Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Preview Default Print Setting "Fit to Page" Problem

Preview.app in Snow Leopard has removed the option to print without scaling, and recreating this behaviour with the remaining options is quite complex and requires 4 extra steps.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open a document in Preview.app, such as a PDF, of a known paper size.
2. Select 'File' > 'Print…'
3. Change the paper size to one where the default scale value with the default 'Scale to Fit:' 'Print Entire Image' is not 100%. This step is often unnecessary, as many documents will require reduction to include margins, even if the paper sizes match.
4. Select 'Scale:'
5. Select the scale % value.
6. Delete the scale value.
7. Input '100' in the scale value box using the keyboard.
8. Press tab to avoid radar #7256827.
9. Click 'Print'

Expected Results:
Click on a single option to print at 100%, if by chance that wasn't the default option. This would have been one step.

Actual Results:
Does what it says. Steps 4 through 8 are necessary to print at 100% in most cases.

Regression:
This behaviour was as expected in OS X 10.5.x and previous versions, or we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Notes:
Printing at 100% is the only scaling that is common enough to warrant a button to make it an easy one to get to. Preview.app itself even has an 'Actual Size' toolbar button, but has removed this function for printing.
Graphic designers (and other professionals) or specific applications (such as printing on pre-cut or pre-printed paper, labels, or DVDs) can commonly require printing at 100%, and using PDF to distribute documents makes Preview.app the most logical choice for many printing jobs.
Having something other than 100% as a default can cause expensive media to be ruined by a mis-scaled printout, unless these 4 (+1) steps are followed every time.
Most other apps, including Safari, Mail.app and TextEdit default to no scaling, making Preview.app an exception.

I am an architect and this is really annoying!
Does anyone know a workaround?

Mac OS X (10.5.8), Preview

Posted on Dec 4, 2009 7:48 PM

Reply
5 replies

Mar 1, 2010 2:26 PM in response to Dogcow-Moof

William Kucharski wrote:
Please don't cite RADAR bug IDs here, as no one other than the bug submitter can read bug reports, and as such none of us know what the bug report in question is.


Sure, the internal radar is closed, but lots of bug reports can be found on the Open Radar project. Like this one here:

http://openradar.appspot.com/7256827

Anyway - this bug was driving me crazy as well ...

Message was edited by: narya

Dec 14, 2009 3:32 AM in response to choiropiha

Sorry no workaround as yet...

I too am now sick of the amount of expensive paper I have wasted due to the Preview app default print setting of 'Scale to fit'.

- No option to print at 100%, you have to manually input this information.
- No way to change this default in preferences, you can change the opening viewing size of a doc to 100% though.
- Doesn't remember the previous settings if you decide to reopen the doc and print another copy.

I also found that if I attempted to print an A4 doc with bleed and crop marks, it would set the default paper size to A4 and the annoying scale to fit would be set to 83%. If I then changed the scale by typing in 100% but don't hit enter for fear of the print starting and then simply use the drop down to change the paper to A3 and then change the orientation and then hit enter it ignores that you have changed the scale and prints your doc at 83% on A3 - Brilliant!

It's a shame to say that I will be going back to acrobat for pdfs!

If you can't put a 100% scale radio button on the print dialogue box either allow people to change the default in prefs or even better allow the presets to control paper size and scale of printing!

Feb 26, 2010 2:31 PM in response to choiropiha

I'm replying here to an old post, but I was looking for the same answer and ran across this, so I thought a solution might be helpful. Check out a method for using terminal to set the default to scaling at 100% here:

http://www.mactricksandtips.com/2010/02/disabling-default-auto-rotate-scale-in-p review.html

The article also includes instructions for turning off Auto-Rotate as a default. Just in case that article gets lost, here's the short version:

To set scaling to default to 100%, open Terminal and paste or type this in:

defaults write com.apple.Preview PVImagePrintingScaleMode 0

To turn off the Auto-Rotate default, use this:

defaults write com.apple.Preview PVImagePrintingAutoRotate 0

Be careful. The articles has instructions on how to put things back the way they came.

Greg

Preview Default Print Setting "Fit to Page" Problem

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.