There is SUPPOSED to be a default page-size option in PDFCreator:  launch it (or double-click the system-tray icon), then choose Printer > Options; from the dialog box choose Document on the left, then the "Document properties 2" tab on right; make sure "Use fixed paper size" is checked, "Use custom paper size" is NOT checked, and finally select the preferred paper size (in my case "letter"), click save, and minimize the window (DO NOT close it, at least in Vista).  Of course, if your preferred paper size is different, adjust accordingly.

However, that setting does *NOT* appear to be honored by many Windows applications; they commonly default to A4 instead of letter.  To set it for the system, open the Printers box (usually in Control Panel), select PDFCreator, right-click and choose "Printing preferences...".  In the first dialog box, just click the "Advanced..." button; the "Paper Size" drop-down is at the top of the Advanced dialog box.  Change it to your preferred setting, click OK twice, and close the Printers box.

If your application STILL won't honor it, go to its printer-setup page (most commonly File > Print or File > Printer Setup, but varies by application.  Where it asks for your printer, select PDFCreator; then click the nearby "Properties" button.  That will get you the first dialog box from above, where you click the "Advanced..." button and set paper size in the second box, then click OK on both; if printer setup is on the main print page, click Cancel if you don't need to print at this time.

I'm not sure I understand where to find the "printer --> server settings".  Are they accessible somewhere in a PDF Creator menu? (I don't find them under "Printer") Or are they available under the printer icon in the Windows Control Panel. This format issue is very important at the moment as I am preparing a manuscript for publication and the formatting in the pdf document HAS TO match the printed format that I want exactly. More detailed help would be VERY useful here.