How to print a photo across multiple A4 or A3 sheets to create an XXL poster or large-format print? Three free solutions for creating a poster with an image spanning multiple pages.
Sometimes we need to print an image in a larger format than our printer can handle. This might be to make a wall poster or a sign for a party, to promote an event, or simply to display decorations at home.
If that's your situation, you could probably go to a printer or use a specialized website. But there are other, much cheaper options available online.
Websites and software for printing an image across multiple pages
While there is nothing simpler than printing double-sided or printing several photos on one page, doing the opposite is a whole different ball game.
Although it is entirely possible to achieve this type of printing of a photo across multiple sheets using software like Photoshop, not everyone has access to it.
That's why I set out to find tools that could help us when we need to print an A3 image on an A4 printer or a multi-page poster on a copier.
1- Posterazor free software to edit a large-format image.
Posterazor is a free image editing program that can be downloaded and printed at its original size or enlarged. Very easy to use, this software relies on a technique that involves dividing the photo into several parts, then printing each part on multiple sheets of paper. After printing, simply assemble the pages to reconstruct the image.
After downloading Posterazor, open the image you want to cut. Then, choose the output format by selecting the number of A4 or A3 pages your poster should be printed on. You can also change the output size as a percentage. Good news: you can adjust the printer margins to facilitate assembly or to create a mosaic effect.
2- BlockPosters.com to make a poster with multiple pages.
Free and browser-based, Block Posters requires no installation. Like Posterazor, this online app also uses the technique of segmenting an image into multiple pieces.
3- Rasterbator.net enlarge an image across multiple pages.
The Rasterbator works in the same way as Block Posters, meaning that it splits your photos into several parts that you will have to assemble and stick together after printing.
In English, Rasterbator is easy to use, so you won't be lost if you and the language of Shakespeare don't mix.
Select the image you want to use to create a multi-page poster. The application offers a default cropping option; you can adjust the settings to print in your desired output format. To do this, specify whether you are printing on A4, A3, or A2 paper, and then the page orientation (portrait or landscape). Next, indicate the number of pages you want the poster printed on. Below your poster, you will see its dimensions in centimeters once printed and assembled.
Rasterbator also allows you to add a margin, but that's not all. If you wish, you can display cutting marks and page numbers on the margin. This is ideal for keeping track of everything when assembling and gluing your poster.
Finally, to transform your photo into an art poster, various filters and effects can be applied to it.
This article was updated on February 29, 2016
