diff --git a/crates/print/src/sheets.rs b/crates/print/src/sheets.rs
index 0f013478b..fa95d11c4 100644
--- a/crates/print/src/sheets.rs
+++ b/crates/print/src/sheets.rs
@@ -1136,6 +1136,21 @@ pub(crate) fn plan(sheets: &[Sheet], paper: (f64, f64), fit: Fit) -> Result<Vec<
                 if scale >= 1.0 && close((w, h), paper) {
                     None
                 } else {
+                    // The matrix is written with at most four decimals and a PDF real has no
+                    // exponent, so a scale that rounds away prints nothing at all and one that
+                    // rounds up prints the wrong size. Refuse both, the way a nondefault
+                    // UserUnit is refused: an error, never a job that spools a blank page.
+                    let written = number(scale).parse::<f64>().unwrap_or(0.0);
+                    if written <= 0.0 || (written - scale).abs() > scale * 0.01 {
+                        return Err(Error::Spool(format!(
+                            "shrink to fit cannot place sheet {} ({:.2} x {:.2} in) on the {:.2} x {:.2} in paper; nothing was sent",
+                            i + 1,
+                            w / 72.0,
+                            h / 72.0,
+                            pw / 72.0,
+                            ph / 72.0
+                        )));
+                    }
                     let [x0, y0, x1, y1] = sheet.bounds;
                     let (cw, ch) = (x1 - x0, y1 - y0);
                     // The paper in the page's unrotated space.
diff --git a/crates/print/src/tests/windows_native.rs b/crates/print/src/tests/windows_native.rs
index 7882a0578..12c480f22 100644
--- a/crates/print/src/tests/windows_native.rs
+++ b/crates/print/src/tests/windows_native.rs
@@ -555,3 +555,42 @@ fn windows_jobs_reach_the_spooler() {
     let missing = spool::submit(&mixed, &Job { printer: Some(name.into()), ..Job::default() });
     assert!(matches!(missing, Err(Error::Spool(ref m)) if m.contains(name)), "{missing:?}");
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn shrink_to_fit_refuses_a_sheet_the_output_cannot_represent() {
+    use crate::sheets::{Fit, plan, read};
+    // A runaway-zoom export: 16 000 000 pt wide. Written with four decimals the scale would be
+    // "0" -- a singular matrix, a blank page, reported back as a spooled job.
+    let huge = TestPage { media: Some([0.0, 0.0, 16_000_000.0, 792.0]), ..LETTER };
+    let pdf = test_pdf(&[huge], false);
+    let sheets = read(&pdf).unwrap();
+    let refused = plan(&sheets.sheets, (612.0, 792.0), Fit::Shrink { margin: 18.0 });
+    assert!(matches!(refused, Err(Error::Spool(ref m)) if m.contains("shrink")), "{refused:?}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn shrink_to_fit_holds_the_one_percent_scale_boundary() {
+    use crate::sheets::{Fit, plan, read};
+    // The matrix carries the scale through the four-decimal formatter, so the plan refuses when
+    // what would be written is more than 1% off the real scale. Letter with an 18 pt margin gives
+    // 576 pt of printable width: a 118 700 pt wide, 120 000 pt tall sheet (no quarter turn) scales
+    // by 576 / 118 700 = 0.00485257, written 0.0049 -- 0.98% short, inside the bound, so it
+    // prints.
+    let inside = TestPage { media: Some([0.0, 0.0, 118_700.0, 120_000.0]), ..LETTER };
+    let pdf = test_pdf(&[inside], false);
+    let sheets = read(&pdf).unwrap();
+    let edits = plan(&sheets.sheets, (612.0, 792.0), Fit::Shrink { margin: 18.0 }).unwrap();
+    let updated = sheets.update(&edits).unwrap();
+    let frame = frame_of(&updated, pdf.len());
+    let written: f64 = frame.split_whitespace().nth(1).unwrap().parse().unwrap();
+    let real = edits[0].frame.as_ref().unwrap().matrix[0];
+    assert!(written != real && (written - real).abs() < real * 0.01, "just inside the 1% bound the written scale is accepted: {frame}");
+
+    // A 118 750 pt wide sheet: 576 / 118 750 = 0.00485053, written 0.0049, 1.02% off -- refused as
+    // an error before anything is sent, rather than printed a percent too small.
+    let outside = TestPage { media: Some([0.0, 0.0, 118_750.0, 120_000.0]), ..LETTER };
+    let pdf = test_pdf(&[outside], false);
+    let sheets = read(&pdf).unwrap();
+    let refused = plan(&sheets.sheets, (612.0, 792.0), Fit::Shrink { margin: 18.0 });
+    assert!(matches!(refused, Err(Error::Spool(ref m)) if m.contains("shrink") && m.contains("nothing was sent")), "{refused:?}");
+}