THE PRINT ROOM / DIAGNOSIS BEFORE REPRINTING
When the paper
doesn’t match.
Use one test sheet and a ruler before spending another stack of paper. These checks apply to SmallHonours’ real-size SVGs and saved HTML cards or batch packs. They do not prove that every printer can reproduce every colour or character.
The 20 mm line measures 19 mm.
First look for “Fit”, “Shrink to printable area” or a custom scale in the print dialog. Choose actual size or 100%, then check paper size and orientation. Browser headers and footers can also reduce usable space. Reprint one sheet after changing one setting.
If you intentionally need to compensate for a repeatable scale error, the calculation is target ÷ measured × 100. For this example, 20 ÷ 19 × 100 = 105.26%. That is a calculated correction, not a recommended default: it can clip the artwork and does not fix incorrect paper settings. Return to the original 100% test first.
One direction is right; the other isn’t.
The short printed line checks horizontal scale only. The full SVG canvas is 100 × 155 mm, but it has no printed rectangular border. To check vertical scaling, measure the known canvas in your layout program or add a separate measured square on a test page. Do not guess from the ribbon’s decorative points.
If a test square prints 20 mm across and 18 mm high, a single percentage cannot correct both axes. Check whether the artwork was stretched after insertion into a document. Restore its proportions or print the original saved file directly.
The second award falls off the sheet.
The batch layout uses two 100 mm-wide artworks with a 15 mm gap. The row needs 215 mm before page margins, so portrait A4 is unsuitable. Choose landscape and the same A4 or Letter option used when generating the file. Its 12 mm margins leave room for that row on either paper size.
An odd number of recipients creates one half-empty final sheet. It should not create a wholly blank extra sheet. If the preview does, confirm landscape, remove browser headers and footers, and check for custom margins that reduce the page below the artwork height. Do not print all pages until the preview is correct.
A name fits on screen but looks wrong on paper.
Check the actual downloaded file, not a screenshot of the preview. Fonts can differ between devices; a missing character may appear as a square. Use a device with a font that supports the recipient’s name, or choose an agreed alternative spelling. Do not assume a browser thumbnail is proof that the print system has the same font.
The artwork is flat colour, not metallic ink or a folded fabric rosette. Gold is a printed colour choice. Try a single example in your intended quality mode; pale colours and tiny type may lose contrast on absorbent paper. Avoid changing the wording and printer settings simultaneously, so you can identify which change helped.
Keep a useful print note.
Record the file type, paper size, orientation, scale, measured line length and one observed fault. “A4 landscape, 100%, line 20 mm, second name clipped” is enough to investigate. “It looks bad” is not. If the measurement is correct and a name alone fails, move to the text check instead of rescaling the whole sheet.
Adobe’s page-size guidance explains actual-size and fit settings for PDFs; browser dialog labels vary. Our HTML pack uses browser printing, and no physical printer certification is implied.
Prepare another batch · Return to the cut-and-finish guide · Edit a single award