In Preview, how do I print multiple images per page, instead of multiple copies per page?

In the print dialogue box click on the Preview box below orientation and select layout. Then you can select how many pages you want on one sheet.

Does the "Copies per page" menu at the bottom of the Preview PDE do what you want?

Now once you've selected how many pages go on one sheet click on the Layout button and select Preview. You now have the options you want. The Preview print dialogue box hasn't changed. i just checked it on Snow Leopard.

I'm dealing with the same problem and find this change incredibly annoying. What prospective scenario would someone find themselves printing multiple copies of the same page on a single sheet? I don't know what the developers were thinking. I've googled all over for a fix and even tried to use the old version of Preview from Snow Leopard by copying it into Lion, but an error message pops up that says the older version is incompatible. So I guess we're stuck with this until they offer an update that fixes the issue.

There is no issue. 2 up, 4 up, 8 up on a page has been standard printing for ages.

I think you misunderstand the problem we are having with the changes in Lion. We're not stupid and If you read our posts carefully, you will realize that we are fully aware of the Layout menu option that lets you choose 2, 4, and 8 pages per sheet. It's just that unlike the option "images per page" (which was changed to "copies per page" in Lion) that was available in the Preview menu in Snow Leopard, using the "pages per sheet" option in the Layout menu includes the margins for each of the multiple pages to be printed on the single sheet of paper and because of the extra space devoted to the margins, considerably scales down the size of the image printed. WIth the "images per page" option in Snow Leopard, this was not the case and so the scale of the images were much larger. To see what we're talking about, try printing out something by setting "copies per page" to 2 in the Preview menu and then change the Scale (%) to a number that fills up the entire page without cutting out any of the images. Now try doing the same thing but using the "pages per sheet" option in the Layout menu. You'll see that the scale of the image using the Layout menu option is much smaller than the one printed using the "copies per page" option in the Preview menu. What was different in Snow Leopard was that we were able to put multiple pages on a single sheet n this manner rather than a copy of the exact same page on either side.

No one is saying you're stupid. Get off it. If I miss-understood the issue please clarify. In any case why not post your feedback here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

lifeisbebop wrote:

I think you misunderstand the problem we are having with the changes in Lion.

...

To see what we're talking about, try printing out something ...

I followed your directions to the letter and did a bit more experimenting myself. Here is what I am seeing:

1. I agree that you will get different output depending on whether you use number of copies (images) per page vs Layoiut Pages Per Sheet. Of the two, Layout Pages Per Sheet respects the original page layout much better than copies per page. Copies per page is ignoring the white space on the page. The Layout Pages Per Sheet keeps the white space.

2. I find absolutely no difference in the behavior between Snow Leopard and Lion. They both produce the same results when the same options and scaling are chosen.

Also consider the following. With a US Letter size page, if you divide 8.5 by 11 you end up with a ratio of 0.77. If you then look at the ratio of half of a US Letter page, you divide 5.5 by 8.5 which yields 0.64. If you are going to properly respect the layout of the source page(s), you must include the white space and the aspect ratio.

Regarding points 1 & (3):

If fidelity to the original margins and layout ratio was my goal, then your points would make sense. But in fact, because I do a great deal of printing out articles from academic journals with the 2 to 1 page setting, my purpose is to maximze the size of the font so it would be easier to read. Adding in the margins creates redundant space and thus leaves less room for the actual text. This is precisely why I loved the "images per page" option in Snow Leopard so much. The reason we disagree whether the "images per sheet" option or the Layout menu option is better is becuase we have different purposes in mind.

Regarding point 2: The difference between "images per page" and "copier per page" again is that whereas the former would print page 1&2 on a single page and then 3&4 on the next page and 5&6 on the next (and so on), the latter only allows you to print page 1&1, then 2&2, then 3&3. So in fact, the behavior between Snow Leopard and Lion are entirely different. If there is a way in Lion through which you can restore the previous Snow Leopard option, that would be great. But as it stands, there is no such option and so I'm using other Macs that have Snow Leopard installed to do my printing. The increases in font size by using Snow Leopard is much more dramatic than you would expect. I've tried to live with relying on the Layout option in Lion, but it makes reading much more frustrating because the text is so much smaller and makes it harder to highlight and underline. I hope this issue is resolved soon.

I've been having strife with this too. Just found a way to get around it though:
So once you've grouped the images together, under the preview tab of the printer settings click 'scale to fit' and change it to 'fill entire page', then modify the pages per sheet setting under the layout tab to whatever you want, and it should remove the margins.

I have found a way to do what you want, but you may find it to be more trouble than it's worth. I have used it to print multiple copies of coupons on one page without making them too tiny to read.

1. Open the document in Preview.

2. Select Tools:Rectangular Selection.

3. Create a selection that leaves out the whitespace, or whatever you want to be rid of.

4. Select Edit:Copy then File:New from Clipboard. This should create a (reduced) document containing only your selecton.

5. Repeat this for as many pages/images that you want to print. Rename the additional pages (effectively saving them. You don't have to save the first page)

6. On your first (reduced) page, select View:Thumbnails

7. Click on the renamed filename in the titlebar of the additional pages and drag your additional pages to the thumbnail area, which adds them to the first page. I could not drag the additional pages unless I renamed/saved them.

8. Select File:Print and click on Scale to Fit: and Print Entire Image

9. Click on the Preview popup menu and select Layout. Click on Pages per Sheet and select 2 (or any other multiple)

10. Click on the Portrait or Landscape orientation icon to arrange the pages properly.

Print (and save a bit of paper)

This worked for me - thank you! I didn't need to select 'scale to fit' though (which chopped off part of my images) - But it worked fine with 'print entire image' too. Perfect!

This is exactly what i was looking for thank you. I had 12 images, but didn't want 12 pages, so now have three pages with those 12 images. Thank you x