Keynote Margins when printing handouts

I'm in the same boat. At least if we could set the printer margins we could put in a big left margin to center it. However, I can't figure out how to do that either. If I change printers the margin doesn't change so maybe it is fixed in the software.

I've found a work around.

I export the pdf from Keynote with the pages jammed to the left. Now I open this PDF in the application Stone Studio Create. Now I grab the content and drag it right to center it. Now I export the PDF from Create. Create treats the PDF content as one object so doing this on the first page fixes it for the whole document.

If you don't have Create this might be possible with InDesign or some other programs.

I tried doing this with Preview. I thought that I could change the printer margins there. I hadn't noticed this but with Leopard we've lost Page Setup so there is no way to change printer margins. I rarely print so this doesn't affect me much.

Same problem here; when I print out handouts 2-slides-per-page in landscape mode and then photocopy them for lectures, I very often lose the left-hand edge. After some experimentation this evening, I've found a fairly simple solution which works for me, though.

It's true that in Leopard, "Page setup" has gone from Keynote, but it's still there once you hit "Print", under "Page attributes" in the drop-down menu that's headed "Keynote". There you can choose the paper size and, more's the point, make a custom paper size.

Go to the bottom of "Paper size" and hit "Manage custom sizes"; you can create a new paper size (A4 for me, i.e. 210x297mm) and in principle change the margins individually.

However, if you do the obvious thing, i.e. increase the left-hand margin to 2cm (say), while leaving the other three at their defaults, Keynote behaves badly and increase all margins to the same 2cm. Or something like that; it's not 100% obvious, but it does fairly clearly shrink the whole thing down, rather than simply pushing things to the right, as desired.

However, after some futzing, I found a solution. Instead of changing the margins, make a paper size which is the same width as A4 (210mm), but shorter than A4 by a couple of centimetres (e.g. 280mm). Leave the margins as the defaults and then print.

If your printer behaves the same as mine (an HP LaserJet 4250), it'll probably protest and tell you to load this new custom paper size. You can override this, however, and just tell it to print on whatever is available (i.e. A4). The printer then prints the job on a virtual 210x280mm piece of paper centred on the real 210x297mm piece of paper and, hey presto, leaving a nice 2cm or so margin on the left-hand edge, as desired.

Seems a bit long-winded, but since you can store this new "A4 Keynote" (for example) paper size, each time you come to print your handouts, just select that paper size under "Page attributes" and print. Yes, you may need to hit the enter button on your printer to force it to use real A4, but that's easier than opening a second program, I reckon.

Hope this helps.

I just encountered the same issue. My workaround is to print individual slides instead of handouts, but then in the print menu I select the layout option and set 2 or 4 per page (and double sided if necessary). The problem is that you cannot do 3,5, or 6 per page. Also, you cannot do the fancy stuff like adding notes or rule lines, but usually I do not need that.

Is Apple planning on addressing this discussion at all?
If I wanted to bother with clumsy, time-wasting work arounds for basic functions I would've stuck with PowerPoint. This is a basic element of printing presentation slides, and four major versions into Keynote and it's still unaddressed? Not to mention all the other mishaps for printing slides (such as animation builds, comments, etc.)? Not to mention we've been paying up to $100 for each of these upgrades?
Do you have anything at all for us on this issue Apple Support?

Apple doesn't address this stuff in the discussions. They usually refer to these forums as USER discussions. I do once in a while see Apple employees in here, but they tend to never post, mostly because it would be a feeding frenzy if they were to appear (they'd either be attacked or asked a million questions they aren't allowed to answer anyway).

If you want to send a bug report to Apple, use the Feedback link from Keynote to do it. I have spoken to the iWork sales manager and he says Apple DOES read those messages.

Thanks for that note on sending feedback. I forgot all about that and actually last time I submitted a negative report, Apple called me a while after to discuss the problem. That was regarding a tech support person but it puts Apple leaps and bounds ahead of, well anyone dealing with customer service that I can recall. Please, everyone send feedback. Thanks.

Ah I see - thanks for the explanation.
I submitted a Feedback report - if I hear anything helpful from Apple I will post it here.
(fingers crossed)