When I first started making portrait quilts, I realized pretty quickly that I was going to be extremely limited if the only size I could manage print-wise for my patterns was 8.5" x 11". The first method I tried for assembling my templates worked just fine, but there were several steps. Had I come across this way first, it would have been a MAJOR time saver!
Step 1 - Head over to https://get.adobe.com/reader/ and download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free.
Step 2 - Click the button that says "Open File" and choose the PDF you would like to print. To my knowledge, this only works with PDFs. So, if you have a file that is not in that format, you will have to save it as a pdf in whatever program you created it in prior to this step. Also, make sure that when you saved the image in your particular program, you saved it as whatever size you are wanting it printed. For instance, in this particular tutorial, I wanted Dolly's finished size to be 20" x 20". Before saving, I made sure that's what the image dimensions were set to.
Step 3 - Once you have your image opened, click the printer icon in the top right (or select file > print). Once the dialog box pops up, confirm that your printer settings are correct. You'll then see you have a few different options for page sizing. You want to choose "Poster". Make sure that "Tile Scale" says 100%. This will ensure that your image prints at the correct size. "Overlap" is personal preference, but I like to set mine at .25" so that I can match corresponding points on the sheets more exactly.
Step 4 - After you've printed your pages, you'll see there are some margins that need to be taken care of. Use your rotary cutter or scissors to take those off.
Step 5 - This is where having a light table comes in SUPER handy! I turned the papers backwards and used little details in the stitching to match up the photos exactly. The final step is to use tape or glue to stick the pieces together.
And there you have it! Hope this makes the process easier for someone out there! :)
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