# A4 size output with a0poster; A0 size only in combination with certain packages

Here is my code:

\documentclass[a0,landscape]{a0poster}
\begin{document}
Hello, World!
\end{document}


When I compile this, I get A4 size output.

$pdflatex foo.tex This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.19 (TeX Live 2018) (preloaded format=pdflatex) restricted \write18 enabled. entering extended mode (./foo.tex LaTeX2e <2018-04-01> patch level 2 Babel <3.18> and hyphenation patterns for 22 language(s) loaded. (texmf/tex/latex/a0poster/a0poster.cls Document Class: a0poster 2004/01/31 v1.22b a0poster class (GK, MW) (/usr/local/texlive/2018basic/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/article.cls Document Class: article 2014/09/29 v1.4h Standard LaTeX document class (/usr/local/texlive/2018basic/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/size10.clo)) (texmf/tex/latex/a0poster/a0size.sty)) (./foo.aux) [1 Non-PDF special ignored! <special> header=./a0header.ps Non-PDF special ignored! <special> papersize=118.82cm,83.96cm {texmf/fonts/map/pdftex/updmap/pdftex.map}] (./foo.aux) )</usr/local/texlive/20 18basic/texmf-dist/fonts/type1/public/amsfonts/cm/cmr17.pfb> Output written on foo.pdf (1 page, 9922 bytes). Transcript written on foo.log.$ open foo.pdf # Shows 8.27 x 11.7 inches document

$sips --getProperty all foo.pdf /Users/lone/foo.pdf pixelWidth: 1240 pixelHeight: 1753 typeIdentifier: com.adobe.pdf format: pdf formatOptions: default dpiWidth: 150.000 dpiHeight: 150.000 samplesPerPixel: 4 bitsPerSample: 8 hasAlpha: yes space: RGB profile: sRGB IEC61966-2.1$ echo "scale=2; 1240 / 150; 1753 / 150" | bc
8.26
11.68


What am I doing wrong that the final output is A4 even when A0 was requested?

By the way, a strange thing I notice is that the moment I use the hyperref or graphicx or xcolor package in the preamble, I get the desired A0 output (46.78 x 33.06 inches). For example:

\documentclass[a0,landscape]{a0poster}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\begin{document}
Hello, World!
\end{document}


But importing some other package such as multicol or titlesec still leads to A4 size output. What is going on here?

• The packages you mention load the needed driver file. – Johannes_B Sep 6 '18 at 4:26
• @Johannes_B Thanks! Your comment gave me a clue. Now I am using the command latex foo.tex && dvipdf foo.dvi to generate A0 size PDF output. Is there anyway to load the correct driver in my LaTeX source code itself so that I can continue to use the pdflatex foo.tex command to generate my PDF? – Lone Learner Sep 6 '18 at 4:51
• Just load  graphicx? – Johannes_B Sep 6 '18 at 4:53