InDesign

Tile a document

A document’s dimensions do not necessarily match the paper sizes used by printers. As a result, when you print, InDesign divides the oversized document into one or more rectangles, or tiles, that correspond to the page size available on the printer. You can then assemble the overlapping sections.

You can have InDesign tile a document automatically, or you can specify the tiles yourself. Tiling manually lets you control the origin point for the upper-left corner of the tile, so that you determine where the page falls on the paper.

Oversized pages divided into printable tiles (left) and the overlapping sections in final assembly (right)

Tile a document automatically

  1. Choose File > Print.
  2. In the Setup area of the Print dialog box, select Tile.
  3. Choose one of the following options in the Tile menu:
    Auto
    Automatically calculates the number of tiles required, including the overlap.

    Auto Justified
    Increases the amount of overlap (if necessary) so that the right sides of the rightmost tiles are aligned at the right edge of the document’s page, and the bottom sides of the bottommost tiles are aligned at the bottom edge of the document’s page.

  4. For Overlap, type the minimum amount of duplicated information you want printed on each tile for ease in assembly. The Overlap option uses the unit of measure specified for the document. The value should be greater than the minimum nonprinting margins for the printer. You can specify up to half the size of the shortest side of the document page to overlap. For example, tiles for a page that measures 11-by-17 inches (279.4mm‑by‑431.8mm) can overlap up to 5.5 inches (139.7mm).

Tile a document manually

While tiling a document automatically prints all the tiles at once, tiling a document manually requires you to print each tile separately.

  1. If necessary, choose View > Show Rulers to display the rulers.
  2. Drag the intersection of the rulers to reset the zero point to the desired upper-left corner of the tile you want to print. Remember to leave room for overlap and printer’s marks.

    The size and shape of the area InDesign prints is determined by the current paper size and orientation.

  3. Choose File > Print, and then click Setup on the left.
  4. In the Setup area, select Tile, and then choose Manual in the Tile menu.