MINSULA PRINT LAB / FIELD NOTES

Why your PDF prints smaller than expected

A correct PDF can still produce the wrong paper size. PDF geometry, the print dialog and the printer driver are three different stages. Start with a known dimension so you can tell which stage changed it.

A 97 mm clue

Use the botanical sample at 100 × 80 mm, A4 portrait, a 10 mm margin and the verification line. If both the line and artwork width measure 97 mm, the job was scaled to roughly 97%. That is different from an image file with the wrong aspect ratio: uniform print scaling changes both axes together.

1. Open the downloaded PDF in a viewer with an explicit Actual size or 100% option.
2. Choose the same paper size and orientation used to make the PDF. Disable Fit, Shrink oversized pages and similar options.
3. Inspect the printer properties for a second scaling control. Select one page per sheet, with booklet or multiple-pages printing disabled.
4. Print one page and measure the line again.

Do not compensate too early

Increasing 100 mm to 103.09 mm would mathematically offset a 97% scale factor. It would also create an oversized file if the print setting later changes. This studio therefore does not quietly apply compensation. Keep a record of the print-dialog choice instead.

Missing edges are another problem

A printer that cannot reach the outer 4 mm may clip an image placed 2 mm from the edge even at 100%. Increase the paper margin, or check whether a genuine borderless mode is available. Borderless modes sometimes enlarge artwork deliberately, so verify them rather than assuming they preserve scale.

Use the sample and ruler on the same paper and driver you intend to use for the finished project. Do not cut expensive materials until the measurement is satisfactory.