PDF output on AutoCAD 2011 for Mac

[dan]

I have Adobe Acrobat X Pro loaded on my Macpro and cannot get AutoCAD 2011 for Mac to recognize as a plot devise.

The plot window will not list Adobe as an plot devise and I cannot find Adobe to add it as a printer to AutoCAD.

AutoCA generates this error message when trying to plot using the PDF button:

Adobe PDF: This plotter configuration cannot be used for one of these reasons: the driver cannot be found, the device cannot be found, or the driver has a problem. The default plot device has been substituted.

Followed by this message:

The paper size in the layout is not supported by the

selected plot device.

Click OK to use the default paper size.

The paper size in the layout is not supported by theselected plot device.
Click OK to use the default paper size.

Which in turn uses the current printer and its default paper size in this case 8 1/2 x 11 instead of the E size sheet desired.

Any suggestions????

[maxim_k]

Hi dan,

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@dan wrote:

.....

The plot window will not list Adobe as an plot devise and I cannot find Adobe to add it as a printer to AutoCAD.

 .......

---

I think it is not AutoCAD related problem, but problem in System Preferences (Print&Fax) of Mac OS X. Check - is there an Adobe Printer in the list of printers installed on your System. If yes, then it must appear in the list of available printers in the Print dialog (Page setup) in AutoCAD.

BUT:

1. Not sure about Acrobat X, but Adobe PDF Printer is not available in Mac OS X Snow Leopard (look this article in Adobe Knowledge Base). Maybe the same is true for Acrobat X?

2. Don't know about Acrobat X, but Acrobat 9 output from AutoCAD for MAC is really poor. The best results in PDF output from AutoCAD you can get with Guteprint printer driver (I think any of printers, that comes with Mac OS should work fine).

3. You can review this topic for help on setting up printing from AutoCAD for Mac.

Maxim

[dan]

Maxim,

Thanks for your response.

In general, the PDF generator is working.  The quality of the PDF is fine and it centers the drawing in the page at scale.  The problem is it plots at letter size and legal size but not at the E sized sheet (or for that matter, anything larger than legal) that is set in the file---hence the error messages. Seems to be related to the Epson NX-470 driver since it is the only printer that shows in the dialogue box.

Any other suggestions???  What do you think about downloading an Epson driver that supports larger sheet sizes as a stand-in????

Thanks Dan

I will try Adobe in the morning and see if they 

[maxim_k]

Hi Dan,

I can't find any information about Epson NX-470, but I have managed to find NX-400 Series printers - it supports only small paper sizes (B8- US Legal), so you could not setup AutoCAD with this printer to get E-size (36 × 48 in.) paper.

But if you need, you could setup ANY printer (plotter) in Mac OS System Prefs using the method, described here. And it is not necessary to setup particular Epson printer, as I think.

After you have done with System Printer setup, you can use it in AutoCAD for PDF output. Moreover you can use custom paper sizes to meet your needs (borderless printing, etc.)

Maxim

[txaglh]

Here's how I got this to work for me:

File, Print

Paper Size - hit the disclosure triangle

Select Manage Custom Sizes

Set the Paper Size dimensions for your layout and set the Non-Printable areas to 0.00

Ok

Now you're back to the Print box

Hit the PDF disclosure trianlge (lower right)

Save as PDF

Fill out the info inthe Save dialog box

Save As, location, etc.

Save

done.