Printing PCB

[Flux]

I am attempting to print a to scale print out of my PCB. I have a Brother MC-C9130CW laser printer and it is not printing the PCB to scale. Paper settings in Diptrace and the printer are A and print scale is 100%. I know about the calibrate settings but, really, why do I need to tweak the calibration to get 100% in this program when every other CAD program I use prints 1 to 1 scale?
Also how do I determine the calibration factors without just guessing and printing over and over?
The paper is actually letter size and there is not an option for letter size in the sheet size dropdown? Why not? Letter and A are not the same size paper.

[novarm44]

You can set Letter size via Print Settings dialog of View/Titles and Sheet Setup - this also changes program sheet size not depending of program standard options.
We will add Letter size option to the paper size list.
We tested printing on several printers and paper sizes - 1 to 1 scale was on all of them without calibration, however added calibration by customer requests. There is no such printer in our office, so we can not test it, probably changing paper size to Letter via Print Settings may help.

[KevinA]

I used the 'Calibration' option when printing to an inkjet printer direct to PCB (Epson CD writer with template, stopped doing this years ago) - but for test prints on my laser printers the default 1:1 setting work for all my HP and Data Products printers.

[mike_s]

I use a HP2600n laser printer to print on 3m film. Needed 1:1 is not an issue; I can reliably print 0.007 in traces on the film used as a photo mask for one off double side PCB's.
Printing has never been an issue with the HP printers (several, all laser)
mike_s

[Flux]

I had to use calibration settings of 1.045 in order to scale to 100%. Also tried printing to an Epson ET-16650 series printer with calibration set to 1.0 and getting the same results. Manually set the paper size to 11 X 8.5 with the same results. Then printed to Microsoft PDF printer and then printed the pfd, it is was off also by the same amount. Using version 4.3.0.5. This seems odd that the HP is the only one that works, as reported above. I don't have any HP's to try it on.

[henry15]

I am attempting to print a to scale print out of my PCB. I have a Brother MC-C9130CW laser printer and it is not printing the PCB to scale. Paper settings in Diptrace and the printer are A and print scale is 100%. I know about the calibrate settings but, really, why do I need to tweak the calibration to get 100% in this program when every other CAD program I use prints 1 to 1 scale?
Also how do I determine the calibration factors without just guessing and printing over and over?
The paper is actually letter size and there is not an option for letter size in the sheet size dropdown? Why not? Letter and A are not the same size paper.

Impressive! It's frustrating when your Brother MC-C9130CW laser printer doesn't print your PCB to scale despite correct settings in Diptrace and the printer. Your question about the need for calibration in this program, while other CAD programs print accurately without adjustments, is valid and highlights the desire for seamless functionality. Determining calibration factors can be a trial-and-error process, but aligning printer driver settings with the desired paper size (such as letter size) and printing a test pattern for measurement can help achieve accurate scaling. It's unfortunate that the software lacks a specific letter size option in the sheet size dropdown, but selecting a similar size or seeking support from the software provider may provide a workaround. Your attention to detail and willingness to troubleshoot are commendable. Keep up the great work!