Printable Area Calculator for CAD Plotting
Calculate the usable printing rectangle after different left, right, top and bottom printer or plotter margins are removed from the paper.
Enter your values, then select Calculate.
Runs in your browser. No calculation data is sent to an external service.
What this calculator does
Physical plotters often have asymmetric non-printable margins. This calculator shows usable width and height, percentage of paper that remains printable, and how far the printable-area center shifts from the physical paper center.
Example
On an A1 landscape sheet, 5 mm left/right margins and 10 mm top/bottom margins leave 831 × 574 mm of printable space.
How to use the result
- Get the real margin values from the selected driver/PC3 or a measured calibration sheet.
- A correct PDF can still clip on paper when the physical plotter has a smaller printable area.
- Do not fix a hardware margin problem by changing viewport scale.
Frequently asked questions
Why is printable area not centered on the paper?
Different hardware margins on opposite sides shift the center of the markable rectangle.
Should I use the nominal paper size for my title block?
Use the nominal sheet size for the Layout, but keep critical border geometry inside the verified printable area.
What if Preview is correct but paper is clipped?
Use the PDF as a checkpoint and investigate the physical driver, media and plotter margins.
Explore more in CAD Plotting Tools & Calculators.