Why sizes go wrong
- "Fit to page" or "Shrink oversized pages" rescales the PDF.
- Printing an image (PNG/JPG) instead of a PDF lets the viewer pick a size.
- Wrong paper selected (A4 vs US Letter) can trigger scaling.
The settings that matter
- Open the PDF, not an image.
- Scale: 100% / Actual size.
- Paper: the same size as in the stencil export (A4 or Letter).
- Margins: default. Turn off any "auto-fit" option.
Check before you transfer
Every TryStencil PDF has a 1 cm check square. Measure it. If it is off, the whole stencil is off by the same percentage — fix the print settings and print again.
Thermal stencil printers
Print the PDF to the thermal printer at 100%, or print it on paper first and run it through a thermal copier. Thermal paper is a little wider than Letter on some models — keep the design inside the printable area.
See it on your skin before the consult
Try a design on your own photo, calibrated in cm, then print the stencil at exactly that size.
Start for free →