beginner.zone model plans are provided as full-size PDF files for accuracy. However, these plans are often much larger than the standard A4 (or Letter) paper typically used in home printers.

Don’t worry! In this chapter we will explain two options you have, to either have the plan printed at your local copy-shop, or printed at home. Both methods will allow you to work with the correct, full-size plan for building your model.

Option 1: Printing at a Local Copy Shop

This is often the simplest method if you want the plan printed on a single large sheet and prefer to avoid cutting and taping multiple pages together.

How it Works:

1. Find a Local Shop: Search online for copy shops, print shops, or reprographics services near you (e.g., “copy shop Wald Bavaria,” “large format printing Cham,” “plan printing Regensburg”). Many office supply stores also offer these services.
2. Check Their Services: Confirm they offer large-format printing (sometimes called architectural plan printing, engineering prints, blueprint printing, or poster printing). It’s best to call ahead or check their website to ensure they can handle the size you need.
3. Prepare Your File: Save the plan PDF file onto a USB drive to take with you. Alternatively, check if the shop accepts files via email or has an online upload portal.
4. Specify Your Needs (Crucial!): When you submit your file, clearly instruct the shop to print the plan at “100% scale” or “actual size.” This ensures the dimensions printed on the paper are accurate for your model building. If the plan documentation mentions a specific large paper size (like A0 or A1), mention that too, but the “100% scale” instruction is the most important part.
5. Cost: Be aware that large-format printing costs significantly more than printing at home. Prices are usually based on the size of the paper (per sheet) or the printed area (per square meter/foot). Ask for a quote beforehand if you need one.

Advantage: You receive the complete plan printed accurately on a single, large sheet of paper – no assembly required!

Option 2: Printing at Home Using Tiled Printing

This method uses your standard home printer and free software to print the large plan across multiple smaller sheets (A4 or Letter size), which you then assemble.

What is Tiled Printing?

Tiled printing, called the “Poster” option in Adobe Reader, breaks down a large document (like my plans) into smaller sections or “tiles.” Each tile is printed on a separate sheet of standard paper (e.g., A4). You then assemble these tiles like a jigsaw puzzle to create the complete, full-size plan.

What You’ll Need:

1. A Computer: Windows PC or Mac.
2. A Home Printer: Loaded with standard paper (A4 or Letter, depending on your region).
3. The Model Plan PDF: Downloaded from the plan page on beginner.zone.
4. Adobe Acrobat Reader: The latest free version. If you don’t have it installed:
   • Visit the official Adobe Acrobat Reader download page (search online for “download Adobe Acrobat Reader”).
   • Download and install the software. Ensure you are downloading the free Reader, not the paid Acrobat Pro, unless you already own it.
5. Scissors: For trimming the printed pages.
6. Sticky Tape: Clear adhesive tape works best for assembling the tiles.

Step-by-Step Printing Instructions:

1. Download the Plan: Navigate to the specific plan you want on beginner.zone. Click the “Download Plan” button and save the PDF file to a location you can easily find on your computer (like your Desktop or Downloads folder).
2. Open the Plan in Adobe Reader: Locate the downloaded PDF file. Right-click the file and choose “Open With,” then select Adobe Acrobat Reader. (Alternatively, open Adobe Reader first, then go to File > Open and browse to your downloaded plan).
3. Access the Print Menu: Once the plan is displayed, open the print dialog box. You can usually do this by:
   • Going to the File menu (or the “hamburger” menu icon ☰ in some newer versions) and selecting Print.
   • Clicking the Print icon (often looks like a printer) in the toolbar.
   • Using the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac).
4. Select ‘Poster’ Mode: In the Print dialog box that appears, look for the section titled Page Sizing & Handling (or similar). Within this section, click on the Poster button.
   • This tells Adobe Reader you want to print the large document across multiple smaller sheets.
   • You should see a preview pane showing how the plan will be divided into tiles on your selected paper size.
5. Check Settings (Important for Full Size):
   • Tile Scale: Ensure this is set to 100%. This is crucial for printing the plan at its intended full size. Do not use options like “Fit” or “Shrink” unless you intentionally want to resize the plan.
   • Overlap: Set a small overlap (e.g., 5-10 mm or 0.25-0.5 inches). This prints a small, duplicated strip on adjacent edges, making alignment easier when taping the tiles together.
   • Cut Marks: Check this box to print small lines in the corners of each tile. These act as guides for accurately trimming the overlap or margins.
   • Labels: Check this box to print the filename and a tile coordinate (like “Page 1 (1,1)”) on each sheet. This can be very helpful for sorting and assembling the tiles correctly.
   • Tile only large pages: (Optional) If your PDF has multiple pages and only some are large plans, checking this ensures only the oversized pages get tiled, while standard-sized pages print normally.
6. Print: Make sure your home printer is selected correctly. Review the preview one last time (it often shows the number of sheets required). Click the Print button.

Assembling Your Full-Size Plan:

1. Gather the Tiles: Collect all the printed sheets from your printer.
2. Arrange the Tiles: Lay the sheets out on a large flat surface (like a table or clean floor). Use the preview image or the printed Labels (if you selected that option) to arrange them in the correct order.
3. Trim the Edges: For the neatest result, you’ll need to trim off the unprinted white margins or the overlap area from the edges where tiles join.
   • If you used Cut Marks: Carefully cut along the printed cut marks using scissors or a craft knife and ruler.
   • If you used Overlap (Recommended): Trim along the edge of the printed area on one of the overlapping sheets, leaving the overlap strip on the adjacent sheet. You will then align the trimmed edge under the overlap strip of the next tile.
   • If you used neither Cut Marks nor Overlap: Carefully trim off the white margin on one side of each join (e.g., trim the right margin off the left tile, and the bottom margin off the top tile). Consistency helps!
4. Tape the Tiles: Carefully align the trimmed edges or use the overlap sections. Use sticky tape to join them securely. It’s often easiest to tape tiles together to form rows first, and then tape the complete rows together. Apply tape to the back for a cleaner look on the front, or use clear tape carefully on the front.

Congratulations! You should now have a full-size version of your chosen model plan, ready for building.

Need More Help?

• Adobe regularly updates its software. While the “Poster” printing feature described here is standard, the exact appearance or location of buttons and menus might vary slightly between versions or operating systems (Windows/Mac).
• For the most current, detailed assistance with Adobe Acrobat Reader’s features, consult the official Adobe Acrobat Reader help pages available online. Search for terms like “Adobe Reader print poster” or “tile print PDF Adobe Reader”.