Revit 2022 - Print scale not 100% accurate

[Ian_H]

We noticed today that our drawings seemed off, so I set out to look into it and we had the 'fit to page' selected instead of setting zoom to 100%. That was an easy fix. 

In performing these tests though, it looks like having zoom to 100% still doesn't produce a completely accurate print. I know 1/32" margin of error is very tiny, but I would assume that even at that level if I draw a line at 10', when I measure it at 1/2" scale it should be 10'. 

I exported and printed a pdf and got slightly off dimension in both directions. 

Any thoughts?  in the image the left tab is File->Print, the middle tab is Export->PDF, the right tab is PyRevit-> print

[RobDraw]

What is the precision of units and dimensions in Revit?

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

Revit printing 24x36 (arch D) not 100% is a known issue, you can google search and there is a topic on this very forum.  Other sizes shouldn't have this problems.  Sorry.

Here is a workaround:

- create a PDF custom paper size 24.1x36.1

- print 24x36 sheets to PDF using this custom size @ 100%, center

- it is mostly okay viewing the PDF without cropping, if you need to print the PDF then choose specific %, not fit to page

See attached.

[RobDraw]

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@ToanDN wrote:

Revit printing 24x36 (arch D) not 100% is a known issue.

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Reference?

[barthbradley]

What do the Elements' Properties say about those elements' lengths in Revit?  

[Ian_H]

@RobDraw 
Units are set to rounding to nearest 1/32"

@barthbradley 

I have developed a habit of typing in all my distances. So the lines in the view are 10', 5', and 2.5'. 

[Ian_H]

@ToanDN 
Thank you for the clarification and proposed solution.

It is interesting that, maybe the most common paper size,  is the one that seems have this issue. 

[barthbradley]

Is this a hard copy print? If it were me, I'd have the plotter recalibrated.  I too have never heard about the aforementioned "Arch D" issue.  Maybe it was a thing years ago.  Dunno.  

[Ian_H]

@barthbradley 

This is a printed PDF and measured in bluebeam

[barthbradley]

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@Ian_H wrote:

@barthbradley 

This is a printed PDF and measured in bluebeam

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HUH?  This is about measuring in Bluebeam? 

Ever occur to you that maybe the measurement tool ain't working, or that your expectations are too high? 

[Ian_H]

I don't think that Bluebeam is broken.

I did have a conversation with others on my team that at the end of the day a difference of 3/32" on a drawing that they technically aren't supposed to using to measure from in the field doesn't ultimately make a difference. Thus I would image we would proceed as we have been. I am simply chasing down answers to something that my boss noticed while reviewing in Bluebeam and wanted to know more about. 

[luisPDAN6]

Print with the Docuflow plugin: there is a  7 day free trial on the Revit app store. It is a metric tool so you can eventually get it more precise. It will handle your sheets in inches as well.