Easy ways to tile print a large image

January 31, 2017 5:47 PM

I want to make a big (4' across) picture with Photoshop or Illustrator, and then easily print it on a series of 8.5x11" sheets of paper, which I can then tape together to make the one big image. Can I do this? How?
posted by xo to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

Best answer: https://rasterbator.net/
posted by ilovewinter at 5:51 PM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]

Best answer: BlockPosters
posted by MexicanYenta at 6:33 PM on January 31, 2017

Best answer: I have used rasterbator.net for this purpose.
posted by quaking fajita at 6:56 PM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The easiest way to splice it all together is on a light table with an exacto knife.
posted by ph00dz at 7:14 PM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]

I routinely do this in Illustrator; the print dialog gives me a "tile image" option with an adjustable amount of overlap (how much of the edge of the image printed on one page is printed on the corresponding edge of the adjacent sheet). You can print any size as long as you have enough paper and don't mind cutting it all together. And yes, working on a light box makes it easier to line up the image on adjacent sheets before you tape them together.
posted by BillMcMurdo at 7:41 PM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yeah, just make the layout in illustrator at the actual size you want. There is a tiling option when you print.
posted by O9scar at 9:57 PM on January 31, 2017

I'm pretty sure that Acrobat, Photoshop, and some printers' page settings all also have options for this. It's been a few years since I worked in the print shop, so I'm fuzzy on the specifics, but BillMcMurdo and O9scar have what I'm thinking: "Tile" printing is the option you want, and you should have size and preview options from there.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:51 AM on February 1, 2017

Aaaand it's in your question. Big help, me. :)
posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:52 AM on February 1, 2017

Response by poster: Thanks for Rasterbator and BlockPosters; they look like they'll work. But, about Illustrator: when I create a 48"x48" document and add some test contents, when I go to Print and choose Scaling, the "Tile" option is greyed out. So, how precisely might I do this with Illustrator?
posted by xo at 7:49 AM on February 1, 2017