1:1 scale in drawings is actually 96.3% - even when the printer can handle 1:1

[edwardsc3]

I noticed this problem a while ago, but now it's time to document it fully. Fusion does not print at 1:1 scale when it is set to 1:1; it prints at about 96.3%.

Here's an object that I made to demonstrate the difference. The object is a 250mmx100mm rectangle, with lines at 10mm increments and then 25mm increments. I extruded the segments to alternating heights of 1mm and 2mm (the extrusion is only used so that the drawing lines are clearer in the photo). Here is that drawing compared to an Incra metric ruler which has 0.25mm precision. The dimensions were added with the dimension tool in the drawing mode. 250mm, drawn to scale but not printed to scale

The obvious response to this is to suggest that my printer is shrinking the image, or that the default outer border is having some effect. So, first I removed the border, but there is no change. I should also note that there are no printer options available in Fusion, at least not with my setup.

250mm drawing isn't at 1:1 scale, without the default border

And so the next question is if my printer is scaling it down. I tested this by making a new drawing in a different program - the online version of SmartDraw - using a 1 cm : 1 cm scale and making similar lines. I had to add the lengths in manually rather than with a dimensioning tool, but the onscreen measurements and grid make it easy to correctly apply those. I used fewer lines for the sake of brevity.

SmartDraw correctly sizes to 100%

I made the drawing from the first two images entirely in Fusion this evening, without sending it through any other program, so there is no way that other software could interfere with it. All this was done on the same computer with the same printer. My printer is a Canon MG 5220, but I can also use other printers over the next few days and I expect I would see the same result. The paper size is 8.5"x11" and the printer settings in Fusion were for 8.5"x11". I have seen this problem with the exact same shrinkage amount in drawings that came with supplier parts months ago, so either they also use Fusion and this is a long-standing problem, or it's common across many CAD programs.

Personally, I was expecting to use 1:1 printouts to help form some components I am making. A 1:1 diagram can be printed, cut, and glued onto a part to provide all the markings necessary for the first pass of machining (see the ClickSpring youtube channel, he often uses that shortcut). 

[TimeraAutodesk]

Thanks so much for the additional feedback. This is still a bug that's in our backlog, when the team gets to it I will update this thread. In the meantime, publishing to PDF before printing will give you the 1:1 ratio you need in those situations. Thanks so much for your patience. 

[chrisplyler]

With all due respect, this thread started two years ago.

How far back does your "backlog" go? How far down the list is this issue?

This particular issue is pretty serious. Does your "backlog" have any means of prioritizing things? Do you need to double the quantity of team members to get caught up? What's going on over there?

[benjamin_rockwell]

@chrisplyler To be fair, it may have been prioritized quite low as there is a work around by exporting to PDF and then printing the PDF. It's not an ideal workflow, but it the bug is not a show stopper.

[Anonymous]

You are totally wrong @TimeraAutodesk !!!

The PDF print ratio 1:1 is NOT WORKING either.
I got tired of trying ALL POSSIBLE options in Acrobat Reader to print a 1:1 generated by Fusion 360.
I gave up and I had to come back to recreate my job in Solidworks.
Until now, the only solution we have to get a 1:1 print is to continue working with Solidworks.

[Anonymous]

The .pdf export is a very minor hassle. The issue is we've all had to learn this the hard way, wasting time and materials.

I know it's probably an in depth fix, but they need to just disable printing until it's ready.

[laughingcreek]

@Anonymous -I just doubled checked with a test prints.  I'm getting PDF's to print at the correct scale/size, so it's working for at least some of us.

[gtprototype]

Hello Timera,

I couldn't find this on your road map, is it listed?  Can you please identify it or add it on your road map, so that we can track the progress?   Thank you.

Sincerely

Dale

[aselleTCCN2]

Now on the non-commercial license there is no way to work around this with the PDF output not being available anymore. Is this by design? Do you want users to have to buy the product to print at 1:1? If so, you should put that in the feature / version matrix. Thanks!

[chrisplyler]

You know...something just occurred to me.

Could this issue be related to whether a user has used/created a title block that protrudes into their printer's unusable margin, or has otherwise placed any part of a view or annotation into that unusable margin, and therefor the print driver is automatically doing some behind-the-scenes "shrink to fit?" And if the user has NOT done that, the print driver is going ahead with the 1:1 output?

The dialog box of MOST print drivers I've ever seen exposes the "shrink to fit" type options to the user to decide how to handle ink in the unusable margin space...but I don't think Fusion's output does so.

[chrisplyler]

This cannot be that hard.

Somewhere in the code is the print dialog box.

Somewhere in the code is how to print at 1:1.

Somewhere in the code is how to shrink-to-fit.

Somewhere in the code is an evaluation of whether to print 1:1 or shrink-to-fit, based on whether or not there is any ink in the unusable margin area of the selected printer.

Delete the evaluation bit, and update the print dialog box to expose the choice to the user.

And stop coming back to this thread with replies that have been carefully crafted by the marketing people so as to sugar coat the issue. Fire a few of those marketing people and replace them with coders who have real-world CAD/drafting experience so that Autodesk can get some crap done for once.

[aselleTCCN2]

I didn't realize you could just delete the titleblock and all stuff on the edges. Even if I do that, then it is scaling the page for me in Mac OS. Interestingly in Windows, I do not have that problem (to the same printer). If I print to the CUPS pdf printer on my Linux machine from either, the scale is still off. But, yeah, it could be the print dialog box needs to be accessible. That I feel is the most likely!

[daveBT5BH]

You nailed it. Way too simple of a solution! Thanks

[mustangguy1969]

It's been another 10 months. This is still a problem and the work arounds aren't even working. To some, this may be no big deal. To others, like myself, it's everything. This and some design work is about all I use fusion for. So not being able to print 1:1 scale drawing, your program becomes all but useless. 

[Anonymous]

This workaround works for me: save as PDF, scale to 100% when printing the PDF

[davhMCDX3]

It took me 4 hours to get this working, and the problem for me was not in Fusion 360.

The default Microsoft IPP class driver has horrible default margins, which mess things up.

(You can check by going to "Printers & Scanners" -> Click you printer -> "Manage" -> "Printer properties" -> "Advanced" tab -> Look at the driver it uses, it should NOT say "Microsoft IPP Class Driver")

Problem solved by installing the correct drivers for my Brother laser printer.

[daveBT5BH]

It was a simple fix for me: When you are printing...choose the "CUSTOM SCALE - 100%".

[laughingcreek]

is that the print dialog you get when printing from fusion?

[daveBT5BH]

It is the typical printer window when printing the PDF. It shouldn't matter what printer you are using.

[laughingcreek]

Right, exporting to PDF first is the process that works fine.  which is why it's already been suggested several times through this post.

The problem now will be for hobbyist,  who no longer have the .PDF option and have to print directly from fusion.  (I don't have a hobbyist license so I can't directly confirm that.  that's what's been said here, maybe someone else can confirm that)

so now the option is to print to pdf (which is also suggested above) and then print that out.  Just seems janky to have to do it that way.  Having a print dialog in fusion that works properly seems like a reasonable ask.  

[Anonymous]

I have changed my printer to a new Brother machine and Fusion is still giving me issues to print 1 to 1.

I requested a new license of Adobe Acrobat to use the Adobe printer to PDF but Fusion killed the Adobe driver and the Adobe printer is not working.

My only option is to save my drawing as a PDF from Fusion 360 but the resolution of the file is really poor.