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Reduce Printing Time
Tip# 3432 By Craig Montgomery On 24-May-2010
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Rated By 1 users
Categories : Sheet Lists
Software type : AutoCAD 2011
Rename File To : No Files to download.
Print drawings more efficiently with AutoCAD's Plot/Publish feature.

Craig Montgomery uses AutoCAD's Publisher and sheet sets to increase efficiency when printing drawings.

"In the past, I always used third-party software when plotting multiple drawings in one or multiple projects. Once I started using AutoCAD's Plot/Publish feature, however, I noticed a huge advantage. First, it's included in standard, 'vanilla' AutoCAD and Mechanical Desktop; there's no need to download and pay for add-ons, now or in the future. Second, you can save your sheet sets, either on your network or a local hard drive, and return to them later. This option wasn't available in the third-party program I had been using — instead, we had to browse through one subfolder after another to locate our files. Considering that most of us are in a hurry when plotting multiple files, having these sheet sets saved can save valuable seconds, even minutes. Using this method regularly has increased productivity, saved money, and reduced hassle in my office."
 
Notes from Cadalyst Tip Patrol: There are many ways to print a drawing in AutoCAD. If you only use the Print or Plot commands, then you are doing things the hard way. The Print command is fine if all you need to do is print the drawing you are currently in. If you need to print out an entire project or part of a project, however, then you should use Publisher or sheet sets. Both are easy to use, and you can run the Publisher tool from a sheet set. Both tools can create and save a list of files for a project. Load the list and print — it's that easy. If your drawing set has five sheets, these tools will print all five sheets and you won't have to open any of them. You can even be working in a file from a different project altogether. You can even set AutoCAD to publish the drawings "in the background"; this publishes your drawings while you keep working in your current file!
 

 

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