Print full-size woodworking templates on your home printer
Chair legs, rocker runners, cabriole legs, router templates, guitar bodies, boat frames – print the full-size pattern on A4 or Letter, stick it to the stock and cut to the line.
- Free
- Works with PDFs, CAD screenshots and scans
- No upload
From plan to pattern in minutes
Most woodworking plans ship as a PDF that's bigger than any home printer, or as a scaled drawing with a few dimensions. TrueScale Print handles both.
- Full-size PDF plans open at their real size – just pick your paper and print.
- Scaled drawings (1:2, 1:4…) – set the scale percentage or calibrate from any printed dimension.
- CAD screenshots from SketchUp, Fusion 360, Onshape or FreeCAD – calibrate from a known length.
- Scans and photos of old patterns or an existing part – calibrate against a ruler in the photo.
Example: rocking-chair runner
A 1000 mm runner on A4 landscape with 10 mm overlap fits on 4 sheets in a row. TrueScale Print picks landscape automatically, skips the empty sheets above and below the curve, and prints a 100 mm ruler on the first sheet so you can check before you cut.
How to print a full-size woodworking template
Open the plan
PDF, PNG or JPG. For multi-page plans, pick the sheet with the part you need, then crop to just that part.
Check the scale
Measure a known dimension with Calibrate. A long dimension like overall length gives the best accuracy.
Print at 100%
Use “Actual size” in the print dialog and measure the ruler on sheet A1 before printing the rest.
Assemble & transfer
Trim one edge on the dashed line, overlap the neighbour and match the diagonals. Glue to hardboard or MDF for a reusable template.
Features woodworkers use most
True 1:1 from CAD
Vector PDFs exported from CAD stay vector, so curves print smooth and lines stay thin and accurate.
Mirror for pairs
Print the left-hand and right-hand versions of a part – chair sides, brackets, rockers.
Diagonals that span sheets
Continuous diagonal lines expose any misalignment along long curves.
Crop to the part
Print just one component from a busy plan sheet and save paper.
Ink saver
Plans with solid black profiles print as crisp outlines with a light fill.
Square grid
Add a 1 in or 25 mm grid to help lay out joinery and check the template stays square.
Workshop tips for paper templates
- Put blue painter's tape on the wood, then glue the template to the tape – it peels off cleanly with no residue to sand.
- For templates you'll use again, glue the print to 6 mm MDF or hardboard, bandsaw just outside the line and fair it to the line with a spindle sander.
- Cut on the waste side of the line: the line itself is about 0.3 mm wide.
- Paper changes size slightly with humidity. Print and use the template the same day for the tightest fits.
Got a plan that says “enlarge to full size” with a grid of 1 in squares? Open it, click Calibrate, measure across ten grid squares and type 10 in.
Woodworking FAQ
How do I print a full-size woodworking template from a PDF plan?
Open the PDF in TrueScale Print. Plans drawn at 1:1 open at their true size. Choose A4 or Letter, print at 100% / Actual size, check the ruler on the first sheet, then trim and tape the sheets together using the diagonal lines.
Can I make a template from a SketchUp or Fusion 360 screenshot?
Yes. Take a straight-on (orthographic, not perspective) screenshot that includes a dimension you know, open it, click Calibrate, click both ends of that dimension and type its length. Better still, export a 1:1 PDF from your CAD program.
What is the best way to attach a paper template to wood?
Use a light coat of repositionable spray adhesive or a glue stick on the back of the template, or put blue painter's tape on the wood first and glue the template to the tape so it peels off cleanly.
My plan says “scale 1:4”. Can I print it full size?
Yes. Set “Scale vs. native” to 400%, or calibrate from any dimension printed on the drawing.
Print your next template full size
Free, private and accurate. No account needed.
Open TrueScale Print