Wednesday, July 31, 2013

How to Print & Assemble our Large Planner Pages

Thank you so much for stopping by! If you arrived here via Pinterest or another site, please note that this post has been updated as of June, 2014 in order to showcase our NEW calendar pages! The post below will highlight some of the great features of our Large Planner Pages, as well as provide detailed print instructions with screen shots and step-by-step directions.

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There are so many things I love about our Large planner pages. For one thing, finding a binder or cover is SO simple and SO inexpensive, especially when you consider all the fabulous 3-ring binder options available. Target has the cutest line by far, and the binders run as low as $5.

But if a standard 3-ring binder is not what you are looking for, then I highly recommend checking out the Arc System or Martha Stewart Discbound System from Staples. I've been a fan of these binders since I discovered them over a year ago and they are still my favorite, especially for the 8.5 x 11 size.

Another thing I love about our Large planner pages, in addition to all the fabulous WRITING SPACE, is how easy they are to print!! There is no cutting involved and because most of the free printables you find online and in our shop are designed for 8.5 x 11 paper, you can build your perfect planner with very little effort.

To get started, you need to decide which of our Large planner sets best suit your needs. If you are looking for a planner with dated monthly and weekly pages, or if you are simply looking for a planner that is already in order for front-to-back printing (and super easy to have printed and bound for you), our Large Seasonal Planner is for you.


TO PRINT OUR LARGE SEASONAL PLANNER:

* Be sure that you have a fresh ink cartridge in your printer and that you have your paper tray filled. I prefer 24 - 28lb paper. It has a nice texture and your pens and fine tipped markers won't bleed through.

* After you have purchased and downloaded your file, open it using either Adobe Reader or Mac Preview (I will be using Mac Preview for the following instructions, but many of the options are universal).

* Click on the "Paper Size" menu and select "US Letter" and/or "Borderless" 8.5 x 11 in.


* You will notice in the below picture that selecting "Borderless" will make it so the colors of the page bleed to the edges, giving you the best alignment and use of space. If you do not see the "Borderless" option in your menu, there is a good chance your printer does not allow "Borderless" printing, but before ruling it out completely, we encourage you to Google your printer make and model to see if the option is located somewhere else.

* Next, under "Paper Type" you will want to select "Plain Paper." Many printers, once borderless printing is selected, will default to "Photo Paper." Although this will give you beautiful vibrant color, it will use 3 times as much ink and take twice as long to print. Be sure that you select paper type AFTER selecting borderless printing.


* {Please skip this step if your printer allows you to select "Duplex Printing"} In order to save space in your planner, these pages are designed to be printed front-to-back and are already arranged in sequential order. If your printer does not have the option to print front-to-back automatically, then we suggest the odds/evens print method.

* First, select "Paper Handling" from your drop down menu


From there, select "Odd Only"


And then be sure to select "Normal" order.


* BE SURE TO KEEP PAGES IN THE EXACT ORDER THEY CAME OUT OF THE PRINTER. You may feel the need to clear the tray as the pages print but it is important they stay in a stack.

* Once all of the odd pages have been printed, feed the stack back into your printer {pay close attention to how your printer feeds paper so that you know which direction to put them back in}. 

* Once again, select "Borderless", "Plain Paper" and then under "Paper Handling" choose "Even Only"


And "Reverse" order


* DO NOT LEAVE THE ROOM WHILE YOUR EVEN PAGES PRINT. I can't stress this enough. I have messed up several planner sets of my own because my printer pulled an extra sheet through the feed. If this happens and goes unnoticed, all of the pages following that extra sheet will be out of order and you will have to reprint those pages again on BOTH sides. 

* But if you watch carefully, and all pages print as they should, you will have your Seasonal Planner all set up in no time!

As I sad above, this planner is by the far the easiest to print because all the pages are print-ready and in order. And even though our Signature and Simplistic pages are a little more time-consuming to print, they offer an incredible amount of flexibility and variety.



As you can see, these sets come with 4 different weekly options, as well as a daily page that can be used all year, or just on days when you have a lot to juggle. There are also monthly pages, journal pages, list pages, notes and a standard cover sheet. With so many layout options, you are sure to find a system that works best for you. And because these planners are undated, they can be used year after year and you can change your set-up as you need to.

But with this flexibility comes a little more work in the print department. These sets will come with print instructions included in your Instant Download file, but in case you misplace them or want to see how they all work before you purchase the set, here is a look at:

HOW TO PRINT OUR LARGE 
UNDATED SIGNATURE PLANNER PAGES




HOW TO PRINT OUR LARGE 
UNDATED SIMPLISTIC PLANNER PAGES



I know these printing instructions may seem overwhelming, but I hope that you will find them useful as you begin to set up your new planner. My best advice is to go into the project knowing that it will take some time, as all great projects do, but the end result will hopefully be a planner that you look forward to using every day :-)

And while your printer is still warmed up, be sure to browse our shop {and blog} for other great sets and extras that will fit in your Large planner! You can use the following links to learn more about each set:


And of course, don't forget all the fabulous FREEBIES we have under the "Planner Pages" tab above. We have a whole set of Home Management Printables, Holiday Printables, List pages and more! And we are constantly adding new pages to our blog so be sure to follow us here, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

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As you can see, we have done our very best to provide detailed print instructions, but please keep in mind not all printers are created equal and there are some print problems even we can't solve. But that doesn't mean we aren't willing to try…so please feel free to email us with any questions at all. 
 thepolkadotposieprintables{at}gmail{dot}com.

Happy Planning, Friends!!

11 comments:

  1. What kind of dividers did you use?

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    1. We used the ARC black dividers for this picture. They also come in multi-color :-)

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  2. I just put together my planner and am in LOVE! Thank you so so SO much for making my life 100x easier! I actually went back to using a planner after trying out an iPad for 6 months. I loved my iPad, but it just wasn't the same as actually opening up a book and writing. None of the "Planner" apps suited all of my needs AND when I found myself with magazine clippings and other papers I wanted to save, I had no where to stash them. Not to mention there were no fun colors or patterns in the apps ;) I actually tried using the fine point colorful Sharpies on the Arc Sheet Protectors to record my monthly menu, weekly menu, and weekly cleaning list and they work great! Comes right off with a little elbow grease and water.

    I was wondering if you had/are working on any other packages? I saw some "etsy shop planning" packages to help track stuff as well as some "debt planning" sheets that looked useful. They were no where near as attractive/organized as the sheets you offer though!

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    1. Thank you SO MUCH Majken!!! I am glad you are loving your planner! And yes...we hope to have some other packages and freebies available soon. Be sure to follow along and we will post them when they are ready!!

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  3. Thank you so much for your printer directions! You have the same style printer as I do and that was such a big help!

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  4. I love the small planner pages, but want to purchase the home management pages in the small size as well. Am I missing something, or are they not available in that size?

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    1. They are not available in that size YET, but we are working on it!! They should be available sometime this month. We will post on the blog when they are ready :-)

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  5. I've been looking at the ARC system for a while now. There are a few items from the Martha Stewart line that I like as well. Are they interchangeable? Am I able to use both lines in the same book? Also, do you know when the Home Management system might be ready in the smaller size?

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  6. Oh my gosh...where to begin!! I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these printables!! I am a Planner Junkie and have NEVER found the perfect one until now! I did buy the Arc system from Staples for my printable planner pages, but you could even use a regular 3 hole punch with a binder! Either way, these pages are SO fun and colorful! Jennifer is AWESOME!! I actually purchased the fill-in your own days in the small size and then the bigger 2014 planner, as well! I have showed it to everyone because I'm so proud of it! LOL Of course, not everyone is as excited as I am, but oh well! LOL

    This was actually my first purchase on Etsy, too! It's a fun little place to look around! Thank you, Jennifer, for not only making these awesome planner pages, but for sharing them with us! The price is a STEAL, compared to what planners out there cost!

    If you are "on the fence" about whether or not to make a purchase, DO IT!!! I highly recommend Jennifer and her products! She was there to answer my questions almost immediately! She's very personal and friendly and there to help! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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  7. So excited for these, is there any tips or advice you have for having them professionally printed? I was thinking of having my local shop print and bind it for me

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