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Printed PDFs are incorrectly sized/scaled?

It is important that PDF patterns be printed at the correct size and scale so that the resulting garments are also correctly-sized.

Verifying size and scale​

Our printed patterns include rulers at the upper left corner of each page as an aid to verify that the printed pattern has been printed at the correct size and scale.

Many of our patterns also include a scale box as a similar aid. For example, the scale box might say that its outer dimensions are 4" x 2" and its inner dimensions are 10 cm x 5 cm.

If you measure the ruler or scale box on your printed pattern and discover that they are different than the expected dimensions, then the size and scale of your pattern was incorrectly changed. This can happen somewhere during either: a. the PDF generating/export process or b. the printing process.

Troubleshooting steps​

Please make sure that:

  1. You are generating or exporting a PDF using the correct paper size. The default paper size is A4, and you should change it if you wish to use a different paper size. (For example, if you want to use Letter size paper instead.)

  2. You are printing the PDF to the correct paper size. If you have an A4 PDF, make sure the printing program is set to print to A4 paper.

  3. The paper loaded into your printer is the correct size, If you have an A4 PDF, verify that your printer actually has A4-sized paper loaded in it.

  4. You are printing at "Actual size" or at 100% scale. By default, many printing programs are set to "Fit" or "Shrink oversize pages" which will produce incorrectly-scaled printouts.

Further troubleshooting​

If you have followed the above troubleshooting steps but your printed patterns are still incorrectly scaled, it may be possible that your printer has been configured to print all documents (not just our patterns) at a non-100% scale.

If this is the case, you might want to try reconfiguring your printer or updating drivers to see if either helps. If you are unable to resolve the issue, you may simply need to use a different printer. Or, experiment with adjusting the scale at which you print so the resulting printouts end up at the correct scale.