AutoCad LT 2008 plot file problem

[robertporter]

I have had this program for 3 years and have never been able to make a plot file that printing companies can print from.  They always call and say there is nothing in the file or there is an error of some type.  I have to use someone elses computer to make plot file.  I should have contacted AutoDesk right away but I didn't.  I can sucessfully print using the plot menu on my local printer. 

I hope someone knows how to get this working.  Thanks.

[pendean]

Plot Files where great in 1995, but that's silly to try and do today: there are too many variables that will and can trip you up.

PLOT to PDF and share those instead: everyone can print/plot a PDF. Everyone.

[robertporter]

PDF's are ok for some things but there is a differece in the quality compared to a print from a plot file.  I want the plot file command to work! 

Surely I'm not the only person that has ever had this problem.  Plots files worked fine on my previous version.  Any other suggestions.  HELP!

[Charles_Shade]

Plot files worked fine when you set it up for a specific plotter. Find out what the plotter is at the destination and create a plot file for each and every one. You likely will need to search manufacturer archives for the plot file software to do this.

OR

Use DWG to PDF and plot everything to PDF. No loss in quality should be apparent. You may need to adjust DPI settings and such or tweak lineweights (this you need to be for different plotters in your aforementioned plot files anyway).

And how long have you been having this LT 2008 problem?

Never an issue here when I used LT 2008.

[robertporter]

Thanks Charles.

I've had the problem ever since I got this version- 3 years ago.  It has never worked.  The plotter set up is correct.  It was the same plotter that I was using before I got LT2008.  It always worked fine before with the previous version & the same plotter.  I can print paper copies on our plotter just fine.  But when I make a plot file based on using that plotter to send to a printing company there are either errors or nothing in the plot file at all.

Everyone else in the office uses plot files for our prints.  I have tried tweaking the settings for the PDF's and we can still tell the difference in line weight & quality.

[Charles_Shade]

Then you need to contact the offsite company for their software update.

When I used to plot offsite the local compnay had to come to my office and install OCE printer software. Then thier plotter would take the plot files.

[pendean]

PDFs are perfect: the only time there is an issue is if your print-shop is not able to handle them because they don't have the correct software or plotter, or both. Is that the story they tell you? Or are you perhaps simply noticing the graphics play Adobe does on screen to speed up their very slow Reader (prints are as good as you output them to, all the time here)?

We switched to PDF back in the day it was a DOS driver using DOS-AutoCAD and have never looked back: you have to kick some print-shops into upgrading (or find another that is already upgraded). Knowing your output quality is just as important.

In your many posts you've not once noted the plotter your service uses, or the driver they use, or what driver you use (and where you got it from). There is no generic 'fix' for PLT files, their problem and their fix are solely based on having the exact perfect 100% compatible driver all the time to be able to teade files corectly. Waiting 3-years to fix it was probably not a wise approach. So... provide details.