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Print the pole size gauge

Two pages that let you find your cap size with nothing but a printer. Free, and no signup. Page 1 has a scale check, a circle gauge for 8–15 mm and a ruler. Page 2 has a cut-out taper strip and actual-size outlines to lay your old cap on.

First page of the printable pole size gauge, showing the scale-check box, circle gauges and ruler
Download guideDownload A4

PDF · 2 pages · US Letter · free, no signup

Before you measure

It only works if it prints at 100%

The gauge is scale-critical. Browsers and print dialogs shrink pages by default, and a page printed at 94% will hand you the wrong size.

  1. 01Open the PDF — Letter for US paper, A4 everywhere else.
  2. 02Print at 100% or "Actual size".
  3. 03Turn off "Fit to page" and "Shrink to fit".
  4. 04Check the printed page: a bank or ID card should cover the card box exactly, and the bar should measure 50 mm.
  5. 05Measure your chair tube. Cardstock works best if you are cutting out the taper strip.

On a phone?

Open the PDF and use Share → Print, or send it to your computer. If you cannot print at all, use calipers or a ruler instead — the other two methods need no printer.

Do not print the web page

Print the PDF, not this page. Browsers rescale HTML when printing, so a printed web page cannot be trusted for measurement.

Digital calipers spanning the 50 mm bar on a printed copy of the pole size gauge, reading exactly 50.00 mm
A correctly printed page: the 50 mm bar measures 50.00 mm.

Step by step

Where the 100% setting lives

The control is named differently in every print dialog. Find yours below.

Windows

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Ctrl + P
  1. Under "Page Sizing & Handling", choose Actual size.
  2. Do not use Fit or Shrink oversized pages.
  3. Check Paper Size matches the PDF you downloaded.

Edge or Chrome

Ctrl + P
  1. Open More settings.
  2. Set Scale to Actual size, or Custom → 100.
  3. Untick Fit to printable area.

Mac

Preview

⌘ + P
  1. Select the Scale radio button and enter 100%.
  2. Do not leave it on Scale to Fit.
  3. Check Paper Size matches the PDF you downloaded.

Safari or Chrome

⌘ + P
  1. Open Show Details or More settings.
  2. Set Scale to 100% (Chrome: Custom → 100).
  3. Untick Fit to printable area or Scale to Fit.

Whatever you print from, verify before you measure: a bank or ID card must cover the card box exactly, and the bar must measure 50 mm on a ruler. If either is off, the page did not print at 100% — reprint it.

Preview

What you are printing

Page 1 of the printable pole size gauge: a card-sized scale check box, a 50 mm bar, circle gauges from 8 to 15 mm, and a ruler
Page 1 — scale check, circle gauge and ruler.
Page 2 of the printable pole size gauge: two cut-out taper strips and actual-size cap outlines for all eight sizes, with a size chart
Page 2 — cut-out taper strip and actual-size cap outlines.
Part of page two of the printed pole size gauge, showing the actual-size outlines for 9, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15 mm with two real end caps resting on the 11 mm outline
Page 2 printed at 100%, with real caps on the actual-size outlines.
Download guideDownload A4

PDF · 2 pages · US Letter · free, no signup