Printing Resources for Architecture Students
A practical guide to getting studio drawings, review boards and thesis sheets printed correctly the first time: which sheet size to use, how to keep your drawings at true scale, and how to set up the PDF. Students also get 25% off printing with code STUDENT25.
Order by 3 PM ET, ships same day, arrives as soon as the next day.
Standard architectural sheet sizes
In the US, architecture uses the ARCH series of sheet sizes. Engineering drawings often use the ANSI series, which is close but not the same, so check which one your template is built on.
| ARCH size | Inches | Close ANSI size | Common student use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH A | 9 × 12 | ANSI A (8.5 × 11) | Sketches, process pages |
| ARCH B | 12 × 18 | ANSI B (11 × 17) | Booklets, reduced sets |
| ARCH C | 18 × 24 | ANSI C (17 × 22) | Smaller boards, early pin-ups |
| ARCH D | 24 × 36 | ANSI D (22 × 34) | Review boards, plan sheets |
| ARCH E1 | 30 × 42 | none | Large plans and sections |
| ARCH E | 36 × 48 | ANSI E (34 × 44) | Site plans, final presentation boards |
We print 18×24, 24×36, 30×42, 36×46 and 36×48, in black & white or color. For a side-by-side of both series, see ARCH vs ANSI sheet sizes.
Printing drawings at the right scale
Architectural scales like 1/4″ = 1′-0″ or 1/8″ = 1′-0″ only hold if the drawing prints at exactly the size it was laid out at. Most scale problems come from a mismatch between the PDF page and the paper.
- Lay out on the real sheet size. Build your layout or sheet in Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, ArchiCAD or InDesign at the final paper size, for example 24 × 36 inches, not on a letter-size page that you plan to blow up.
- Export at 100% (1:1). When you plot or export to PDF, turn off “fit to page” or “scale to fit,” and set the scale to 1:1 or 100%.
- Check the PDF page size. In Acrobat or another PDF viewer, look at the document properties. A 24×36 order should come from a 24 × 36 inch PDF page.
- Don’t change sizes and expect the same scale. Printing a 24×36 layout on 18×24 paper shrinks it, and the sheets have different proportions, so it won’t fill the page evenly either. If you need a smaller copy, re-export the layout at that size and update the scale notes.
- Add a graphic scale bar. A scale bar shrinks and grows with the drawing, so it stays correct even if a sheet ends up resized. Reviewers will thank you.
- Measure a known dimension. When your prints arrive, check one dimension with a scale ruler before you pin up.
File prep checklist
- Use PDF. Combine the sheets into one PDF, one sheet per page, in the order you want them.
- One page size per order line. If some boards are 24×36 and others are 36×48, split them into separate files.
- Keep important content off the very edge. Leave a margin around title blocks, text and borders.
- Check line weights. Very thin lines that look fine zoomed in on screen can be faint on paper. Preview at 100% zoom.
- Black & white? Check it in grayscale first. Light colored lines and hatches can come out pale gray. Set line work you need to read to black, or order in color.
- Use high-resolution images. Renderings and photos placed small and stretched big will look soft. Plan for around 150–300 pixels per inch at the final printed size.
- Embed fonts and flatten when needed. Export with fonts embedded. If transparency or layers look wrong in the PDF preview, flatten before you upload.
- Open the final PDF before uploading. What you see in the PDF is what gets printed.
More detail: how to prepare a PDF plan set for printing.
Student pricing with STUDENT25
Same price per sheet at every size we print, with 25% off printing for students:
| Regular | With STUDENT25 (25% off) | |
|---|---|---|
| Black & white, 18×24 to 36×48 | $1.95 / sheet | $1.4625 / sheet |
| Color, 18×24 to 36×48 | $3.75 / sheet | $2.8125 / sheet |
Example (printing only): 4 color 24×36 boards = $15.00, or $11.25 with STUDENT25. Discounts apply to printing only. Shipping isn’t discounted and is shown at checkout. One code per order.
Price out your own set in the blueprint printing cost calculator, and see the full terms on the student blueprint printing discount page.
If something goes wrong
If we make a mistake, we’ll reprint and ship it free of charge. For anything else, email us at support@printmyplans.com and we’ll help sort it out.
Quick answers
What size should I print studio boards at?
Use the size your studio or instructor asks for. 24×36 (ARCH D) is the most common size for review boards and plan sheets. 18×24 is smaller and easier to carry, and 30×42 or 36×48 work for large site plans and presentation boards.
How do I make sure my drawing prints at the right scale?
Set your PDF page size to the exact sheet size you plan to order and export at 100% (1:1). If the PDF page and the paper are different sizes, the drawing gets enlarged or reduced and the stated scale is no longer true. A graphic scale bar stays correct even when a sheet is resized.
Is there a student discount?
Yes. Students get 25% off printing with code STUDENT25. Discounts apply to printing only, shipping isn’t discounted, and it’s one code per order.
Start your order · All discount codes · Architectural drawing printing
