topic Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry in Inventor Forum

Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

TrocoChris — Thu, 07 May 2015 15:59:27 GMT

Hello All,

We are working in 2015 Inventor. This has been an ongoing problem, that I need to rectify for me and my team.

When we convert our idw's to PDF format for emailing, the lines become blurry and unreadable.

IE- when using an E size sheet for example, if we have a peice of flat bar that is 1/4" thick on the drawing. It shows as a solid black line, where it should show the edges. If I print directly from IDW to our plotter, it looks great. But as soon as you convert to PDF, it blurs the line types making them illegible.

Is there a way to fix this?

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

mdavis22569 — Thu, 07 May 2015 16:00:49 GMT

Are you printing or saving?

Also do you have an IDW for reference?

What PDF software are you using?

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

TrocoChris — Thu, 07 May 2015 16:07:16 GMT

I'm speaking more of Saving, and viewing. Typically we won't print from PDF because we have the IDW.

But for the sake of conversation~

If I Print an IDW it is clear

If I convert an IDW to a PDF and print it is blurry

Vewing an IDW in Inventor is Clear

Viewing a converted IDW to PDF is Blurry

I've attached 2 files. One as what the view looks like in IDW, one as save file PDF. You'll notice the difference.

Adobe is our PDF viewer.

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

mcgyvr — Thu, 07 May 2015 16:12:57 GMT

Not blurry just different line thicknesses..

I'd suggest trying to print to pdf (pdf printer if you have adobe or cutepdf or any of the others) and not use Inventors save as pdf functions as that seems to be problematic for many..

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

TrocoChris — Thu, 07 May 2015 16:18:04 GMT

I use Export to PDF in Inventor

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

mcgyvr — Thu, 07 May 2015 16:20:48 GMT

@TrocoChris wrote:

I use Export to PDF in Inventor

yeah... don't

print to a pdf printer..

I'd hope there is someway to control line weights in an exported/saveas pdf in Inventor but I've never seen it.. But thats because I never use it and always print to PDF..

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

TrocoChris — Thu, 07 May 2015 16:43:42 GMT

Alright, dumb question..

How do I print to a PDF? I'm trying to do it but don't see that option under Print.

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

Anonymous — Thu, 07 May 2015 16:53:31 GMT

I had a similar problem. Exporting a pdf with Inventor wouldn't let me print the pdf file to paper. One of the comments said to use CutePDF writer (which is what I use now).

Download it from online and install. (not sure what the whole process entails, My IT guys did it for me.) Then you can click Print instead of Export. Then for your printer choose the CutePDF writer instead. Click save/print and you have your digital pdf file.

...or check to see if you have a pdf printer already available in the Inventor print option.

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

mcgyvr — Thu, 07 May 2015 17:04:25 GMT

@TrocoChris wrote:

Alright, dumb question..

How do I print to a PDF? I'm trying to do it but don't see that option under Print.

Download/install cutepdf

http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

It will then show up just like a printer would..

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

mdavis22569 — Thu, 07 May 2015 17:04:51 GMT

I don't use the included PDF in Inventor. I use Adobe and CutePDF ....

to print it, it should be set up as one of the "printers" ...It'll say cute PDF

I never save as a PDF either ...

Mike

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

TrocoChris — Thu, 07 May 2015 17:37:56 GMT

Actually. I think I fixed it without a PDF converter.

I downloaded the CutePDF, but it was still doing the same thing. So, I tried again and checked "remove line weights". And it made the PDF legible.

So out of curiosity, I used PDF Export and checked the same box. It is now Legible when converting.

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

mdavis22569 — Thu, 07 May 2015 17:48:14 GMT

yes ..

I've used CutePDf for at least 5 years now ..I got tired of all the issues I had using the default/standard PDF maker..

Glad it's working out

Mike

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

Mirko_Opitz — Fri, 08 May 2015 06:16:56 GMT

Just a little hint that might help. There is a button to remove line thickness in Acrobat too.

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

Mirko_Opitz — Fri, 08 May 2015 06:40:59 GMT

@mdavis22569 wrote:
I don't use the included PDF in Inventor. I use Adobe and CutePDF ....

to print it, it should be set up as one of the "printers" ...It'll say cute PDF

I never save as a PDF either ...

Mike

I just checked the output PDF, one exported as PDF and the other printed via PDF printer of the same IDW. Imho i get the better file via export from Inventor 2015.

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

Anonymous — Fri, 08 May 2015 09:48:19 GMT

Using export from inventor works great for me.

if you don't want the line weights (controlled in application options>drawing) click options in the box after export to pdf, and check override line weights.

If you want to hide line weights in the pdf momentarily, Ctrl+5.

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

TrocoChris — Fri, 08 May 2015 11:23:46 GMT

Thanks everyone for all of your help and options. Fixed now, so I'm super stoked. Now I don't have to explain to clients why they can't understand some of the drawings. Eeeeek

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

Anonymous — Fri, 08 May 2015 13:17:20 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Using export from inventor works great for me.
if you don't want the line weights (controlled in application options>drawing) click options in the box after export to pdf, and check override line weights.
If you want to hide line weights in the pdf momentarily, Ctrl+5.

Yes, this is what I do as well. What drives me insane though, is the fact that you have to check that box every time you export a PDF, because you can't set it as a default. That should be basic functionality in my opinion.

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

Anonymous — Mon, 11 May 2015 05:39:58 GMT

ccamara01, if you do that everytime, or most of the time, you should make a copy of the idw template, open it, go to manage>styles> layers and set all your line weights the way you want them. In that way, you can set it as default.

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

Anonymous — Mon, 11 May 2015 12:36:11 GMT

Fair enough. Thanks for the tip

Re: Converting IDW to PDF makes lines blurry

strebbor — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:57:07 GMT

We got a similar if not the same problem after installing Inventor 2015 recently. Line weights became thick. Changing view settings in acrobat reader, cute PDF or Inventor doesnt help when you print the file and find the line thick again. Line weight should be set to "true" in application options so you know what the print will look like!

The line weight (for visible edges) in our case was set to 0,25 mm in the drawing template but after creating a new drawing the line weight was overwrited into 0,5mm.

I opened the template file and clicked "Save styles to Style library" (under "manage" bar). After this all was fine.