Why is my PDF cropped or rotated when I upload it to the speaker portal?

Modified on Tue, 17 Jan 2023 at 02:58 PM

If your uploaded PDF appears rotated or cropped, like the example below, when uploading to the speaker portal, the orientation of the content is not set correctly. 

Review your applications PDF and print settings that cause the cropping issues. You can also use Google search to find different solutions pending your specific PDF error. 


You can also always test your PDF first on online reader tools like this one https://smallpdf.com/pdf-reader. If your PDF appears cropped or rotated, you will need to first resave it using the correct settings in your application until it shows correctly in other PDF viewers. Once your PDF shows correctly in online tools like https://smallpdf.com/pdf-reader then you can upload to the Speaker Portal. 





Try to re-save the PDF

  1. If you are on a Mac, open your PDF in Preview. Save the file by going to File > Print > Save as PDF. Test if the PDF is still cropped by uploading the PDF on this page https://smallpdf.com/pdf-reader
  2. If this does not work, try resizing the PDF using the steps in this article. Then, re-upload to the speaker portal.


If using Adobe Acrobat, check Crop Settings

  1. Open the PDF with cropped content in Adobe Acrobat
  2. Select Document > Pages > Crop  (or Edit PDF > Crop Pages)
    1. depending on your version, your menus may differ - refer to the Adobe Acrobat Help to learn more about cropping and un-cropping PDFs
  3. Click Set to Zero > All Pages > Ok
  4. Save your PDF agaa
  5. Check if the PDF is still cropped by uploading the new PDF file on the PDF viewer page mentioned above.


If using PowerPoint, check Scale and Print Settings

  1. Open your PowerPoint file
  2. Choose Tools > Options > select the Print tab
  3. Uncheck the box Scale to fit paper
  4. Save your presentation to preserve this setting
  5. Export to PDF and check if the PDF is still cropped by uploading the new PDF file on the PDF viewer page mentioned above.


Your results may vary depending on the version of the applications installed.


Save to PDF via Google Slides

  1. Go to https://slides.google.com 
  2. Click the PLUS button to start a new presentation
  3. Click File > Import Slides > Upload and upload your PPT file
  4. Try either of the following:
    1. File > Download > PDF 
    2. File > Print > Destination > Save as PDF > Save 
    3. File > Download > Current PNG > Save to your computer (this saves the image of a single slide) > Convert the PNG to PDF using Adobe Acrobat on your computer, or by opening the PNG > File > Print > Save as PDF, or by using one of the many free PNG to PDF converter tools like https://png2pdf.com/
  5. Check if the PDF you generated still cropped by uploading the new PDF file on the PDF viewer page mentioned above.


Use Preview on a Mac to resave via PDF Export

You may be able to fix rotation issues using a Mac. The file size may slightly increase resaving from Preview. You can then still always use another compression tool to further reduce file size if too large.

  1. Right-click on your file in the Finder window > Open With > Preview
  2. File > Export as PDF > save the file on your computer where you can easily find it again
  3. Open the exported PDF again in Preview - if rotated, click Tools > Rotate left or right, depending on your image. 
  4. File > Save
  5. Check if the PDF you generated still cropped by uploading the new PDF file on the PDF viewer page mentioned above.



Use Preview on a Mac to resave via the Print menu

Resaving a PDF on a Mac can remove a variety of issues with a PDF that prevent you from displaying it correctly in web tools.

  1. Right-click on your file in the Finder window > Open With > Preview
  2. File > Print > Check Orientation, scaling, and all other options available until the preview on the left looks like the poster PDF you want to save.  
  3. On the bottom, select PDF > Save as PDF
  4. Check if the PDF you generated still cropped by uploading the new PDF file on the PDF viewer page mentioned above.