Printable dipstick for any tank
Enter your tank and print a stick marked in gallons or litres at true 1:1 scale — tape the strips to a dowel and read the contents straight off it. Works for round, oval, rectangular, cone-bottom and dished-head tanks.
Exact segment geometry — see methodology. Dished-head propane math is documented there too.
Making the stick
- Measure the inside of the tank — diameter or width and height, and length. Outside measurements include the wall; the corrections page converts them.
- Press “Printable 1:1 dipstick (PDF)” in the results panel. The PDF splits the stick into 9-inch strips, three to a page; it fits US Letter and A4.
- Print at 100 % / Actual size and measure the 4-inch bar at the top of the page before you cut anything.
- Cut and tape the strips end to end on a straight stick, strip 1 at the bottom, edges butted at “join to strip … here”.
- Read it: lower the stick straight down until it rests on the bottom, pull it out, and read the wet line against the marks.
The stick shows a ruler down one edge (inches, or centimetres for metric tanks) and volume marks down the other, so you can also cross-check against a printed tank chart or the dip chart generator.
Fuel oil, diesel and propane dealers: you can put a live chart for your customers' tanks on your own site — see the free tank chart widget.
FAQ
TVC-116/FAQHow do I make a dipstick for my tank?
Enter your tank's inside dimensions above, press “Printable 1:1 dipstick (PDF)”, print it at 100 % (Actual size), check the 4-inch scale bar with a ruler, then cut out the strips and tape them end to end on a straight stick — a hardwood dowel or a length of aluminium bar — with strip 1 at the bottom.
Why must I print at 100 %?
The marks are drawn at true size: one inch on the paper is one inch of depth in your tank. “Fit to page” shrinks everything by a few percent, which moves every mark. The bar at the top of each page must measure exactly 4 in (101.6 mm); if it doesn't, change the print setting and print again.
Does it work for metric tanks?
Yes. Choose centimetres or metres as the unit and the stick is marked in litres, with a centimetre ruler down the other edge.
How are the marks spaced?
Each mark sits at the depth where the tank holds that many gallons, found from the exact partial-fill geometry. On a horizontal or oval tank the marks bunch up near the bottom and top and spread out in the middle — that is correct, not a printing fault.
How accurate is a paper dipstick?
As accurate as your measurements and your stick. Measure inside dimensions, keep the stick vertical and resting on the tank bottom, and check the tank is level: a tilted horizontal tank reads high at one end and low at the other — see the tilt correction.
Sources and standards
- Methodology — partial-fill formulas used for the markstankvolumecalc.comhttps://tankvolumecalc.com/methodology/
- Handbook 44, Appendix C — General Tables of Units of MeasurementNational Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commercehttps://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c1 in = 25.4 mm exactly; US gallon = 231 in³.
Every linked source above was retrieved and checked on 2026-11-01.