Print PDF as-is, no scaling, no added margins
I have a generated PDF with precise dimensions. I verified the dimensions in Preview.
When printing on my HP Officejet Pro 276dw I cannot get it on the paper with the same dimensions. When choosing "A4" I get it scaled down too much. When choosing "A4 borderless" I get it scaled up too much.
The PDF is in A4 dimensions without a crop edge.
Is there any way to force printing directly as-is?
A few examples of the behaviour:
A4 at 100% is reduced slightly (about 98%), but placed at the correct height on the paper.
A4 at 102% is slightly enlarged, and placed about 2mm too high on the paper.
A4 Borderless at 100% is enlarged just slighly an placed about 5 mm. too high on the paper.
Solution 1:
Print settings, scale 100%
Ok, I read your question, I have read your comment on @user2236575 answer. Still I am going to point you in the same direction.
This is what you need to do for printing without resizing:
- Open your PDF in Preview.
- Select 'Print...' in the File menu, or press CommandP
- Within the 'Print' settings window, set the scale to 100%
- and press 'Print' to print at 100% of the original PDF
To check this, I have added a PDF file containing a ruler: download PDF ruler
Print this PDF with the instructions above.
Test your print like this if you do not have got a ruler. An A4 size 29,7cm long and 21,0cm wide. Overlay the wide side of an A4 paper over your ruler, it will measure 21cm exactly.
If not, you did print it correctly, but your printer does something wrong or overwrites these settings.
Solution 2:
(By the way, CuisinCocaine's linked pdf is not the A4 size of 210 × 297 mm.)
I encounter similar problems with my Brother MFC-J6920DW.
- When you print a document it (longest side) will be reduced to fit within a 3 mm 'virtual' border. For A4 this results in a 98% print.
- When you print a document with 'borderless' paper settings it will be first scaled up until it has a 3 mm bleed (again, longest side). For A4 this is 102%.
For A3 paper these percentages are slightly smaller because the 3+3 mm = 6 mm : 420 mm (longest side of the A3 paper) is less than with the 6 : 297 mm of the A4 paper. It's about 1,428 percent instead of the A4's 2,020 percent.
I spend quite a few hours trying to find a way to fix this, but I'm afraid it's written into the printer's firmware, at least in the Brothers MFC's and I suspect HP is using the same trick, or at least with the borderless option selected.
Please let know if this works for you too: The easiest solution is - oddly enough - to scale back to 98% so it will then print borderless at 100%.