in the middle is shrunk to the size of a postcard.
This happens a lot after merging. Put a report exported from Word, a scan from a phone and a few slides into one file, and you have three page sizes in one document. It also happens when a file crosses the Atlantic. North America uses Letter paper, most of the rest of the world uses A4, and the two are close enough to look the same on screen but different enough to print badly.
The fix is to put every page on the same paper. Before you do that, it helps to know what you have. Our Resize PDF tool starts by listing every page size in the document, with a count for each one, so you can see the problem before you choose a fix.
The tool runs in your browser. The file isn't uploaded, and the pages aren't turned into images, so the text stays sharp and you can still search it.
When you might need this
- A merged document mixes page sizes and prints unevenly.
- A Letter document sent to a European office prints with cut edges.
- An A4 document has to go into a North American print shop or filing system.
- A form or court filing must be on one specific paper size.
- A phone scan came out at an odd size and you want it on normal paper.
- You want a margin around content that sits right at the paper edge.
How to do it
- 1
Open Resize PDF and add your file.
- 2
Read the size report first. It tells you something like 31 pages A4, 4 pages Letter, 2 pages A5. Now you know what is wrong and which pages it affects.
- 3
Choose the target size. For a merged document, Match the most common size is usually right, because it changes the fewest pages. To send a file abroad, pick A4 or Letter from the standard sizes.
- 4
Choose how the content fits on the new paper. Fit is the safe choice. Fill, Stretch and Centre are there for special cases, which the tips below explain.
- 5
Leave the orientation on Keep each page's orientation unless you need every page one way. Landscape slides then stay landscape.
- 6
If only some pages need to change, type them in the page range box, for example 5-8.
- 7
Look at the preview. You can pick which page to preview, so check one of the pages that changes the most.
- 8
Click Resize, download the file, and print one page before you print the whole document.
Try Resize PDF
It's free and you don't need an account. Open it in a new tab and follow along.
Open toolTips
- Fit scales the content until it fits inside the paper and fills the gap with white. Nothing is lost, but you may see white bars at the sides or top and bottom.
- Fill scales the content until it covers the paper and cuts off what hangs over the edges. There are no white bars, but the edges of the page are gone.
- Stretch fills the paper exactly by pulling the content wider or taller. It suits plain backgrounds and diagrams without text, and it makes text and photos look wrong.
- Centre keeps the content at its size and only changes the paper. Use it when a page is almost the right size and you don't want anything scaled.
- Letter and A4 differ by only a few millimetres, so going between them with Fit leaves thin bars that most people never notice.
- Add a margin of 5 to 10 mm if the content runs right to the paper edge. Most printers cannot print the last few millimetres.
- The tool warns you when Fill would cut off a large share of a page. Take that warning seriously on documents with page numbers, footers or signatures near the edge.
- Links, comments and form fields move with the content, so a form you resize still works.
Tools that help next
- Compress PDF. Resizing does not make the file smaller in megabytes. Compress PDF does.
- Merge PDF. Combine documents once they share one page size.
Common mistakes
- Using Resize to make a file smaller. Resizing changes the paper, not the size of the file in megabytes, and the file usually stays about the same size. To make the file smaller, use Compress PDF.
- Using Fill on a document with content near the edge. Page numbers, footers, stamps and signatures are the first things Fill cuts off.
- Picking a target size before you read the size report. If 30 of 32 pages are already A4, match that size and only two pages change.
- Forcing a single orientation on a document with landscape tables or slides. They end up small in the middle of a portrait page.
- Printing the whole document without testing one page first.
How this compares to Smallpdf, iLovePDF and Adobe
Smallpdf and iLovePDF can put pages on a new paper size, but they ask for a target size first and tell you nothing about the sizes already in the file. They also need you to upload the document to their servers.
Adobe Acrobat can do it in the desktop app through its print and preflight settings, which works but takes some knowing. Many free online tools take a shortcut and turn each page into an image at the new size, which makes text blurry and stops it being searchable.
This tool shows you the page size report first, offers Match the most common size for merged documents, and keeps the text as real text. Links and form fields move with the content instead of staying where they were. It all runs in your browser, so the file stays on your device.
| Criterion | Smallpdf | iLovePDF | Adobe Acrobat online | Easy File Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where your file is processed | On their servers, after you upload it | On their servers, after you upload it | In Adobe's cloud, after you upload it | In your browser, on your own device |
| Account or sign-in | Asked for early, and needed once you pass the free allowance | Optional for small jobs, needed for bigger ones | Most online tools need an Adobe ID | Never needed |
| Usage limits | A few free tasks, then an upgrade prompt | Daily task and file limits on the free plan | The free web tools are mostly a preview of the paid plan | No task counters and no daily limits |
| File size ceiling | The free plan limits upload size | The free plan limits upload size | Cloud upload limits apply | We don't set one. Your device's memory is the practical limit |
| Works without a connection | No, their server does the work | No, their server does the work | No, the cloud does the work | Yes for the browser tools, once the page has loaded |
| Cost | Paid subscription for full access | Paid subscription for full access | Paid Acrobat subscription for full access | Free. Every tool is open to everyone |
Other services change their plans and limits often, so treat this as a rough picture and not a price list. Check their websites for the current details.
Frequently asked questions
Does resizing make my PDF smaller in megabytes?
No. Resizing changes the paper each page sits on, not how much data the file holds. The file usually stays about the same size. To make the file smaller, use Compress PDF.
Will my text stay sharp?
Yes. The content is scaled as it is and is not turned into an image, so text stays sharp at any zoom and you can still select and search it.
Why do my pages have white bars?
Your content and the new paper have different proportions, and Fit keeps all of the content by filling the gap with white. Choose Fill to remove the bars, but the edges of the page are then cut off.
What is the difference between A4 and Letter?
A4 is 210 × 297 mm and is used in most countries. Letter is 8.5 × 11 inches, about 216 × 279 mm, and is used in the United States and Canada. A4 is a little narrower and taller.
Can I resize only some pages?
Yes. Type the pages in the page range box, for example 1-3, 7. The other pages stay exactly as they are.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The pages are read and changed in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server.