I noticed on a recent project I worked on in layout that the set of drawings were ‘out of scale’ once I exported them to pdf. It is about a 4% increase in the scale. It is not a big issue, as most users will not ever put a scale ruler to the drawings. However, if I was to import that document into a graphic program such as illustrator, then the artwork would be ‘out of scale’ by +4%. Has anyone come across this issue and has anyone found a work around?
Until I read your post I had never checked the accuracy of a printed pdf so …
I just drew a 1000 x 1000 rectangle in SketchUp, drew it up in Layout at a scale of 1:5 and printed it out at A3 and it comes out pretty well bang on at 200 x 200.
Just maybe?? 199.9 x 200 so still within 0.05 percent.
Can you share your Layout file?
I have not run into this either.
Besides using SU&LO for architecture, I occasionally use SU with 3D printing and its spot on.
I also occasionally use LO for laser engraving/cutting as well as paper cutting and it’s always been spot on.
Please share a LO&SU file that exhibits this behavior to see if we can spot whats going on.
Both. The file is out when printed as well as when I open the pdf up in illustrator. It has nothing to do with print settings,
as those are always set so that they are at ‘actual size’ (100%)
Sounds really odd. The most common error is to use the “fit to page” setting when printing but that generally shrinks the result. Can you post a LayOut file that displays this behaviour? Does the scaling apply both to inserted SketchUp views and items on your LO page? Are your SketchUp views using a Perspective camera?
That’s all I was asking.
I haven’t run into scaling issues with any PDFs I’ve printed that came from LayOut so I’m just asking to see what might be afactors for you.
24055485 Le Reve Pylons_FINAL.pdf (9.8 MB)
Le Reve Monument-FABRICATION 3.pdf (1.5 MB)
You seem to have them set to ‘Fit to Printable Area’.
When I change that to ‘Print Actual Size’ they are spot on 
open both up in a graphics program such as ai, and you will see the differences.
Thanks Kevin, but this has nothing to do with how they print out. The objects in the file will not import/open into a graphics program at the proper scale. One will, which is the artwork in color and the other won’t.
Ah - okay.
I thought you meant they were incorrect after exporting from Layout to PDF then printing the PDF.
Best of luck with it.
If you Print to Adobe PDF instead of Export to PDF using LO native exporter,
There is a Scaling option under Preferences → Layout → Advanced
Make sure that is set to 100.
Did you double check the SU window scale in LO is set correctly?
Well, now that is just embarrassing. It seems that I labeled the scale incorrectly on the drawings. The scale is 1/4"=12" on the model instance, but the scale on the drawing reads 1:50. There is my 4% increase in size. 
Glad we got to the bottom of it. 
So am I. For a minute there, I thought I was going crazy (short trip anyway).
I was thinking it was the exchange rate to Canada! 