Hints, Tips & Guidance

Printing correctly scaled PDF plans and

drawings with online applications

PDF format A1 Plan ready to print in Adobe Reader v7

Select Print
to go to
Driver
settings

Example: Adobe Reader v7 / Hewlett Packard DesignJet 750 / A1 Plan / A1 Paper.

The principle should apply whatever the printer type.

2 Default PDF Printer Driver settings are often incorrect

This would result in a 6% error when printing this A1 plan.
Select
Properties
to change
Paper Size

Wrong!
Fit to printer Margins
= Zoom 94%
= Print size incorrect!

If you have not done it already, you may have to go into the Printer Properties and
change the paper size to the correct ISO A size, and make sure that the advanced
settings show any scaling as 100% - these details may differ slightly depending on the
type of printer / plotter

HP Designjet 750 Printer Properties - select Paper/Quality tab

HP Designjet 750 Printer Advanced Options

Change Paper size

to ISO A1 or
other size as
required

Make sure that Scaling is

set to 100%

You can then return to the PDF Printer driver settings and make sure that Page Scaling
is set to None - The document and the page will then show the same size!
ISO Paper sizes:
mm

inches

A0

841 X 1189

33.11 X 46.81

A1

594 X 841

23.39 X 33.11

A2

420 X 594

16.54 X 23.39

A3

297 X 420

11.69 X 16.54

A4

210 X 297

8.27 X 11.69

PDF Printer Driver settings are now correct

Change Page Scaling which

should always be set to
None for an accurate print!
Document size = Paper size

Enabling an A1 plan to be printed accurately at 50% on A3

paper

Go back into Printer Properties Advanced Options

Change Paper size to A3

Change scaling to 50%

PDF driver settings to enable A1 document to be printed out on

A3 paper

Make sure
that Page
scaling is still
None

These should be
the correct
dimensions for A3

Further help and guidance

access our help centre

visit our FAQ pages
view our Video tutorials

www.planningportal.gov.uk