PDF Layout Tool

Where it saves the most

Shipping labels and invoices, where each page uses a fraction of the sheet. Two-up halves your paper immediately with no loss of legibility.

Print at Actual Size

Do not use Fit to Page - it rescales, and rescaling is what breaks barcode scanning. Test one sheet before committing to a batch.

What this saves in practice

A shipping label uses a fraction of an A4 page. Printing one per sheet wastes the rest, on every order, every day. At forty orders a day, two-up halves your paper immediately and four-up cuts it to a quarter.

It works on any document, not just labels - invoices, packing slips, manifests. If your labels are still joined to their tax invoices, run them through the label cropper first so you are not laying out the half you throw away.

Print at 100%, always

Every printer dialog defaults to something like Fit to Page, and that quietly rescales the page. Rescaling changes the width of barcode bars, and a barcode that will not scan at the courier hub is a delayed shipment and a mark against your account health - which costs far more than the paper you saved.

Choose 100% or Actual Size, print one test sheet, and scan it before running the batch.

How many per sheet

Two is the safe default on any printer. Four saves more and is fine on a decent laser printer with clean labels. Six is possible but the barcodes get small enough that a worn print head or a low toner cartridge starts causing failures. Test before you commit.

Frequently asked questions