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Make Plotting Easier
Tip# 4023 By Tawfik Shehata On 19-Nov-2012
4
Rated By 1 users
Categories : Page Setup Manager
Software type : AutoCAD 2013
Rename File To : No Files to download.
Shorten and simplify that long list of paper options.

Architect Tawfik Shehata shares a tip to make printing in AutoCAD a simpler process.

"Sometimes I have to plot drawings with no saved page setup or previous plot to use, which means I will have to manually set most of the plotting parameters (plot style, printer, paper size, etc.). Selecting the paper size can be very inconvenient because there are usually many sizes to choose from (e.g., DWG To PDF.PC3 alone offers 90+ sizes), some of them have very similar names, and most of them you’ll never need to use.

"To eliminate the paper sizes you don’t need, do the following:

  1. Run the Plot command, select a printer/plotter, then click Properties.
  2. Under the Device and Document Settings tab > User-defined Paper Sizes & Calibration, select Filter Paper Sizes.
  3. Click Uncheck All, then check only the paper sizes you need.
  4. Save the changes permanently to a PC3 file.

"At this point, I highly recommend that you create a PC3 file for every printer you use, and hide the original printers from the list to make it shorter. To do this, go to Options> Plot and Publish tab and check Hide system printers."

Notes from Cadalyst Tip Reviewer Brian Benton: This is a tip that is so simple to carry out, but it will make you very happy in the long run! Setting up a drawing to print properly can be very difficult, especially when you have too much information to sort through. So get rid of it! We usually print to only a few paper sizes anyway, so why do you need to see every paper type in the world?

 

Average Rating:
4


User comments
Comment by Grainger,Rod
Posted on 2012-11-25 19:15:11
We only print to a PDF file, never to directly to the printer. Two reasons: 1) my drafters have a constantly updated record of the drawings they are working because the PDF files are sent to their local Plot folder, duplicate prints are readily accessible without having to reopen drawings etc. 2) we typically print our A1 drawings to A3 PDF size. Our CTB file has been customised so the pen weights are correct for the A3 size. We can then print the PDF file to any size from A0 to A4 & the pen weights scale automatically.