topic Betreff: Paper Space objects in color in AutoCAD LT Forum

Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:21:45 GMT

Hey Guys, I just updated to 2018 and my paperspace objects are back to color instead of black on the white background. I can't find / remember how to change the color of the objects back to black. I have the background white. I want the objects to be black like they would plot (i,e, showing lien weights). Any thoughts on where the setting is located now?

Please help. I am desperate.

Re: Paper Space objects in color

JPomeroy — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 17:13:48 GMT

See here- problem is in reverse, as I understand it, but the solution should be the same.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-lt-forum/why-colours-appeared-black-and-white-on-paperspace/td-p/2732291

Do you have "Display Plot Styles" checked in your page setup manager for the layout?

@JPomeroy - This reply has been edited by the moderation team as the legacy link was no longer valid

Re: Paper Space objects in color

JPomeroy — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:39:13 GMT

I would think you would want the "Greyscale.ctb" as your default, if you want paperspace layouts to be black and white.

Re: Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:46:13 GMT

Yes, the display plot styles is checked. And I don't do the grey scale setting because I want to view in paper space exactly what it will look like when printed, that way we can see the different line weights. I had it set up this way since starting paperspace drawings years ago. Now the update seems to be stonewalling me.

Re: Paper Space objects in color

JPomeroy — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:47:48 GMT

Okay, I am a bit confused- are lineweights or colors different from what you are expecting?

What update are you referring to?

Re: Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:52:31 GMT

I just updated to ACADLT 2018 from 17. I did not get a chance to migrate preferences ike it should have, so I had to go through set up again with all commands, plot styles, templates...

So wether opening an existing drawing or starting a new one, the paper space is in color. I want it to "display" in black and white. I don't want to change any of the pen weights or colors, those are set for plotting output and are all good. It is simply the paperspace display that is in color and I used to be able to click a toggle and make it display in black and white. Where that switch is now I can't locate. That's my delima.

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

cadffm — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 20:09:20 GMT

There is no switch, never.
You can control the background color (options/display/.. colors)

And you can set your pagesetup to display objects like your plot should print.
Open pagesetup, upper right corner set plotstyletable/display

If you only change your program (version) the only possible thing is:
You had set your pagesetup correct (with a plotstyletable/display) and that plotstyletable is not available in your current profile.

Can you plot like you want without any changes?
In pagesetup the box is set to display plotstyles?
Change hardwareacceleration to on/ or off help?

Re: Paper Space objects in color

JPomeroy — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 20:13:47 GMT

Okay, thank you for the clarification! I understand now what you are looking for.

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with this function; I have never seen a toggle/command for displaying the layout in B/W. Not saying it doesn't exist- just that I am not aware of it.

Sorry!

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 20:16:26 GMT

O.K. let me approach this a differnt way. IF you wanted to see your paper space layouts in black and white AND have it show your pen weights properly (as you want it to look on the plotted print) how would you go about setting up your system?

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

cadffm — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 20:24:48 GMT

Paperbackground to white (options/display/colors)
Pagesetup, set plotstyletable to monochrome.ctb/stb
and checkbox below for displaying them in Layout ON.

Thats it.
And for new DWGs i am using a template (*.dwt) with ready pagesetups.
Or i import my Layouts or only pagesetups from a file where my ready Layouts and named pagesetups are stored.

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 20:36:18 GMT

Got it, but how does monochrome display your pen weights properly? I never used that setting, I always used my custom pen settings for the plotter. And I don't have a 'layout on/off' check box in the page set up control panel. Perhaps I'm in the wrong place.

and changing it to monochrome does not change the color on the paperspace page. Everything is still in color. Swear to God I'm not making this up. I'm tempted to reinstall the whole dang program.

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

cadffm — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 20:45:09 GMT

It is all totally the same like in Version 2017.
So i am not sure what we should do/talk now.
Tell us how you work in the past,
Layerproperties,Objectproperties, Layoutsetting, Pagesetups/plotstyltables...?

Do you have a new plotter? Which one?
This thread looks a bit curious to me.

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 21:09:50 GMT

Thanks for your patience and help. I am working on it. I reset to defaults, replaced templates, verified plot settings and pen weights. have opened existing drawing and all seems to be working well, except I can't change the color of the display in paperspace. Still looking for a way to show pen weight in black and white. -

So think about it this way, you have a page set up and want to send a .pdf to me but your paperspace is in color, so your export of .pdf is in color as well. The yellow on a white background is hard to read. What do you?

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 21:45:35 GMT

Working in a different conversation with an Autodesk Expert now. He says the same thing to use greyscale, but that makes the line weights all the same and still doesn't make the viewport bw. This was easy in previous versions. We have done it all my working life as an architect. Funny how now suddenly in 2018 no one knows what line weights are for or how to proof a drawing before you print it. That's the purpose of paper space. Having it in blooming color does no good at all. It is meant as a representation of what you will get as a hard copy (and nowadays, a .pdf) So if the experts say that line weight is not important and paperspace should be in color, well then I guess I should go back to an ink pena nd vellum on my slide table. Truly this is nuts. I can't be the only one that has this issue. My associate in the office beside me is doing the same thing. One paper space layout is in b&w and the next in color. We compare settings and can't find the discrepancy. ugh. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 22:44:06 GMT

OK. Darin got it figured out. Here's what you do if you have my problem. To get B&W paperspace images go to your pagesetupedit WHILE IN A PAPERSPACE LAYOUT and change the pen colors you use to black. (I know, I know) Then check both the "print with plotstyles" and "Display wth plotstyles". Both need to be active. Now go to MODEL SPACE and do pagesetupedit - at the dialogue box deactivate the 'display with plotstyles' and you should see color in your model space.

I'm not sure I remember it this way from years ago, but the result is the same. and have a merry christmas all!

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

ellisislands — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 20:55:58 GMT

I am having the same issue and trying to follow your solve– only I don't see any option to "change the pens colors to black" and am too new with autocad to understand the "i know, i know" reference, so don't judge lol. Are you suggesting monochrome or greyscale or something altogether different? Please clarify if you don't mind, thank you.

Betreff: Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 22:06:35 GMT

Hey Ellis,

At the top of the window for your page set up editor look for the little printer logo in upper right. Click that to expand the penweights window. At the top of this window, the first thing under properties is color. For every color to the right that you are going to use, click to activate that color and change its color at the top of the properties menu to black. This causes it to appear black in paperspace. And under lineweight be sure your weights are customized to what you want.

In model space do the same.

The kicker here is that back on the pagesetup window, under the plot style table name you need to select "print with plot styles" and not click display with plotstyles.

In paper space you click both options for plot and display.

Hope this helps.

Re: Paper Space objects in color

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 16:19:57 GMT

Have you tried changing the VISUAL STYLE? Go to Paperspace, open the Viewport. In the upper left of the Viewport, you should see: [+] [Top][Conceptual] or something similar. Select the Visual Style and change it to something else. If you want colour, try REALISTIC; if you want Black & White, select HIDDEN. Try a few until you get what you want.

Regards,

Brian

Re: Paper Space objects in color

robin.jatko — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 22:48:56 GMT

Okay, years later I am reading this thread (while stuck in Paperspace hell) hoping for an easy way to accomplish exactly this in Acad 2023 (full version).

No easy way, this still being (2023) Paperspace hell BUT while in PSpace looked into my Layer Properties Manager AND right after Color there is a heading called VP Color, so I figured why not give it a try? Since there appears to be no easy way to Select All (that I can find, is there?) in the Layer Properties Manager, I started at the top, held the Shift key down and scrolled (and scrolled...got a lot of layers), selected Black, closed out, regened. All my layer in viewport are Black, so yay! My MSpace layer colors stayed the same, the PSpace layers have no line weight, but who cares? I can at least see the drawing in that viewport...gonna find out if I have to do this for every viewport...if so, will take less time to copy that one viewport and pan/zoom as required.

...Okay just tried copying the viewport with the all black layer colors...but the colors changed to MSpace colors, but I clicked inside that viewport and regened...and they changed all to Black. So yay!...Oh wait, that's not what happened. Now I can't figure out what I did to get all the layer colors to be Black in Pspace.

Okay, just figured it out - while in PSpace I went into Page Setup Manager, changed Plot Style Table to monochrome.cbt and below that checked"Display Plot Styles". Closed, clicked on each viewport, switch to MSpace, regen. Viola! All black lines...but I have to regen every viewport, even if I copied the previous all-blackline viewport.