Guide
How to Print a PDF Sewing Pattern at Home (A4 and Letter)
Printing a PDF sewing pattern at home takes about fifteen minutes: open the file in a proper PDF reader, set the scale to 100%, print the test page, measure the test square, and only then print the rest. Most sizing problems come from one setting, "Fit to page", being left on. This guide walks through every step so your pattern comes out at true size on either A4 or US Letter paper.
What you need
- A PDF sewing pattern downloaded to your computer or phone. Every pattern on the Sewly catalog comes as a print-at-home PDF.
- A home inkjet or laser printer with plain paper (80 g/m² is fine).
- A ruler or tape measure in centimetres or inches.
- Tape or a glue stick, and scissors or a rotary cutter.
Step 1: Open the PDF in a real PDF reader
Browsers can open PDFs, but their print dialogs often scale the page without telling you. Use Adobe Acrobat Reader (free), Foxit, or the Preview app on a Mac. On Android and iOS, the built-in viewer works for reading, but print from a desktop whenever you can.
Step 2: Choose the right paper size
Sewly patterns are laid out for both A4 (210 × 297 mm, used in Europe) and US Letter (8.5 × 11 in). Pick the version that matches the paper in your printer. Printing an A4 layout on Letter paper, or the other way round, cuts off part of the pattern edge.
If your PDF is a layered file, you can also turn off the sizes you do not need before printing. That saves ink and makes the lines much easier to follow.
Step 3: Set the scale to 100%
This is the step that matters most. In the print dialog:
- Under "Page Sizing" or "Scale", choose Actual size or 100%.
- Make sure Fit to page, Shrink oversized pages and Auto rotate are all off.
- Set orientation to Portrait unless the pattern says otherwise.
- Print only the test page first (usually page 1 or the page marked "test square").
Step 4: Measure the test square
Every Sewly pattern has a test square on the first page, normally 5 × 5 cm or 2 × 2 in. Measure it with a ruler:
| What you measure | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Exactly 5 cm / 2 in | Scale is correct | Print the rest of the pages |
| Smaller than expected | Printer shrank the page | Turn off "Fit to page", print again |
| Larger than expected | Printer enlarged the page | Set scale to 100%, print again |
A test square that is off by even 2 mm means a finished garment that is off by several centimetres around the body, so do not skip this.
Step 5: Print all pages and tape them together
Once the test square is right, print the remaining pages with the same settings. Then:
- Lay the pages out in order. Sewly patterns number the pages in a grid (A1, A2, B1, B2, and so on) and print small guide marks at the corners.
- Trim the right and bottom margin of each page along the printed line, or fold it back.
- Overlap each page onto its neighbour so the guide marks line up, and tape the seam.
- Work row by row, then join the rows.
Tip: a glue stick is faster than tape for long rows and does not curl the paper.
Step 6: Cut out your size
Trace or cut along the line for your size. If you are between sizes, follow the larger one at the bust or hip and blend the lines smoothly between them. The size chart is on the first page of every Sewly pattern; measure yourself before choosing rather than going by your ready-to-wear size.
Common problems and fixes
- The pages do not line up. One of the pages printed at a different scale. Re-print that page with scale set to 100%.
- The edges are cut off. The wrong paper size was chosen, or the printer's minimum margin is larger than the pattern's. Choose the matching A4 or Letter version.
- The lines are too faint. Print in "Normal" quality instead of "Draft", or increase contrast in the printer settings.
- The file will not open. Re-download it from your Sewly account; downloads are unlimited while your subscription is active.
Print shop option
If you would rather not tape pages, most print shops can print the A0 copy-shop version of a pattern on a wide-format plotter for a few euros per sheet. Ask for "100% scale, no fitting" and check the test square before you leave the shop.