I downloaded the plans from the guy's website, they are sitting on my windows desktop...

I plan to put them on a thumb drive and take them to a Kinko's..are they already the right size? Do they need to be enlarged?

I want to print them out and tape them to the plyboard and trace the patterns that way.

Thanks.

When i did mine the easiest way was to use a Tape measure and a carpenters Square to lay out the pattern on teh Plywood

If the files are (AutoDesk's) DXF or DWG file format, they can be printed 1:1, if the drawing is to scale and the printing tech guy knows what he's doing.

thanks...I am pulling my hair out here.

I went to a Kinko's and the guy could not grasp what I was asking for and I walked out 45 minutes later empty handed.

All I want is to figure out how to get these plans printed to proper scale so I can cut them out and trace them to the plywood....I would never have thought it would be this difficult.

Hi gear_monkey you could try to use a program like Royasoft poster printer ( http://www.ronyasoft.com/products/proposter/ ) Although its not easy to print to exact measurements; humidity of the paper etc. Best way IMHO is to mark the measurements out on the wood.

Why not just take out a tape measure, a pencil, a protractor, and do this all yourself? You'd probably be done before you even find a 1:1 printer, and you'll be better off monetary-wise. Plus it's a good skill to develop, as I'm sure the ABC won't be your first-and-only pit, and you won't be done even though you think you're "done."

And remember, measure twice, cut once!

I've got to agree with Dishnu and Ice.
While I'm all for leveraging technology to make the job easier, the time and money wasted in setting up tracing templates is not really worth it. There is nothing too difficult to lay out manually here.

Don't get me wrong. Doing 1:1 plots has it's place.....if you are doing odd or difficult shapes to layout (like an elipse), or large irregular cutouts that you want to repeat, or repeating/tapering bulkheads with compound curves, etc.

As you are already noticing, finding someone capable of doing it is already a hurdle. Then, assuming you find someone who won't rape you on the price, who's to say that their plotter is calibrated properly? I've seen several that shows signs of stretching along the paper feed axis. The print head may be calibrated but pinch rollers slip!

So you're sourcing it, paying for it, re-verifying it, cutting it out, taping it down, tracing it out ....then cutting lumber?!
Sounds like a whole lot of extra hassle, to me.

I say, Man Up and get cozy with your inner craftsman.

Don't suppose you happen to live in Georgia do you? For a lot less than what you'd pay to have someone print it 1:1 for you, say a couple of sheets of 4x8 3/4" AC grade plywood? I'd be happy to help you lay it out on the plywood.

Thank you for the kind offer Lupus...I'm in Texas.

Thanks to everyone else for the advice.

I am going to just draw it to the plywood and forget the template idea.

Thanks again!