Printing and Plotting

[#1]

Hi everyone,

I'm having issues when plotting to .pdf - the .pdfs always turn out in a smaller scale than that on my paper space. I've only been using AutoCad for a few months so am a bit clueless as to why this is happening?

For example, the scale on paperspace is set 1/2" = 1'0" and when I print directly from paperspace it comes out to scale. Yes when I plot to a .pdf it seems to make it slightly smaller??

File is attached.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Lydia

[#2]

On 5/31/2010 7:38 AM, lydiageerlings wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I'm having issues when plotting to .pdf - the .pdfs always turn out in a smaller scale than that on my paper space. I've only been using AutoCad for a few months so am a bit clueless as to why this is happening?
>
> For example, the scale on paperspace is set 1/2" = 1'0" and when I print directly from paperspace it comes out to scale. Yes when I plot to a .pdf it seems to make it slightly smaller??
>
> File is attached.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Lydia

Hi Lydia,
how are you plotting to PDF? And what version of Acad are you using? I
know that in the later versions of Acad that have the DWG To PDF.pc3
file you should Plot to Layout and set your Plot Scale to 1:1 in the
Plot dialog. I've been plotting to scale out of Acad for years so
regardless of what version you have there's a way to do it
--
Dave - DDP
Acad 2011 and Revit 2011
Win 7 Pro 64 bit
Intel I7-860 @2.8GHz
12GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX260

[#3]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for responding so quickly! I am using AutoCad LT 2010, and plotting using the DWG to PDF.pc3 function. The scale is set to 1:1, yet it is definitely printing it at a slightly smaller scale.

I have two sheets printed, one directly from the Paperspace which is exactly to scale, and one from the resulting .pdf which, when I hold it over the other sheet, is definitely smaller.

Does yours print exactly to scale when plotted to a .pdf??

Cheers,

Lydia

[#4]

On 5/31/2010 10:21 AM, lydiageerlings wrote:
> Hi Dave,
>
> Thanks for responding so quickly! I am using AutoCad LT 2010, and plotting using the DWG to PDF.pc3 function. The scale is set to 1:1, yet it is definitely printing it at a slightly smaller scale.
>
> I have two sheets printed, one directly from the Paperspace which is exactly to scale, and one from the resulting .pdf which, when I hold it over the other sheet, is definitely smaller.
>
> Does yours print exactly to scale when plotted to a .pdf??
>
> Cheers,
>
> Lydia

Try plotting a 6" square in the middle of your layout with no other
objects in the layout (titleblocks, etc) then do the overlay. Your
problem may be a margins issue. My pdfs plot to scale but everytime the
driver and resultant pc3 file changes I have to futz around with the
titleblock border to get it back to 1:1.
--
Dave - DDP
Acad 2011 and Revit 2011
Win 7 Pro 64 bit
Intel I7-860 @2.8GHz
12GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX260

[#5]

lydiageerlings wrote:
>
> I have two sheets printed, one directly from the Paperspace which
> is exactly to scale, and one from the resulting .pdf which, when I
> hold it over the other sheet, is definitely smaller.

Are you sure the PDF is not to scale or the "print OF the PDF" is not
to scale?
By default, Acrobat Reader (and probably other PDF viewers)
automatically try to "scale to fit" the PDF to a paper size with
margins which has the effect of shrinking the PDF.

In general, printing to PDF is no different that printing to any other
type of plot file (DWF, PLT), so there is nothing "magic" about it
being a PDF file.


--
R.K. McSwain
http://cadpanacea.com

[#6]

Most common problem is you are not paying attention to two areas on the PDF
READER print pop-up: see attached.

--
Dean Saadallah
http://LTisACAD.blogspot.com
--