plot to tiff file

[wkrogers]

I don't seem to find a way to plot to a tiff file. Is there a driver I'm missing? I have and use often "DWG to PDF", but someone has asked us for everything to be in TIFF format.

Using Civil3D r2011

[MarySeufert · Accepted solution]

There isn't an OOTB way to print directly to TIFF format that I know of. Don't have 2011 to check, but 2012 has two PC3 files OOTB that print to JPEG and PNG. An issue with using them is that the paper sizes are in pixels. Probably the easiest thing to do is use a PDF editing program to save the PDF as a TIFF.

~ Mary

[wkrogers · Accepted solution]

Thanks Mary. R2011 has print to JPEG and PNG also. Thanks for confirming that I'm not loony.

[mathewkol]

It's easy to make a TIF.  Use the Add-a-Plotter-Wizard to make a new printer, select raster formats, then select TIF.  You'll need to create a "paper size" in pixels that has robust enough resolution to meet your needs.  Then just make a print.

Some people complain abobut the quality, just make a higher resolution paper size.

You'll probably need to tweak lineweights too.

That said, you'll probably get more consistent results if you can find a PDF to TIF converter.

[MarySeufert]

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mathewk wrote: That said, you'll probably get more consistent results if you can find a PDF to TIF converter.

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Totaly agreed. Too much tweeking is needed to get printing to an image (no matter what the format) just right. I recall reading a couple posts from someone who does, it sounded like just too much of a hassle. I use Bluebeam which would do what the OP needs direct from AutoCAD. It will use the current page setup to print to PDF, TIFF, GIF, PNG, etc. no tweeking needed.

Good to know that you can add other image format PC3, never looked for it, so I've never seen it!

~ Mary

[dcooper]

Matt Kolberg ...

Thanks for the tip on plotting to TIFF and using that. The improvement was remarkable over plotting to PNG. And I think that when I generate PDF from Apache Open Office Writer 3.4.1 DOC with the TIFF file inserted in the DOC file, I can further tweak the image quality if necessary.

I should say that when plotting to TIFF, I had to accept the AutoCAD default paper size of Sun Hi-Res (1600.00 x 1280.00 Pixels).

I still got acceptable display quality and print quality from a very basic Epson Stylus DX6050 printer.

The AutoCAD 2008 documentation did not find "Add a plotter" unless I specifically included the dashes between the words! Grrrr!

All the best ...
Dave Cooper

Roermond

LIMBURG

[hencoop]

Okay, 1 year and 9 months late but it may help someone who lites on this topic.

TIFF plotter is under "Raster Formats" in the Add-a-Plotter dialog.

• "Compressed" results in small output sizes of bitonal TIF images (gray is created as a faxcimile using black and white pixels). Uncompressed can get very large.
• Add a custom paper size to your TIFF plotter for each size and resolution you want (each page size & resolution). Settle on one or two best resolutions to keep it simple.
• adjust your pen table pen widths if your resolution isn't 100dpi (and you should generally use a higher resolution than 100dpi).  Multiply all desired pen widths by [YourRes/100].  Its best to save the pen table with a name that indicates the resolution it is good for.
• Plot to file.

That's it.  The output will have no dpi setting stored in it and defaults to 72dpi when read, e.g., by Adobe Acrobat, unless you give it a dpi setting.  IrfanView (free online) can do this nicely.  If you do not set the dpi and convert it to a PDF it will have a page size calculated from the pixel dimensions divided by 72.  Set the dpi in the output TIF file to match that which you specified in your plot dialog and the exact, to scale, size will be set for use in all applications.

[hencoop]

There IS an OOTB way to print to a TIFF file.  Just add a plotter to do that.

Note: In order to have the paper size match standard sheet formats (instead of image formats) it must be created as a custom paper size.

Such paper sizes are in pixels and need to match your sheet dimensions multiplied by the desired resolution.  E.g., 24"x36" at 300dpi is a 7200px x 10800px sheet.  Also, some image software will not accept images over 10000px.  If that is the case with the image software you use just use a low enough dpi that the long dimension stays under 10000px.

The pen table (if used) must have all of the sizes used multiplied by the ratio of (DPI used/100).  AutoCAD expects 100dpi sizes regardless of the dpi you are using.

CCITT G4 2D Comperssion produces a very compact B&W image that emulates grayscale by judicious use of black and white pixels.

Uncompressed will easily capture colors and true grayscale but it is a large file.

Notice the paper size and the scale: