Print Scaling Calculator

What this tool does

Enter your document's original size and the paper size you want to print on, and the calculator returns the exact scaling percentage to type into your printer dialog so the page fits without clipping.

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Fit any document to any paper size

Printers often clip or shrink pages awkwardly when the document size does not match the paper. This calculator gives you the exact scale percentage to enter in the print dialog so your page fits the sheet with the proportions kept intact. Enter the original width and height, choose or type the target paper size, and read off the percentage.

The tool scales to fit — it picks the percentage that makes the longer constrained side touch the paper edge, so nothing is cut off. A value below 100% shrinks the document; above 100% enlarges it.

Common scaling factors

A4 to A3 — enlarge to about 141%.
A3 to A4 — shrink to about 71%.
A4 to US Letter — about 94% to fit the shorter Letter height.
US Letter to A4 — about 97%.
A4 to A5 — shrink to about 71% (two A5 per A4).

How to use it

Enter the original document width and height in millimetres or inches.
Pick a preset paper size or type custom target dimensions.
Read the scale-to-fit percentage and the resulting printed size.
Open your print dialog, choose Custom Scale, and enter that percentage.

Fit versus fill

This calculator uses fit-to-page: the whole document is visible, often with a small margin on one axis because paper ratios rarely match exactly. If instead you want the document to cover the entire sheet (fill), you would scale to the larger factor and accept that the overflowing edges are trimmed. For most worksheets, certificates, and photos, fit-to-page is the safe choice.

Notes and limitations

Most printers reserve a 3–5mm unprintable border; if your design runs to the very edge, scale slightly below the calculated value or print on oversized stock and trim.
Scaling changes line widths and text size proportionally — very small scale-downs can make fine text hard to read.
The percentage assumes the printer's own scaling is set to 100% or Custom, not Fit or Shrink-to-fit.

FAQs

Quick answers

What scaling percentage turns A4 into A3?

About 141%. The A-series grows by the square root of 2 between sizes, so enlarging A4 to A3 is 141% and shrinking A3 to A4 is about 71%.

Why is the percentage under 100% when sizes look similar?

Because the calculator fits the whole page inside the paper. If the target is even slightly smaller on one side, it shrinks to fit that side so nothing is clipped.

Will scaling cut off my margins?

Fit-to-page keeps everything visible, but printers have an unprintable border of a few millimetres. If your content runs edge to edge, scale a touch smaller or print on larger stock and trim.

Where do I enter the scale in my printer?

In the print dialog choose Custom Scale (sometimes under More Settings or Page Setup) and type the percentage. Make sure Fit-to-page is turned off so it does not override your value.

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