Cannot preview Custom paper sizes

[Anonymous]

Hello everybody...

I have a very dumb issue that has been plaguing me from the gate, hopefully somebody here can point me in the right direction.

I am running AutoCad 2017 Mac and have set up some custom paper sizes, but can only preview one of them.

I have set up an 11 x 17, a 24 x 36 and a 30 x 42.

Of the 3, I can only preview the 11 x 17. Every time I try to preview one of the other sizes I get a dialog box telling me:

"Change custom paper size to the correct value, or choose "scale to fit paper size"

Then it proceeds to tell me how to do this.

1. Choose paper handling from the pop up menu.  (Cant find Paper Handling option) 

2.Select "Scale to fit paper size" and choose the size of paper which you want to print on from the Destination Paper Size pop-up menu.

Question, Why can't I see "Paper Handling" in the print option pop-up menu. And secondly, why does the 11 x 17 work just fine but the other 2 don't.

I have set all three sizes in the same way, just used differing sizes of course.

Can anybody shed some light on the issue? 

[maxim_k]

Hi Raul,

What is your current printer?
Have you tried to use Page Setup Manager to create (edit) Page Setup before using Print window?
Can you use Custom paper sizes in other then AutoCAD applications?
If no, then try to recreate custom paper sizes which give you this issue with AutoCAD.

Maxim

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous,

I like the Page Setup approach as suggested by Maxim. I take the size of the paper one step further. I actually install a driver for a wide format device. I am currently using the driver for the HP Pagewide  plotter. This driver has all the paper sizes built in. If you want to install the driver it will try to find a piece of hardware but override this and just put in a fake IP address.

Once I have this, I can add a page setup for each plot configuration including scale, plot style and most important, paper size.

I made a quick video of my way of doing this in the hopes hat it will be helpful.

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

[Anonymous]

Hey Guy's...

Thanks for the response, I really appreciate them, and the clip as well.

Maxum, yes I have gone thru the steps you have suggested, as my post indicates, one of the custom setups actually works, the other 2 don't. I am leaning towards the idea John has as I think that is the problem, I don't have any drivers setup to work this way, but then I keep reading that Mac has its own built in PDF printer, so I am at a lose again.

John...

Thank you for the clip sir, I really appreciate your time as well. This is a bit over my head so I need to figure out where to get the driver and then how to set it up on my mac.

Again, thanks guys for your willingness to help.

[maxim_k]

Raul,

Actually it should work without printers drivers installed.
But you have not answered one of my questions:
are you able to use other two paper sizes in other applications on your Mac?

Can you post screenshots of the:
- Page Setup Manager with Page Setup you want to use selected
- Print window at the moment when you selected one of the "bad" custom paper sizes

Maxim

[Anonymous]

Hi Maxim...

I don't print to this size paper in any other program. But I would suspect I won't be able too in any other program either.

I am not actually printing out of AutoCad either. I am just wanting to preview the drawings to inspect my layouts.

When I use the publish feature in AutoCad, it works fine.

Sorry Max, I must be doing something wrong. The system will not allow me to load a pic, actually I am able to load them to the file but there is no accept, OK, or done button. In short, I was unable to show the pics you requested. 

[maxim_k]

 

Or attach file using this button:

 

Maxim 

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

I made another quick video that shows how to add custom sheet sizes instead of grabbing them from a print driver. Try to duplicate the steps I show and let me know if you have success.

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

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Thank you John...

That is exactly what I have been doing.

I am not having a problem creating the custom sheet size, my problem is not being able to preview the sheet before I commit to a print.

I have to use the publish option to take a look at the drawing in PDF format.

When I try to preview the 11 x 17 sheet, it works beautifully, does the same with an 8 1/2 x 1, but seems to not want a 24 x 36 or a 36 x 42 for some reason. I am sure there is a step I am missing somewhere.

Again, thanks for the help sir.

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous,

OK, I am sorry but I misunderstood your question.(Slapping my head!) In AutoCAD for Mac 2017, I find that when I do the print (plot) preview, I need to assign the custom sheet size in the plot window regardless of the page setup. This changes in the Beta of the next version of AutoCAD for Mac (I encourage you to sign up here).

I made another video of how I get this to work. I confess, I never use preview myself which is why I perhaps got focused on the page setup issue.

Please let me know if this helps.

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

[maxim_k]

Before using Preview in Print window you need to set "24x36" page setup current in Page Setup Manager. From the first screenshot I see that you haven't done that.

Maxim

[Anonymous]

Hey Maxim...

I thought of that and tried it last night, as you can see on the print pic I sent, it shows the 24 x 36 size selected.Needless to say, that didn't do the trick.

The issue still remains, and I don't know what to do about it. Thanks nonetheless though. I do appreciate your willingness to try and help me.

[maxim_k]

It is selected, but not set current - there is no arrow on the left of the Page Setup name.
You have to select it, then use "gear" menu to set it current, then try to "print".

Maxim

[Anonymous]

Okay... Here are some pics in sequential order. From beginning to end as the come up.

From what I can tell, I have the 24 x 36 page active, all the pages show that I have selected that custom page setup as my active page, yet I am still getting the dialog telling me its not the correct page size.

[maxim_k]

I installed driver for BROTHER MFC-J4620DW printer on my system and figured out that the alert you get when you are trying to Preview from Print window is "driver specific" issue.
I have other printers installed on my Mac and practically all of them allow to use custom paper sizes bigger than physical media they can manage.
In your case current Brother device can physically output to 11x17 paper size, when you set paper size bigger then 11x17, printer software prevents AutoCAD from creating preview.
In my case I have, for example, HP OfficeJet 7110 printer driver which can output to A3 paper size (not bigger), but at the same time the driver itself allows to set custom paper size bigger then A3 and printer software doesn't prevent AutoCAD from creating Preview from Print window as in your case.
So my advice is to add another printer to your system, for example some of HP printers, for creating (and previewing) PDFs of large custom paper sizes.

Please also look at this AKN article:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-for-mac/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticle...

HTH

Maxim

[Anonymous]

Hey John... Can you give me directions on the proper way to do this?

[maxim_k · Accepted solution]

You just need to use another printing device to be able to Preview large size PDFs:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-for-mac-forum/cannot-preview-custom-paper-sizes/m-p/7480746#M...

Maxim

[Anonymous]

Thank you once again guys...

Maxim... that did the trick.

Again, Thanks guys !!!