Help can't scales pcb size in pdf to real size on print by laser printer?

Hello

Update use HP M211DW is ok




I have made a small pcb project by myself
but I have a problem with printing pdf by setting
it to the real size but my printer
can’t display it properly






Is there a solution?

Been awhile for me but I think the answer is to use plot? I see Kicad specifies 1:1 in print. I’m assuming the printer driver is messing with this? Supposedly to make sure people aren’t copying and printing currency. Good story. Might even have a bit of truth to it. :wink:

Meh, Printers are simply not made to print to accurate sizes. All the mechanical tolerances (such as diameter of paper feed rollers) add up, and a tolerance of 0.5% is quite normal.

You can set a custom scale to either enlarge or shrink your output a bit:
image

You have to figure out what the actual scale factor for your printer is. Autocad used to have a printer calibration function, with different scale factors in X and Y direction. But it was 30 years ago that I last use that (In the DOS age). There probably is other software around which can do this, and .SVG or .DXF output is probably better suited then .PDF, but I have no current knowledge of that. The trend is to have dedicated machines for accurately sized output.

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Can you suggest a method to calculate x, y?

If it is 45mm on your PC, and the printout is 45.3mm, then it prints too big, and you need a scale factor that is just a tad smaller then 100%.

45/45.3 = 0.9933774 = 99.3%

You can do more accurate measurements of the paper when you print out something bigger. Something like a 180 by 270mm rectangle for example.

This method will expand both sides, right?

If the y side is correct, but the x side is wrong, will this method help?

You may need to export the image, and then use an external image editor to scale each axis independently.

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FYI…

My Printer is a 15 yr old HP low-cost printer.

The Printed Dim’s at 1:1 are Deadly accurate and compare accuracy with my
Homemade-Optical-Comparator

FOLLOW-UP:
I Ploted Postscript and PDF at 1:1 and Both are Identical and compared to Caliper’s. I drew them in Kicad with 0.06mm Line-Width.

Thus, I conclude there is Nothing Incorrect about this with respect to Kicad.

ADDED

I tried with Kicad and still have problem

When I use A5 paper to print, the result is some part of paper will not be as designed

I am not sure if it is A5 paper or not

But when I try A4 paper, there is a problem near the edge of the paper. It seems that the printer is trying to adjust
the size to fit the paper itself.

i use HP Laser printer 107W
image

Well, it’s not a Perfect World and sometimes thing’s (whatever they are) seem to get ‘discombobulated’ (that’s a Real Word!)

My Printer is: HP_P1605dn

A couple if comments from my testing this morning:
(For clarification I’m using PCB as example (not Schematic)

• I tested Letter 8.5 x 11: PDF, PS, Print - No Problems
• I tested A4: PDF, PS, Print - No Problems
• I tested A5: PDF, PS, Print - No Problems

Naturally, ‘Manually’ need to re-position items on the page after changing the Page Settings above and re-positioning the Two Items shown, always printed correctly. I did Not do any resizing of the items, I only re-positioned them as wanted (at Lower-Left and Upper-Right of the Page).

Thus:

• Must correctly Set the Page-Setup for the Printer and Plot.

• Must correctly Set the Page-Setup for the Plotter and use the A4-CheckBox in the PS (PostScript) Plot Panel, also ensure Scale = 1:1

Note: I get Correct Printing if I do the above then, I Open the Postscript (.ps) file and/or the PDF in my system’s Previewer and Print from there at 1:1 (100%). Also true for direct-Printing. Those Prints are always correct.
Also, if, for example, the Plot Settings are for A4 and I set my printer for US-Letter (8.5x11) at 100% scale, it prints on two sheets or on both-sides, as I decide but, the actual dimensions are correct per my Caliper’s.

So, unless I’m not understanding what you’re doing, I suspect you’re overlooking something.

It might be best to Detail ‘exactly’ the steps you’re taking. Otherwise, I do the steps I always use for printing anything (meaning, I ensure Setting’s are as needed…)

In All cases, I measured the Printed items and they are deadly accurate…



Adding a specific scaling factor to the output to your printer driver does not work as intended if your printer driver applies it’s own scaling factor (such as “scale to fit”).

Gosh, I hope OP reads and understands what I posted… and that it should be obvious to him/her that Scale to Fit is Not 100%… never know what folks think and do…

Hello

this video

kicad

i config like you

but output

this size 44.5mm not 45mm

image

this 44.5 + 44.5 + 2 = 91 mm

can scale in kicad one size ?

50mm x 44.5mm

image

A couple of thoughts:

  1. upgrade / downgrade your printer driver, MIGHT have an affect.
  2. Plot to SVG format, then use an SVG graphics package to do the scaling (if actually needed) and the printing.

image

Your output is 1.1% smaller than actual, so if you enter 1.011 in the ‘Custom’ field and you should be good.

i use wifi print drive not sure up or down grade driver

This may Help… In your video, I see you’re Printing according to Objects Tab of appearance manager…

I print the Drawing Sheet….

ADDED: Follow-up I printed using Both and you can see the slight-dimensional difference on the Width’s…

can’t print on A5

i try move pcb can print on A5

i set scale 1.011 this size not fix one size

A4 Print Drawing Sheet OK


Size 50 x 45mm

A4 Print according to Objects not ok


Size 50x44.5mm

Have you at least tried plot instead of print? I know this worked for me at some point in the past.