What to use as a printer method

[Doc Reaper]

I’m in the USA, and I own a half decent printer that I mainly use to print music tabs or documents that need to be physical. 
   9 times out of ten I’m trying to print a pattern that calls for A2, and that is so far from the sizing that is called for it’s not worth the time to save it in a folder - WHAT AM I MISSING?? 
 

Please explain it to me like I’m 5

[PastorBob]

14 minutes ago, Doc Reaper said:

I’m in the USA, and I own a half decent printer that I mainly use to print music tabs or documents that need to be physical. 
   9 times out of ten I’m trying to print a pattern that calls for A2, and that is so far from the sizing that is called for it’s not worth the time to save it in a folder - WHAT AM I MISSING?? 
 

Please explain it to me like I’m 5

Maybe A4 (not heard of A2).  It is the metric version of our standard 8.5" x 11", but slightly bigger. It measures 8.25 x 11.75" Most applications allow you to choose "print full size" and it will automatically cut off some of the blank margin so it fits.  If the size of the print isn't a big deal, you can choose "fit to page" and it will print, just a little smaller.

[Gezzer]

A2 is like 16x24 " isn't it ?  My printer offers to print that size but I think it MUST be a pdf file .       That is all I know , never tried to do it .

[fredk]

Tandy supplies a lot of its patterns in a very large page size, but also broken down to A4, or US letter size. With these I sometimes print out the A4 and tape them together. On the odd occasion I've taken the pattern PDF file to a print shop where they can print out to A0 size.

To help other not used to A sizes, 

Start at A0, then each halving of the paper is the next A number up, or double its size to get the next lower number. One side is always common to the size on one side of it

eg.

A0 = 841mm x 1188mm

A1 = 594mm x 841mm

A2 = 420mm x  594mm 

A3 = 297mm  x 420mm

A4 = 210mm x 297mm

A5 =148mm x 210mm

[JayEhl]

Here is the American translation along with a graphic:  

Paper Size Inches Millimeters Centimeters  A0 33-1/8 x 46-13/16 in 841 x 1188 mm  84.1 x 118.8 cm A1 23-3/8 x 33-1/8 in 594 x 841 mm  59.4 x 84.1 cm A2 16-1/2 x 23-3/8 in 420 x 594 mm  42.0 x 59.4 cm A3 11-3/4 x 16-1/2 in 297 x 420 mm  29.7 x 42.0 cm A4 8-1/4 x 11-3/4 in 210 x 297 mm  21.0 x 29.7 cm A5 5-7/8 x 8-1/4 in 148 x 210 mm  14.8 x 21.0 cm A6 4-1/8 x 5-7/8 in 105 x 148 mm  10.5 x 14.8 cm A7 2-15/16 x 4-1/8 in 74 x 105 mm  7.4 x 10.5 cm A8 2-1/16 x 2-15/16 in 52 x 74 mm  5.2 x 7.4 cm

[Gezzer]

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