How to Print Large Images Across Multiple Pages Using a PC or Mac

Visit https://rasterbator.net/ using your web browser. Rasterbator is a popular website for creating artistic wall posters. The platform is compatible with both Windows and macOS computers.

Select the source image. Here are three methods to do so:

• If the image is online, enter or paste the URL directly into the “Load from URL” field, then click Load.
• If the image is on your computer, click Browse… to open your computer’s file explorer, select the image, click Open, and then click Upload.
• Another way to upload an image from your computer is to drag and drop the file into the “Drag image file here” box.

Choose paper settings. Under the “Paper settings” section, select according to your needs:

• Choose the size and format of the paper you will print on, such as A5 (148 mm x 210 mm) or US Letter (215.9 mm x 279.4 mm) from the dropdown menu.
• Select the Portrait (vertical) or Landscape (horizontal) orientation.
• The default margin size of 10 mm works well for most home printers. Margins are crucial because most printers cannot print to the edge of the paper. If the margin is too small, part of the image may be cut off. Conversely, if the margin is too large, you may need to trim the edges.
• The Overlap feature makes it easier to align images after trimming, as adjacent pages will slightly overlap. Check the “Overlap pages by 5 mm” box for the best results.

Select the poster size. The “Output size” section determines the poster size based on the number of sheets used to create the image. The more sheets, the larger the poster.

• Enter the number of sheets in the first field.
• From the dropdown menu, choose wide or high.
  • For example, if you enter 6 in the “sheets” field and select wide, the image will span 6 sheets horizontally. Rasterbator will determine the height needed to fit the image.
  • If you choose tall, the image will span 6 sheets vertically, and Rasterbator will determine the width accordingly.
• The grid lines in the preview will show how many sheets are required.

Select a style. Rasterbator offers various styles to add artistic effects to your poster. Choose a style by previewing the effects on the image when you click, or select No effects to skip this step.

• Rasterbation and Black and white rasterbation are popular choices for single-color printing with dot patterns.

Choose color properties. If you’ve selected a style, you’ll have additional options for the final output.

• If you choose No effects, the poster will remain unaffected by any effects.

Select final style settings. These options will vary depending on the style you’ve chosen.

• If no style is selected, you can still browse through the dropdown menu at the top of the screen and add additional effects to your work. If you decide not to use any effects, choose Enlarge from the menu.
• To make trimming easier, you can check the “Crop marks” box. This step is optional and unnecessary if you’ve already added a 5mm overlap.

Click on Complete X page poster! (Complete X Page Poster). The “X” represents the number of pages you will print. The website will begin setting up the image for you.

Download the PDF file. Click OK or Save (the name may vary depending on your browser and computer) to download the completed image to your device and prepare for printing.

Open the PDF file. Double-click the file you downloaded from Rasterbator to open it in your computer’s default PDF viewer.

• Rasterbator recommends using Adobe X Reader, but you can use any other program you prefer.

Click on the File menu. On Windows, this option is located in the menu bar at the top of the PDF reader. For Mac users, find it in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Click on Print (Print). This option will open your computer’s printing settings.

Select your printer. If the printer you want to use isn’t shown in the “Printer” dropdown menu, click to select it directly.

Choose the paper size. Click on Size or Paper Size and select the same size you used in Rasterbator.

Select the “Scale to fit” option. On Mac, you’ll need to click Show Details to view the printer options.

• On macOS, choose Scale to Fit.
• If using Adobe Reader on Windows, check the “Fit” box under the “Paper size & handling” section.

Ensure that your printer is not set to double-sided printing. To print the poster correctly, each page must be on a separate sheet.

• If you’re using Windows, make sure the “Print on both sides of the paper” option is NOT checked.
• If using macOS, select Layout from the dropdown menu in the printer window, then ensure the “Two-sided” option is set to None.

Click on Print. The poster will be sent to the printer.

Arrange the pages in order. It’s best to find a flat, spacious surface for this task. If the image is printed across multiple pages, it can be challenging to determine the position of each page. Fortunately, each page has a marker in the bottom-right corner to help you assemble them correctly.

Trim the margins. Cut along the guidelines outside the image. Use a paper cutter and ruler for precise trimming.

Assemble the pages to form the large image. You can use any method, such as taping the pages together, mounting them on a board, or pinning each page to a wall.

• To make the poster easier to move later, apply small pieces of tape to the edges of adjacent pages while assembling the poster on the ground.