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). 

[franck.morisseau]

ok so we must continue to pay for subscription and wait until ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶g̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶l̶v̶e̶d̶ feature fixing the bug is available.

[cyberreefguru]

Hello Clint - while I appreciate your response and I truly do appreciate the complexities of supporting a complicated software product like this, 3+ years to fix something so "basic" is ridiculous. Further making customers wait for an 'advanced print' feature when one of the most fundamental operations of an application doesn't work properly is simply dumb. Moreover, the 'advanced print' feature is STILL on the backlog, meaning it is NOT being worked. So your entire response, though well intended, is simply disingenuous as you are NOT working on the problem.

If it were limited to just this problem, I might be a little more accommodating, but it's not. Autodesk does not demonstrate commitment to their customers nor do they seem to care - if they did care about their customers and the success of their customers using their products, they would pause new feature releases and fix the tons of existing bugs introduced by the rapid roll out of all the new features. Other large companies have done that and it demonstrates a commitment to quality and reliability that Fusion lacks.

Kudos to you for updating the product more than annually, but also shame on your for not making one of those sprints about quality and stability. Please take that back to your management and light fire under them.

[squirrelerriuqs]

Wow I just spent way too long smashing my head against the keyboard with this problem. Late last night I managed to find a way of exporting PDF's from the personal use version which printed correctly at ACTUAL 1:1, but I suspect that may have had something to do with a bug enabling that feature as it doesn't seem to do it today/I can't work out how the hell I did it. I have had everyones favorite 'a software problem has caused  to close unexpectedly ' relentlessly appearing on my second monitor even after applying the 'fix' I found for some time now, Maybe that threw something off ?!

Anyway. It'd be really really good to be able to print 1:1 so that when I making something I can at least pretend that its almost gonna be ok instead of having a huuuuuge freakout that none of the circuit boards/components in my model are going to fit in the silly box that i'm trying to put them in, And even better to be able to print a PDF without paying 500 bucks a year. Is that too much to ask??

What are all those Eagle users gonna do?!

[Slbelt60]

Apparently I just ran into this yesterday. I've designed some parts with complex curves that are 31" edge to edge. I spent hours tring to print these 1:1 usning the Microsoft Print to PDF driver when printing from F360, then trying to poster print to my Epson 11x17 printer. Nothing I've tried allows me to print 1:1 on the poster tiles via the epson printer.  

I know I'm not paying for F360 since this stuff is just for me, but I was amazed that simple and free gfx design programs can do this but F360 can't.

[kylek292]

Just ran into this myself. Is this really still an issue this many years into development? It seems like it should be a standard (e.g. available for all) feature to be able to print to 1:1 scale in an engineering platform.

[evanp4509U4JZ]

I had the same issue printing a template to manually bend a spring clip for a prototype and found a pretty simple work around. I know it isn't a fix but when you need some "thing" more than you need a solution it works.

Print a test sheet and measure the inaccuracy. Use the inaccuracy as the scale factor in the drawing tab. You will have to enter it manually. Mine was something like .937:1 I don't remember exactly.

[gtprototype]

It's been 4.666 years and it finally works! 

[ClintBrown3D]

Hi Everyone

As @gtprototype says, we now support print scaling.

With the update that shipped at the end of November, we introduced new print controls:

• Printer names are pulled from your Operating System (both Win/Mac)
• Paper Sizes are supplied by the printer
• You can set and control print range, orientation, line widths, number of copies, scale and offset
• There is a dynamic preview with sheet names & previous/next buttons

Pro-tip:   You can type any scale into the scale area, this means you scan specify fractions or decimals, e.g. 1/3, or 0.33 or even specify a larger scale 1.12 for example.

[edwardsc3]

I have bad news. I just tried printing (1:1 scale) with a new item I made, and it printed to 96% scale again. I didn't save it as a PDF first - the original workaround - because saving to PDF now requires the paid subscription version. It does print to (nearly) 1:1 scale if I tell it to print to 1:0.964 scale - I would not consider that to be a suitable workaround for most users. I tried this several times, and downloaded+installed+restarted for a Fusion360 update (I am now on version 2.0.17954 x86_64) during the tests; the problem exists both before and after the update.


I am therefore under the impression that the print scaling still broken. I have not yet tested if the 1:2 scale prints to ~48.8% scale, but I might have time to do that if there is interest in it. I have only tested this on one printer today - though it is a different printer than the two that I used when first reporting the problem. I can try on an alternate printer if that is desired as well.

AutoDesk, please note this specifically for your development and testing team: the fix/feature should not be considered fixed until after someone has printed the sketch and measured the print with a ruler or calipers, and ensured the actual printed dimensions match the diagram.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.

[ClintBrown3D]

Hi @edwardsc3 

I'd be interested to understand a bit more about your setup. Can you share which operating system are you using, and which printer you are using to make the prints?

In building this feature, we tested a vast number of printers (of various sizes) and operating system combinations, all of which passed.

However, there may be instances where you will need to do a bit of calibration on your end to ensure that the prints are coming out at 1:1 from your system. I've seen 2 reports from 2 different users, of printers (from the same manufacturer) needing calibration.

Take a look at this article for some pointers: https://clintbrown.co.uk/2021/04/08/fusion-360-calibrating-11-prints/