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How to Change PDF Page Size

A PDF formatted for A4 paper prints incorrectly on US Letter, and vice versa. Changing the page size without distorting the content is easy with the right tool.

Published February 16, 2026

A4 vs. Letter — Why It Matters

A4 (210 × 297 mm) is the standard paper size used in Europe, Asia, and most of the world. US Letter (8.5 × 11 inches, or 216 × 279 mm) is the standard in North America. A4 is slightly narrower and taller. When a document formatted for one size is printed on the other, the margins shift — text may be clipped, or large white borders appear. This is the most common reason people need to change PDF page size.

Scale Content vs. Resize Canvas

There are two approaches to changing page size. Scaling content re-renders the entire page proportionally to fit the new dimensions — content fills the page, but text and images are scaled up or down. Resizing the canvas changes the declared page dimensions without moving the content — useful if you just need to declare a different size for print settings without changing the visual layout. Our tool supports both methods.

  • Choose 'Scale content' when printing a document formatted for a different paper size
  • Choose 'Resize canvas only' when you need to change the declared page size for technical reasons without altering the layout
  • A4 to Letter scaling factor is approximately 97.4% — barely noticeable

Supported Page Sizes

The tool supports all common ISO paper sizes (A3, A4, A5, B4, B5) and North American sizes (Letter, Legal, Tabloid/Ledger). Custom dimensions (in mm or inches) can also be entered manually.

Step-by-Step: Change PDF Page Size

1. Open the Page Size tool and upload your PDF. 2. Select the target size from the dropdown (A4, Letter, Legal, etc.) or enter custom dimensions. 3. Choose whether to scale content or resize the canvas only. 4. Select page range (all pages or specific pages). 5. Click Convert and download the result.

Try it yourself — free & private

No sign-up, no upload. Everything runs in your browser.

Convert PDF Page Size

Frequently Asked Questions

Will scaling change the text size?+

Yes, if you choose to scale content, text and images are proportionally resized. For A4 to Letter, the scale is about 97%, which is imperceptible. For larger size changes (e.g., A4 to A3), the increase is significant and noticeable.

Can I change the page size for only some pages?+

Yes — use the page range selector to target specific pages, such as only the first page (for a cover) or a range like pages 3–10.

Does this affect the file size?+

Changing the canvas size has minimal impact. Scaling content may slightly increase size if content is upscaled, or decrease it if downscaled, as internal dimensions are recalculated.

page sizeA4letterresizeprint

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