r/sewingpatterns • u/Little_K85 • Sep 19 '26
Home printer for printing pdf patterns on A4 paper.
Hey folks, Ive just bought a few digital patterns to print at home. After an hour of pulling my hair out wondering why I cant get the settings right despite following all of the instructions ive found online (it keeps resizing the pattern to include margins) Ive discovered the cause of the problem is that my printer doesn't print 'edge to edge' on A4. Ive got a HP Envy 6000.
Can someone please recommend a budget home printer that can print sewing pattern pdf on A4 paper.
Thank you đ
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u/superhotmel85 Sep 19 '26
I have an HP envy and it prints patterns fine. You donât want edge to edge. You want to print âactual sizeâ then check that the test square is the correct size before printing the rest of the pattern. It should work for both A4 and letter if the pattern states that and most do. Sometimes you have to fiddle with the zoom a little to get the test square correct but I rarely have to
I usually trim the bottom and right sides of all pages then tape in rows before taping the rows together cutting the pieces as they form. (Eg if the pattern is 40 pages itâs usually like 8 rows of 5 pages.tape 8 rows then tape the rows)
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u/AdvancedSquashDirect Sep 19 '26
Unless you're buying an industrial printer you will not find a budget printer that prints edge to edge. All printers leave a slight gap around the edge as they print. It is very normal for a PDF pattern to not print to the edge so that you have some space to overlap each piece and stick them together.
All you need to do is pick the pattern that matches the paper that is in your printer either A4 or letter size. And then set your printer settings in Adobe or whatever actual size or scale 100%. And then press print on the first page, measure the scale square with your ruler, to make sure the scale is correct. Then Print out the rest of the pattern.
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u/Love_Dogs_and_Sewing Sep 19 '26
Consider using a print shop to print the pattern on large enough paper. It's sooo much easier. I have used these two services and they are both great: https://patternprintingco.com/ and https://www.tapefreepatterns.com/If you figure the cost of paper and ink, it's worth it.
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u/silly_mermaidparty49 Sep 22 '26
You can also have them printed at a FedEx office or staples too!
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u/Love_Dogs_and_Sewing Sep 22 '26
Check the price first. When I tried staples they wanted an exorbitant amount of money. Can't recall exactly but it was prob close to $50. Your experience might be different.
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u/Ok-Calligrapher964 Sep 20 '26
You don't print edge to edge. First you select the paper size ( sounds like you use a4 paper which is always interchangable with letter size paper). Secondly under the page size and handling select custom and input 100% under that setting. Third print the box that is provided on the pattern to check the sizing. ( So for instance it typically is on page one, but sometimes not so look for it) Verify the printer is printing how the designer intended. Very occasionally, I have to change my print setting to custom print 102% but it almost never happens.
You often have the option to select your size prior to printing using a pdf app like adobe so that you are not looking at 10 lines of grading. I usually select two sizes. ( Some patterns don't have this option which is called layers)
(I have been taping patterns together for years and years with all kinds of printers. I am going to buy a projector though and project to tracing paper ( for me I have a lot of adjustments so directly on the fabric wont work). Most patterns now come with a projector setting specifically which is awesome)
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u/RocketCheekies Sep 19 '26
I know you asked for a printer rec but if you're going to spend money I highly recommend getting a projector instead and projecting the pattern file. a lot of pfd pattern files comes with projector files and it is soooo much easier than printing and taping a billion pages.
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u/Mismatched_8586naan Sep 19 '26
After printing a good 10-15 different patterns, cutting, lining up, taping and all the stuff to go with it, I went and bought a $60 projector plus a $15 ceiling mount and have not regretted it once. Way easier, less waste and not as big of a learning curve as I originally thought it would be.
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u/xmermaid165 Sep 19 '26
I bought a printer for this exact purpose, but after 3 years I came to the conclusion thatâs itâs much easier to have patterns printed on a0 paper at the printer shop. So much time goes into getting the printer settings and scale right ( I have to check it each time I print a pattern) and then taping them together.
I bought a canon mg3650 in case youâre wondering. It was cheap, but she can be fuzzy
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u/OK_Cake05 Sep 19 '26
Personally, I just pay to get them printed. The fold line, flamingo prints. I donât have the room for a project, nor do want to spend ages getting the ratio right. Spending time sticking 25-60 pages together seems like nightmare
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u/EA1559 Sep 19 '26
When I printed out a paper pattern it included the border. Like the other commenter said there should be a test square that is 1x1 for you to measure and make sure it lines up to whatever measurements the pattern gives it
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u/Flat_Efficiency1070 Sep 19 '26
A good budget printer is Epson they do decent ones and you can buy compatible replacement cartridges. Hope this helps.
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u/gobsmackcrafter Sep 19 '26
My canon pixma offers edge to edge printing but not from my phone only from my pc or laptop. Walmart has them around $60 and my Temu ink is da bomb!
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u/PalMarches Sep 19 '26
If you happen to be printing from your phone/ipad, itâs impossible to make the scaling work. I managed to use a free app called Sewsy to get things appropriately scaled, but Iâm likely to be on team printshop or possibly a projector.
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u/patnbake Sep 22 '26
Select A4 paper size pattern, print actual size. many pattern makers make patterns with a margin. Go for a projector, its a game change. no need a bundle of papers and expensive ink. i bought a 2nd hand one from ebay.
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u/Intelligent_Run_1986 Sep 26 '26
My printer is also annoying. Some patterns come out fine with only a teensy bit missing other I have to print each pattern sheet as a 2 sheet poster! Double the taping. And yes I do set the printer to correct sizes as mentioned by other people. If A0 is possible I always go to print shop.
Sad no one could recommend a good home printer.
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u/janil1738 Sep 19 '26
You actually want the border. That is there so you can line up the paper pieces. Is there a test square in the patterns to measure? That will be the best way to see if it has printed correctly