PRINTING GUIDE / 01

How to print an image at its actual size

A 5 cm image should come out 5 cm wide. Here is how to keep the print dialog from changing it.

Start with a physical measurement

Pixels describe a digital image. Centimetres, millimetres and inches describe the print you want to hold. In PaperFit, add a JPG or PNG and enter the width or height you need. The other dimension updates automatically to preserve the image’s proportions.

For example, a 1,500 × 2,000 pixel image set to 6 cm wide will print 8 cm high. If you need a different shape, crop it in your image editor before adding it. PaperFit does not stretch or crop your image.

Use the same paper size in both places

Choose your sheet in PaperFit, then select that same size in the PDF viewer and printer settings. A4 is 210 × 297 mm. US Letter is 8.5 × 11 inches. They are close, but choosing one in the website and the other in the print dialog can lead to automatic scaling.

The important setting: 100% / Actual size

1. Download your print-ready PDF.
2. Open it in a PDF viewer that lets you set a print scale.
3. Select the correct paper and orientation.
4. Choose Actual size or a custom scale of 100%.
5. Turn off options such as Fit, Shrink oversized pages, or Scale to fit. Avoid borderless expansion for dimension-sensitive work.
6. Print one test sheet before using special paper.

Check with a real ruler

Use “Download a scale-check sheet” in the print studio. Measure its square horizontally and vertically between the corner lines. Both should be 50 mm (5 cm). If either side is noticeably different, correct the paper and scale settings before printing the full project.

For reference, a 50 mm square printed at 96% becomes 48 mm. That small percentage change is enough to make a craft template fit badly. Printer tolerances and paper feeding can also affect the result, so always test critical dimensions.

If you are printing from a phone

Save the PDF rather than taking a screenshot. A screenshot loses the PDF’s physical page geometry. If the mobile print dialog does not expose a scale setting, open the same PDF in a desktop viewer that does. Printing the browser page itself is not the same as printing your exported PDF.

What if an image does not fit?

PaperFit flags images that are larger than the printable space. Try landscape orientation, reduce margins within your printer’s capabilities, choose a larger paper size, or deliberately reduce the image dimensions. This version does not split oversized images across sheets.

Updated September 13, 2026 · PaperFit by Draconova