Page margins issue

Dorico
,
1

Hi all,

I’m having an issue with page margins. I’m not at all used to margines. I’ve let all margins be the default margins and using A4 paper.

Yet, the PDF has slightly smaller margins on the left side then on the right side of the page.

Left margin: 40.8

Scherm­afbeelding 2025-05-08 om 14.18.05
Scherm­afbeelding 2025-05-08 om 14.18.05734×1092 35.7 KB

Right margin: 42.9 pts.

Scherm­afbeelding 2025-05-08 om 14.18.45
Scherm­afbeelding 2025-05-08 om 14.18.45676×1000 7.64 KB

Yet, whenever I take the same measurements in Dorico, both have the same amount of pixels (I don’t have a proper tool, so I use the screenshot tool), both of which are on my monitor 72 pixels (zoom to width).

So, in Dorico, the margins are equal, yet in the PDF they are not. I have absolutely no clue what this is and how this can be helped. Combined with the trimming tolerance of the printing company I use, it has not the intended effect.

Here’s a sample project file.

Untitled Project 1 (Full score).pdf (20.0 KB)

Here’s the output from my Dorico (Pro 6).
Untitled Project 1 (Full score).pdf (20.0 KB)

What am I doing wrong?

2

Addition: if I use the macOS system print dialog to create a PDF, the margins are much wider..: 49.9 pts.

3

It might be helpful to see the Dorico project itself, rather than just the PDF output. That way we can dip into the settings within Layout Options.

(I suspect you meant to upload the Dorico project; you’ve in fact uploaded the PDF twice in your opening post.)

4

Make sure that you are using Dorico’s graphics Export, and not printing to the OS’s print dialog. The latter might introduce some scaling. There is also not universal agreement on the exact integer number of points for A4.

That will be the much bigger factor. Printers usually trim to within 1.5 mm, each side, which is double the 2pt variance.

5

Thanks!

Oops. Here’s the project file.
Untitled Project 1.dorico (1.3 MB)

I always use the Dorico Export. I’m curious as to why?