topic Re: Layout View Printing Off Center in AutoCAD Forum

Layout View Printing Off Center

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:08:11 GMT

I have a set of drawings that were made in model view in a 8.5 x 11 box. I wanted a way to print them all quickly and efficiently so I put each drawing into its own layout. I used the zoom window command and snapped to the corners of the page that was drawn in model view. In theory I thought this should center the drawing in the layout view-port. When I go to print the drawing it prints off center to the right. Attached are some screenshots of my model space and paper space. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

user181 — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:30:56 GMT

Does your print not look like the paper space view? What does your plot setting dialog look like? Could you post a screen shoot of the print and the plot dialog?

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

john.vellek — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:39:39 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

Is it possible to attach a sample file? I would like to see what can be adjusted in a named Page Setup to get this to work properly for you.

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:40:01 GMT

The print preview shows it as centered but the lines are a little off. The outer line on the left is thinner than the line on the right almost like it's getting cut off. Here's the print dialog.

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:42:34 GMT

Yeah, here it is!

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

user181 — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:43:16 GMT

In the plot dialog did you try using extents in the what to plot (where you have layout) and check the center plot box?

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

pendean — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:49:05 GMT

Post a screenshot of your PLOT dialog pop-up, let's see what else you have chosen: window selection method never centers anything all on it's own.

BTW, any reason you've avoided using LAYOUTs to solve these classic problems?

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

pendean — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:52:46 GMT

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:56:38 GMT

The pages were already created in model view and I was tasked with finding a way to print more efficiently. I figured I could set the model view pages which are 8.5 x 11 into a layout view where I could print them all at once. I could print them fine in model view but when I tried to print the layouts they don't print correctly.

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 18:00:42 GMT

As you pointed out there the sides don't seem like they line up in the layout view which I would guess is part or all of the problem. Is there a more efficient way to get the model view page into the layout view-port rather than using zoom window?

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

john.vellek — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 18:01:14 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

Please take a look at the file attached. I created two page setups. One is for portrait mode and the other for landscape. I used the DWG to PDF driver and set the page margins to 0.

I was then able to re-position your drawing to be centered on the sheet. I drew a line from 0,0 to the center of the page and then move your geometry to align with that.

Here is a post on creating PC3 files that shows how to filter paper sizes and to set the margins to 0.

Please let me know if this helps.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

pendean — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 19:26:52 GMT

They are not set up correctly in the viewports in the layouts, they need to be adjusted, BUT you are most likely not using the CENTER THE PLOT option I flagged in the first screenshot on PLOT command when plotting from modelspace. Try that if all you want to do is plot "window" from modelspace, see if that helps. And what your plot scale too.

Question, and this is not meant to be an insult, just trying to understand your background: are you new to using AutoCAD and plotting in AutoCAD? You might need more help if so.

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

john.vellek — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 19:26:59 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

I am checking to see if the drawing I adjusted helped you? If you are having problems now with centering the modelspace geometry in the viewport, I suggest that one method is to create a rectangle in modelspace that is a scaled up representation of the final viewport size. Then you can zoom window in the viewport to that rectangle or use the ALIGNSPACE tool to get the rectangle aligned with your viewport lines.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

john.vellek — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 14:40:19 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

I am checking back to see if my post or others helped you with your problem. Please add a post with how you decide to proceed and your results so other Community members may benefit.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if a post or posts solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Layout View Printing Off Center

john.vellek — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 16:57:18 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

In addition to my previous post on setting up the page setups, I have made another quick video that shows how to use the AlignSpace tool. I hope this helps.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.