How to Print Legal PDF Documents

Printing legal PDF documents requires careful attention to formatting, paper size, and print settings to ensure accuracy and compliance. Whether you’re printing contacts, court documents, or other legal papers, following the correct steps will help you maintain a professional appearance.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Print Legal Documents in PDF Format

Printing legal-size documents correctly is crucial to maintaining their formatting and ensuring compliance with official requirements. Follow these steps to print legal PDF documents using Smallpdf’s PDF Reader:

Step 1: Open PDF Reader and Upload Your Document

Navigate to our PDF Reader tool. From there, click the “Choose Files” button to upload your legal PDF document from your device, Google Drive, or Dropbox. You can also drag and drop files to upload them.

Step 3: Adjust the Print Settings

In the Destination section, select your preferred printer. Next, in the Paper Size section, choose Legal (8.5 x 14 inches) to ensure the document prints at the correct size.

Under Page Scaling or Fit, select one of the following options:

• Fit to Printable Area if your printer doesn’t support legal-size paper, but you still need the content scaled to fit.
• Actual Size if you want the document to print at its original dimensions without scaling.

Choose the page orientation—which could be Portrait or Landscape—based on how the document was formatted.

Step 4: Select the Number of Copies and Pages to Print

Specify the number of copies you need. If you only need to print specific pages, enter the page range in the Pages field.

Step 5: Review and Print

Double-check all your settings to ensure the correct paper size, scaling, and printer are selected. Next, click “Print” to start printing. If your printer supports double-sided printing, enable this if needed.

9 Best Practices for Legal Document Printing

Follow these tips to achieve the best results when printing legal documents:

1. Use the correct paper size: Legal documents are typically printed on legal-sized paper. Before printing, confirm that your printer supports this paper size and adjust the paper tray settings accordingly.

2. Ensure proper formatting and scaling: Select “Actual Size” or “Fit to Page” in your print settings to maintain accurate document dimensions. Avoid shrinking or stretching the document, which can distort important text or signatures.

3. Check margins and layout: Legal documents often require specific margin settings for compliance and readability. If necessary, adjust the margins in the PDF before printing to prevent your text from being cut off.

4. Print in high quality for clarity: Set the print quality to High or Best in your printer settings, especially if the legal document contains fine print or office seals.

5. Enable duplex printing if needed: Some legal documents must be printed double-sided to meet formatting guidelines. Before you print, check whether the document requires single-sided or double-sided printing.

6. Verify before printing multiple copies: Print a test page to check for any formatting issues before printing multiple copies. Review the test print for missing text, incorrect margins, or misaligned elements.

7. Secure sensitive legal documents: If you’re printing confidential legal documents, ensure you’re using a secure or private printer. Avoid public printers for sensitive material, and consider shredding misprints to protect professional information.

8. Check for digital signatures or watermarks: If your document includes digital signatures, ensure they’re visible in the print preview. Some digital signatures may require a PDF reader with advanced printing options to appear correctly on paper.

9. Store digital copies as a backup: Before printing, save a backup copy of your legal document in case you need to reprint or share it later.

FAQs on Printing Legal Size Documents

How do I print legal documents?

To print legal documents, open the PDF in a PDF viewer like Smallpdf’s PDF Reader, then access the print menu by clicking the printer icon.

Select a printer, choose Legal (8.5 x 14 inches) as the paper size, and adjust scaling options to ensure proper formatting. Finally, review the settings and click Print to complete the process.

Where can I print a document if I don't have a printer?

If you don’t have a printer, you can print your document at a local print shop, an office supply store like Staples or FedEx Office, or a library that offers printing services. Alternatively, you can use online printing services that deliver printed documents to your doorstep.