Scale the Document to the Legal Paper Size: Steps, Issues, and Useful Tips

Part 1: How to Scale the Document to the Legal Paper Size in Word?

You can scale the document to the Legal paper size in two ways in the Word document. The first is to change the paper size directly in Word, and the second method is to scale it in the print settings. Here’s how:

Method 1 – Change Paper Size Directly in Word

The easiest way to scale the paper size in Word is by changing your document (or a selected section) to the standard Legal paper size, which measures 8.5" x 14" in the US. You can do it from the Layout tab. Here’s how to scale the document to the Legal paper size in Word:

• Open the document you wish to scale in Word. Then, head to the “Layout” tab (called “Page Layout” in older versions).
• Click “Size” in the “Page Setup” group. Choose “Legal (8.5" x 14")” size from the list.

When you switch your document to Legal size (8.5" x 14"), Word instantly adjusts the page to those dimensions. The text and paragraphs reflow to fit the longer page, so you may end up with fewer pages overall.

Margins stay the same, but since the page is taller, the printable area increases. Headers, footers, and page numbers automatically shift to match the new layout, and in Print Layout view, you’ll notice the page preview looks longer.

Method 2 – Adjust Scaling in Print Settings

Another way to scale your Word document is to adjust its size in print settings. However, this doesn’t change your document’s page size in Word. It only tells the printer to shrink or stretch the content to fit a different paper size.

This method is useful if you just need a one-time print on Legal paper but want to keep the file in its original size, or if your document has complex formatting that you don’t want to rework. It’s also a quick fix when you need a fast print without adjusting layouts. Here’s how to change paper size and scale in Word print settings:

• Open Word. Then, head to “File.” Choose “Print.”
• Move down to print settings. Next, look for the “Paper Size” drop-down.
• Select “Legal (8.5" x 14").” Click “OK.” Then, hit “Print” on the main screen.

Part 2: How to Scale a Document to the Legal Paper Size Without Word?

MS Word is only restricted to scaling Word documents. So, if you want to scale or fit a PDF to Legal size before printing, even if the file was created in another size, employ a third-party tool. Tenorshare PDNob’s “Print” feature offers to do that. It’s a free and easy-to-use tool that can resize and print PDFs to Legal paper size.

In the print window, you can select the paper size and orientation, and the software will adjust the layout while maintaining consistency. This guarantees the document is properly formatted and ready to print on Legal paper. Here’s how to scale the document to the Legal paper size with Tenorshare PDNob:

• Install and execute Tenorshare PDNob on your computer. Then, choose “Upload PDF” to add a PDF for scaling.
• Head to “File” in the above menu. Then, choose “Print.” A window will pop up displaying print settings.

• Tap the drop-down beneath “Basic Settings.” Pick your printer (Choose “Microsoft Print to PDF” if you simply want to save the PDF in Legal size and not print it).
• down to “Page Settings.” Next, tap the drop-down beneath this option to choose the “Legal” paper size.
• You can also adjust other print settings like “Mode,” “Print Page,” etc. Hit “Print” afterward. Your PDF will start printing in Legal size.

Additional Features of Tenorshare PDNob:

Tenorshare PDNob also offers numerous PDF editing, conversion, and management features, such as:

• 99% OCR Accuracy: Uses OCR text recognition to convert scanned PDF documents to editable, searchable text, retaining the layout.
• 30+ Supported Formats: Supports conversion to/from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, and EPUB, PDF/A.
• 100+ Text & Image Editing Features: Edit your text, replace your images, add watermarks, change the background, compress, combine, and protect your PDFs.
• 200+ Annotation Tools: You can add highlights, shapes, stamps, and notes to PDFs.
• Batch Processing: Support files with large volumes as many as 1M.
• AI Support: GPT-5 powered AI Summarizer offers to extract summaries, insights, and answers from lengthy PDFs.
• Screenshot Tool: Take snapshots of the editing procedure.
• Multilingual: supports content in 20 or more languages (e.g., English, Chinese, French).
• Customer Care: Fast and effective customer support to users.

Part 3: How to Scale a Word Document to Legal Size?

If you want to scale a Word document in Legal size, you can use the methods in “Part 1” to do that. However, what if Legal size isn’t available in the version of Word you’re using? What to do then? In that case, you can customize the paper size yourself. Here’s how to do that:

• Open the document you wish to scale in Word. Then, head to the “Layout” tab (called “Page Layout” in older versions).
• Click “Size” in the “Page Setup” group. Next, tap “More Paper Sizes.”

• In the “Page Setup” window, enter: Width: 8.5 in, Height: 14 in (These are the dimensions for the Legal paper size).
• Make sure “Whole Document” is checked. Hit “OK.”

Part 4: Common Issues When Scaling to Legal Paper Size

When scaling your document to Legal paper size, you might face numerous issues. Here are some frequent problems users go through during scaling and afterward, and solutions to fix them:

Printer Doesn’t Support Legal Size

First, make sure your printer supports Legal-size paper (8.5" x 14") by checking the manual or the manufacturer’s site. Then, adjust the paper tray to fit Legal paper and confirm that both your computer and printer settings are set to Legal size.

If issues persist, update your printer driver from the manufacturer’s website. As a workaround, you can print to PDF and then scale it in a PDF viewer, or use Google Chrome’s print settings to select Legal size before printing:

• Open the file with Chrome. Then, choose the print icon.
• Tap “More Settings.” Next, click “Legal” beneath the “Paper Size.” Then, print the document.

Content Overflow or Unwanted Page Breaks

If your content overflows or creates extra page breaks, you can fix it by reducing margins, line spacing, font size, or paragraph spacing in Word. You can also manually adjust and move elements to keep everything on the page or employ Word’s “Shrink to Fit” feature (if available) to automatically resize content. Here’s how:

• Open Word. Click the dropdown arrow on the “Quick Access Toolbar.” Choose “More Commands.”

• In “Word Options,” select “All Commands.” Find “Shrink One Page.” Tap “Add.” Hit “OK.” (Skips these steps in the Shrink feature is already added to the (Quick Access Toolbar”).

• Open your document in Word. Then, choose “Shrink One Page” from the “Quick Access Toolbar.” Word will reduce font size and spacing to cut one page.

Images or Fonts Distort After Scaling

If images or fonts look distorted after scaling, check that images have enough resolution (DPI) and resize them outside Word if needed. Always lock the aspect ratio when resizing to avoid stretching:

• Open the image in Word. Head to the “Picture Tools Format” tab. Then, choose “Size group.” Make sure the aspect ratio is locked.

Also, prevent Word from compressing images by setting the resolution to high fidelity:

• Open the image in Word. Head to “File.” Then, choose “Options.” Next, tap “Advanced.”

• Check “Do not compress images in file.” Set the default resolution to “High fidelity.”

For fonts, embed them in the document so they display correctly on other devices:

• Open the image in Word. Head to “File.” Then, choose “Options.” Next, tap “Save.” Check “Embed fonts in the file.”

If printing causes distortion, make sure the printer’s DPI settings for horizontal and vertical resolution are the same.

Part 5: Other Useful Word Formatting Tips

While editing your Word document, you can improve its formatting, making it easier to read and look professional avoid data loss. Here are some tips to do that:

Exit Word Closing All Open Documents

Exit Word, closing all open documents. This saves time and effort compared to closing each file separately. You’ll also be prompted to save any unsaved work, helping prevent data loss.

Change the Document Theme Colors to the Blue Palette

If you change the document theme colors to the “Blue Palette,” this improves its look and gives it a more professional, consistent style. Blue conveys trust and stability, aligns with branding, and makes the document easier to read. A consistent color scheme also helps with interpreting and comparing data, reduces confusion, and makes it simpler for new users to understand. Here’s how to change the document theme color:

• Open your Word document. Head to the “Design” tab.
• Click “Colors” in the “Document Formatting” group. Then, select a blue palette like blue, blue warm, etc.

Switch the Current Document to Print Layout

You can switch the current document to “Print Layout” while working on it. This view makes it easier to check formatting, headers, footers, and page breaks, adjust layout settings, and ascertain that everything is placed correctly before printing. Here’s how you can switch:

• Open Word. Then, head to the “View” tab. Choose “Print Layout” beneath the “Views” group.

• Use the layout icons at the bottom of the window to switch views quickly.

Conclusion

If you wish to scale the document to the Legal paper size in Word, you can switch the page size in the Layout tab or adjust it in print settings. You can also enter the Legal dimensions manually. For PDFs, a tool like Tenorshare PDNob makes it even simpler by letting you resize, print, and edit without layout problems. With its editing, conversion, and AI features, it offers a quick and professional solution to manage and edit documents in Legal size.

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