How to print a phone case insert at 100%
In the print dialog, choose 100%, Actual size or No scaling, and turn off Fit to page. Pick the paper size that matches the PDF (A4 or US Letter). Then measure the 5 cm ruler on the printed sheet: if it is exactly 5 cm, the insert will fit your case.
In short
- Printers and viewers shrink a page to fit the margins unless you tell them not to. That is why inserts come out a few millimetres too small.
- The setting is called something different in each app. Look for “Scale”, “Page sizing” or “Fit”.
- Always check the ruler on the sheet before you cut.
Why “Fit to page” ruins an insert
A phone case insert is a few millimetres of tolerance. If the program scales the page down by 3 to 5% to fit the printer’s unprintable margin, a 71.5 mm wide insert becomes about 68 mm and sits loose behind the case. Printing at 100% keeps every millimetre as designed. You can test your printer first with the printer scale test, a one-page PDF with two 10 cm bars.
Print settings by program
| Where you print from | Open the print dialog | Setting to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome or Edge (the PDF opened in the browser) | Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) | More settings → Scale: Default (100%). Do not pick “Fit to printable area”. |
| Adobe Acrobat or Reader | File → Print | Page Sizing & Handling → Size → Actual size |
| Mac Preview | File → Print | Scale: 100%. Do not use “Scale to Fit”. |
| Windows print dialog | Ctrl+P | Set the paper size to match the PDF, and turn off any “fit” or “shrink to fit” option in the printer’s Properties. |
Menus change between versions. If you do not see these names, look for any option that mentions scale, fit or shrink, and set it to 100% or none.
Pick the right paper size
The PDF is made for either A4 (most of the world) or US Letter. If the printer is set to the other size, it will rescale the page even with 100% selected. Choose the same size in the maker before you download, and in the print dialog.
Check the scale in 10 seconds
- Take a ruler and measure the 5 cm bar at the bottom of the sheet.
- If it is exactly 5 cm, cut. If it is shorter, the page was scaled: go back to the table above and print again.
- Still off by 1 or 2 mm? That is normal for some printers. Use Fit: 1 mm smaller in the maker before you print again.
Printing from a phone or tablet
Most mobile print screens do not let you set the scale, so a phone often prints “fit to page”. If you can, print from a computer. If you must print from a phone, print the scale test first and measure it. If the bars are 10 cm, your phone prints at true size and you can go on.
Common problems
My insert is 2 to 4 mm too small
The page was scaled to fit. Choose 100% / Actual size and print again. Check the ruler before cutting.
The edges of the picture are cut off
Some printers cannot print to the paper edge. The insert sits inside the page with space around it, so choose “Borderless” only if your printer supports it and still leaves the scale at 100%.
It prints at 100% but still does not fit my case
Clear cases differ by 1 to 2 mm between makers. Choose Fit: 1 mm smaller (or 2 mm for thick cases) in the maker, or enter your own width and height after measuring the inside of the case.
Which paper should I print on?
Plain paper works. Glossy photo paper makes photos brighter. See the best paper for phone case inserts.
Next steps
Make your insert in the insert maker, check your model’s size on the size table, and follow how to make a phone case insert to cut it and slide it in.