Hatch Issues in PDF Print-outs

[robert_olmo]

Hello, I have been having issues with hatched objects that appear fine on screen, but then bleed out into completed rectangles when ever within complex shapes or cutouts. Below are a couple of examples of actual pdf's and scans of their print-outs.

Though I have about 6 years experience in AutoCad for Mac, I have very little experience with plot style files. As a small interior design firm we generally work with base drawings generated by others and then xref or generate furniture and lighting layers. If a plot style file is provided we will use that or default to a generic 'monochrome' plot setting. This works most of the time but our print output quality varies greatly from project to project. Any guidance or references on how to standardize print output would be very helpful.

Thank you,

Robert Olmo

[pendean]

Forgive me, but what are your three PDFs trying to show us? I do not see what you are describing, perhaps you simply mean your shades are plotting black and hiding your dimensions as in the scanned pdf?

[maxim_k]

Hi Stephen,

I believe you have solid hatches with transparency applied in your drawing and print PDF from Preview app (or any other PDF viewer which relay on OS PDF printing engine), your macOS is High Sierra or higher.
Am I correct?

OK. There is a bug in macOS which results in printing alpha channel (fully transparent part of raster image) in black. I mean raster images with transparent parts embedded in PDF.

Since 2018 version AutoCAD creates PDF from drawing with solid hatches with transparency applied, it converts such solid fills to raster images with transparency background and this transparency background prints from Preview app as black areas.

The workaround is to print from Adobe Reader.

[robert_olmo]

If you look at the basket weave printout vs the pdf output the small tiles and grout lines have been overrun by black. The second example did not load. See below: All the openings in the hatched countertops are filled in with black as well.

[robert_olmo]

Actually, for most hatches I've been using gradients, per previous work-around with solid hatch objects getting segmented lines across shapes. Yes, I do adjust transparencies to facilitate working in model space. Should I not adjust transparencies whether solid or gradient hatches?  Or is this problem something that solely resides within MacOS Preview app when generating print? Is a patch imminent? No one in this office uses adobe reader.  – Thank you

[maxim_k · Accepted solution]

>>>>>previous work-around with solid hatch objects getting segmented lines across shapes
If you are using AC 2018 or later and create PDFs with one of "AutoCAD PDF.pc3" printers, you shouldn't get the problem with "segmented lines"

>>>> Should I not adjust transparencies whether solid or gradient hatches?
If you need them (transparencies), you can use them.

>>>>> is this problem something that solely resides within MacOS Preview app when generating print?
Yes, it is macOS bug.

>>>>Is a patch imminent?
I think it is better to ask Apple about this.

>>>>>No one in this office uses adobe reader.
Another workaround is to use Preview app for printing, but convert PDF to raster image (JPG for instance) just before printing - use Option key to show "Save as..." menu instead of "Save" in Preview app, save PDF as JPG image with resolution and quality you need. Now you have raster image instead of PDF opened in Preview app, print it, then trash if you don't need it anymore.