How to Use the Copy Zoom Ratio Calculator
When you copy or print a document onto a different paper size, figuring out the right zoom percentage can be confusing. This calculator compares the short and long sides of your source and target paper — Letter, Legal, or Tabloid — and gives you the zoom percentage (%) that fits the whole page without cropping anything.
For example, enlarging Letter to Tabloid needs about 129% zoom, while reducing Tabloid to Letter needs about 65%. Because Letter, Legal, and Tabloid don't all share the same aspect ratio, one side may fit exactly while the other leaves a small margin — this calculator always uses the smaller of the two scale ratios so nothing gets cut off. Just enter the percentage shown into your copier's control panel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Enlarging Letter (8.5x11 in) to Tabloid (11x17 in) needs about 129% zoom to fit the short side without cropping. The long side will have some extra margin since Letter and Tabloid aren't proportional.
Only if the two paper sizes share the same aspect ratio. Letter, Legal, and Tabloid don't all match proportionally, so this calculator uses the smaller of the two scale ratios to guarantee nothing gets cropped, which can leave a small margin on one side.