CAD Plot Margin Calculator
Calculate a safe title-block and border rectangle from physical plotter margins plus an additional safety inset.
Enter your values, then select Calculate.
Runs in your browser. No calculation data is sent to an external service.
What this calculator does
Enter the non-printable margins reported by the driver or measured on a calibration sheet. The calculator then adds your optional safety inset and gives the lower-left offset and maximum safe rectangle.
Example
On A1 landscape paper, 5 mm hardware margins plus a 5 mm safety inset produce a safe border rectangle of 821 × 574 mm with its lower-left corner 10 mm from the physical paper edges.
How to use the result
- Use measured or driver-reported margins for the exact production device.
- Keep the safety inset separate from the hardware margin so the office standard remains understandable.
- Recheck after driver, firmware, media or plotter changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the safety inset?
It is extra clearance you intentionally add inside the device’s non-printable margins so border geometry is not placed exactly on the hardware limit.
Should every plotter use the same margins?
No. Keep device/media-specific margin standards when the hardware differs.
Can borderless mode use zero margins?
Only after the exact borderless media/device mode is physically verified for scale-critical work.
Explore more in CAD Plotting Tools & Calculators.