# Adobe Acrobat Reader: Open .pdf file to page width? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adobe-acrobat-reader-open-pdf-file-to-page-width/941105 "2021-04-30T16:50:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adobe-acrobat-reader-open-pdf-file-to-page-width/941105/1 "2021-04-30T16:50:55Z")
Is there a way to set Adobe Acrobat Reader to always open .pdf files to Fit Width? I tried going to Preferences and choosing Page display =\> Zoom =\> Fit Width. I closed the document I was reading and opened a new one. The new one shows the whole page, which is too small to read, instead of fitting it to the width of the page. When I look at Preferences, it’s still set to Fit Width. I’d like to double-click on a document and have it a readable size without having to click Control-2. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adobe-acrobat-reader-open-pdf-file-to-page-width/941105/2 "2021-04-30T17:05:24Z")
I have the same settings as you and it works for me (Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017). Have you tried opening Acrobat by itself and checking the settings without a PDF open? Also, what is your Page Layout setting set to? I may be wrong, but I have a vague memory of this being one of those things that you had to set a property in two different places in order for it to work right. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adobe-acrobat-reader-open-pdf-file-to-page-width/941105/3 "2021-04-30T17:17:01Z")
Personally I prefer [PDF-XChange Editor](https://www.tracker-software.com/) to Adobe Acrobat Reader. I’ve been happily using it for years. It’s faster, better, well designed, and has more features. It’s also easy to set the default zoom to Fit Width, amongst numerous other settings. The free version is more than ample for most needs, unless you want to do fancy PDF editing. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adobe-acrobat-reader-open-pdf-file-to-page-width/941105/4 "2021-04-30T17:24:06Z")
If memory serves, this one is solved via: EDIT \> Preferences \> Documents \> Restore last view settings when reopening documents (check the box, then click OK at the bottom) Let me know if that doesn’t do it. I’ll scratch my head and come up with another guess 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adobe-acrobat-reader-open-pdf-file-to-page-width/941105/5 "2021-04-30T17:25:03Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Have you tried opening Acrobat by itself and checking the settings without a PDF open? Yes. > [@Shoeless](#): > > Also, what is your Page Layout setting set to? Automatic. I tried setting it to Single Page Continuous and Single Page to no avail. > [@GreenWyvern](#): > > Personally I prefer [PDF-XChange Editor](https://www.tracker-software.com/) to Adobe Acrobat Reader. Only Administrators can install new software. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adobe-acrobat-reader-open-pdf-file-to-page-width/941105/6 "2021-04-30T17:28:46Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > EDIT \> Preferences \> Documents \> Restore last view settings when reopening documents (check the box, then click OK at the bottom) > > Let me know if that doesn’t do it. I tried it. It says ‘when **reopening** documents’. So I clicked the box and opened a document. I clicked Control-2 to make it fit the width. Then I closed the tab and re-opened the document. It still opened showing the full page instead of fitting it to the width. I also tried opening a new document, with the same results. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adobe-acrobat-reader-open-pdf-file-to-page-width/941105/7 "2021-04-30T17:31:22Z")
Ah. I get what you’re saying. I found a page that seems to indicate what _could_ be hanging this up: > **[Adobe Reader: Change Default Zoom Setting](https://www.technipages.com/adobe-reader-change-default-zoom-setting/)** > > In this tutorial, we show you how to change the default zoom setting in Adobe Reader. > If this setting does not appear to be working for you, it might be because it is overwritten by the “Accessibility” settings. Check them with these steps. > 1. Open Adobe Reader. > 2. Select “ **Edit** ” \> “ **Preferences** “. > 3. Select “ **Accessibility** ” on the left pane. > 4. If “ **Always use Zoom Setting** ” is selected, Reader will use the setting specified in the drop-down menu on this screen. Anything ? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adobe-acrobat-reader-open-pdf-file-to-page-width/941105/8 "2021-04-30T17:33:57Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Anything ? That did it! Thanks. 🙂