OpenRocket templates printing smaller than 1:1 scale

A few rockets ago, I noticed the templates for centering rings was smaller than the tube I was using. I was trying to see how well I could cut my own rings, so I used a template I didn't need. Didn't turn out right... I figured I'd just set the inner diameter too small, and had rings anyway for the rocket I'd been building.

Last rocket I designed, once I got the fins on, I noticed they didn't look right. It was a two-stager, and when I checked it, the 3 fins were not evenly spaced out (I noticed because I saw that they only lined up in one way - Booster A - B - C lined up with Sustainer A - B - C, but if I twisted the booster around, the fins are suddenly not in alignment).

I just whipped up a little design and printed out the templates. Just to check, I put my ruler on the little scale that prints out... And the 1 inch on the page (and 1 centimeter) is smaller than an actual inch! By only a tiny bit, but still! This affects fin size (and potentially stability, if you're right at that 1 caliber line), and of course, fin marking guides...

What gives? Am I doing something wrong? Anyone else have this problem? Anybody know how to fix this?

Uncheck the box "fit to page" when you click on print

K'Tesh said:

Uncheck the box "fit to page" when you click on print

Click to expand...

Dang it! That doesn't seem to be an option on my printer. Or maybe it's Windows 8... My previous printouts at FedEx, they didn't ask me if I wanted that.

[Edit] The OR PDF options allow you to select the paper size - including letter. I don't understand why the scale would be off...

Maybe the print dialog boxes are different for different printers, but mine has an actual size button.

qquake2k said:

Maybe the print dialog boxes are different for different printers, but mine has an actual size button.

Click to expand...

I can't seem to do that - at least not with a PDF. I'm not sure if it would be different with a different file type.

I find it odd that OR wouldn't simply format the page so it prints correctly on a standard page.

I'm trying to print it in landscape now, and will see what that does...

It might come down to which version of the PDF tool you are using. My print dialog looks like qquakes and I've got Adobe Reader XI v 11.0.10. Did a quick test and the grid matches my ruler

kj

You can always just take the printouts to a local printshop and then using the scaling feature blow them up to the correct size.

Part is supposed to be X long (say at the root edge), but the printout is Y for that dimension.

X=100% Y=Unknown%


X/100=Y/Unknown

Y*100/X=Unknown

Photocopy your results with the (now known) Unknown percentage, and your copy will be correct.

kjohnson said:

It might come down to which version of the PDF tool you are using. My print dialog looks like qquakes and I've got Adobe Reader XI v 11.0.10. Did a quick test and the grid matches my ruler

kj

Click to expand...

That was it! I downloaded Adobe Reader, and it's perfect. I was using the reader which came with Windows 8 - I hadn't even thought of that.

I can select size of print, and it defaults to "actual size."

Thanks, guys!