HIGH QUALITY PDF FROM AUTOCAD DWG

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

HI

I NEED TO PRINT A PDF FROM AN AUTOCAD PLAN, ON A PEPER SIZE OF 100 X 70. THEREFORE I REALLY NEED EXCELLENT RESOLUTION (300 PPI)

I USED TO HAVE A SPECIAL PRINTER INSTALLED ON MY FORMER AUTOCAD, WHERE I COULD PRINT REALLY DETAILED PDF PLANS THAT COULD BE ZOOMED 800% AND STILL PRESERVE FULL QUALITY.

THIS IS VERY USEFUL WHILE I ALREADY ASSEMBLE THE SCALES AND LAYER STYLES ON MY PAPER IN AUTOCAD, AND NEED TO ARRANGE THEM IN PHOTOSHOP OR INDESIGN FOR SEVERL ADJUSTMENTS AND EDITORIAL DESIGN. 

I NEED HELP TO CONFIGURE A GOOD PRINTER THAT DOES THE PDF HIGH QUAITY JOB.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

CAMILA

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

HI

I NEED TO PRINT A PDF FROM AN AUTOCAD PLAN, ON A PEPER SIZE OF 100 X 70. THEREFORE I REALLY NEED EXCELLENT RESOLUTION (300 PPI)

I USED TO HAVE A SPECIAL PRINTER INSTALLED ON MY FORMER AUTOCAD, WHERE I COULD PRINT REALLY DETAILED PDF PLANS THAT COULD BE ZOOMED 800% AND STILL PRESERVE FULL QUALITY.

THIS IS VERY USEFUL WHILE I ALREADY ASSEMBLE THE SCALES AND LAYER STYLES ON MY PAPER IN AUTOCAD, AND NEED TO ARRANGE THEM IN PHOTOSHOP OR INDESIGN FOR SEVERL ADJUSTMENTS AND EDITORIAL DESIGN. 

I NEED HELP TO CONFIGURE A GOOD PRINTER THAT DOES THE PDF HIGH QUAITY JOB.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

CAMILA

[maxim_k]

Do you use AutoCAD for Mac?
If yes, than which printer do you have installed on your Mac? I mean system printer (plotter) listed in Print & Scan pane of Mac OS System Preferences. Maybe the current system print device is enough for high quality PDF output and you only need to create custom paper size 100x70.

Maxim

[maxim_k]

Do you use AutoCAD for Mac?
If yes, than which printer do you have installed on your Mac? I mean system printer (plotter) listed in Print & Scan pane of Mac OS System Preferences. Maybe the current system print device is enough for high quality PDF output and you only need to create custom paper size 100x70.

Maxim

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

Hello Maxim

thanks for the reply. 

i have recently installed autocad 2016 for mac .

the plotter is HP designjet T120, but i dont have it here with me. 

i JUST tried out what you said, using the plotter already set on my system pref, and tried the pdf by setting the paper size on my page setup /layout in autocad. I set the desired scale using the viewport e.g 1/100 .  and then I exported the pdf on scale 1:1.

do you think this is ok? i didnt test it with a real high quality detailed drawing, i just tested with squares. 

Furthermore, what do you think the type of printer has to do with the resolution of the PDF?. 

I mean, if this were a photoshop image of a render, i should be carefull pixels are around 1500 x 2400 for an A4 at 300 ppi. 

how does this work on a dwg pdf drawing for the 100 x 70 cm paper size that i need?  does it get automatically on the amount of pixels according to the paper size?  and the resolution, where could i manage it? 

thank you so much!

CAMILA

Architecture + landscape

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

Hello Maxim

thanks for the reply. 

i have recently installed autocad 2016 for mac .

the plotter is HP designjet T120, but i dont have it here with me. 

i JUST tried out what you said, using the plotter already set on my system pref, and tried the pdf by setting the paper size on my page setup /layout in autocad. I set the desired scale using the viewport e.g 1/100 .  and then I exported the pdf on scale 1:1.

do you think this is ok? i didnt test it with a real high quality detailed drawing, i just tested with squares. 

Furthermore, what do you think the type of printer has to do with the resolution of the PDF?. 

I mean, if this were a photoshop image of a render, i should be carefull pixels are around 1500 x 2400 for an A4 at 300 ppi. 

how does this work on a dwg pdf drawing for the 100 x 70 cm paper size that i need?  does it get automatically on the amount of pixels according to the paper size?  and the resolution, where could i manage it? 

thank you so much!

CAMILA

Architecture + landscape

[maxim_k]

Hi Camila,

PDF resolution is not the same as raster image resolution.
PDF data "printed" from AutoCAD is always vector data, so it is scalable without loosing resolution.

When we talk about the resolution of PDF files, we are referring to how precisely separate segments of vector curves connected to each other to form smooth curves.

When you export from AutoCAD to PDF this precision depends on how complex id the drawing itself and on the output scale. If the scale is too large, the details in the PDF became smaller and the precision degrades.
So everything depends on hoe complex is your drawing for the desired scale (1:100 in your case). You need to try the output and decide yourself.

---

@ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO wrote:
...

i JUST tried out what you said, using the plotter already set on my system pref, and tried the pdf by setting the paper size on my page setup /layout in autocad. I set the desired scale using the viewport e.g 1/100 .  and then I exported the pdf on scale 1:1.

do you think this is ok?...

---

Yes, it is OK. I think  HP designjet T120 can give you PDF sufficient resolution, but you need to verify this.

After you create PDF in AutoCAD, you can import it to Photoshop with different resolutions, including very high, such as 1200 or even 2400 ppi or even more. This is because you import vector data to the raster image.

Maxim

[maxim_k]

Hi Camila,

PDF resolution is not the same as raster image resolution.
PDF data "printed" from AutoCAD is always vector data, so it is scalable without loosing resolution.

When we talk about the resolution of PDF files, we are referring to how precisely separate segments of vector curves connected to each other to form smooth curves.

When you export from AutoCAD to PDF this precision depends on how complex id the drawing itself and on the output scale. If the scale is too large, the details in the PDF became smaller and the precision degrades.
So everything depends on hoe complex is your drawing for the desired scale (1:100 in your case). You need to try the output and decide yourself.

---

@ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO wrote:
...

i JUST tried out what you said, using the plotter already set on my system pref, and tried the pdf by setting the paper size on my page setup /layout in autocad. I set the desired scale using the viewport e.g 1/100 .  and then I exported the pdf on scale 1:1.

do you think this is ok?...

---

Yes, it is OK. I think  HP designjet T120 can give you PDF sufficient resolution, but you need to verify this.

After you create PDF in AutoCAD, you can import it to Photoshop with different resolutions, including very high, such as 1200 or even 2400 ppi or even more. This is because you import vector data to the raster image.

Maxim

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

TNANK YOU MAXIM

1.

i know autocad works with vectors, and a way to still see them as vectors is to import them to illustrator.

BUT, sometimes it is absolutely neccesary to have drawings scaled in a same page. Once i have saved my paper on autocad, do you think i could open the dwg vector information, but on the exact scale and paper size as i prepared in autocad?

2. ok i understand what you say on the scale /complex issue.  I already tried it years ago on this exact very complex file on a 1:200 scale on a peper 100 x 70 cm .  Although i cant remember what king of printer o plotter pdf i was using. 

So to sum up, i appreciate your help, i think that hp printer will do the job. and i will try it saving the paper on autocad, exporting the pdf SHEET (or paper), on scale 1:1, with the correct paper size assigned in the moment of the "printing". 

If you tell me this is OK, in order to get the best resolution possible that's great. and if you consider there is something different i could do, just let me know please!!

have a nice weekend!

camila

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

TNANK YOU MAXIM

1.

i know autocad works with vectors, and a way to still see them as vectors is to import them to illustrator.

BUT, sometimes it is absolutely neccesary to have drawings scaled in a same page. Once i have saved my paper on autocad, do you think i could open the dwg vector information, but on the exact scale and paper size as i prepared in autocad?

2. ok i understand what you say on the scale /complex issue.  I already tried it years ago on this exact very complex file on a 1:200 scale on a peper 100 x 70 cm .  Although i cant remember what king of printer o plotter pdf i was using. 

So to sum up, i appreciate your help, i think that hp printer will do the job. and i will try it saving the paper on autocad, exporting the pdf SHEET (or paper), on scale 1:1, with the correct paper size assigned in the moment of the "printing". 

If you tell me this is OK, in order to get the best resolution possible that's great. and if you consider there is something different i could do, just let me know please!!

have a nice weekend!

camila

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

Oh also, when you explained how to import to photoshop and choose the resolution, such as 2400 PPI ... what exactly doest it represent?

regarding the following:

Equivalent A3 paper dimensions in pixels at 300 DPI and 72 DPI respectively are:

• 3508 pixels x 4961 pixels (print resolution)
• 842 pixels x 1191 pixels (screen resolution)

if i were to prepare a render in photoshop , on an A3. how should i import the pdf into photoshop?.  i always get mixed up with the 300 dpi resolution, and the 2400 figure you suggested. 

thanks!

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

Oh also, when you explained how to import to photoshop and choose the resolution, such as 2400 PPI ... what exactly doest it represent?

regarding the following:

Equivalent A3 paper dimensions in pixels at 300 DPI and 72 DPI respectively are:

• 3508 pixels x 4961 pixels (print resolution)
• 842 pixels x 1191 pixels (screen resolution)

if i were to prepare a render in photoshop , on an A3. how should i import the pdf into photoshop?.  i always get mixed up with the 300 dpi resolution, and the 2400 figure you suggested. 

thanks!

[maxim_k]

---

@ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO wrote:

TNANK YOU MAXIM

1.

i know autocad works with vectors, and a way to still see them as vectors is to import them to illustrator.

BUT, sometimes it is absolutely neccesary to have drawings scaled in a same page. Once i have saved my paper on autocad, do you think i could open the dwg vector information, but on the exact scale and paper size as i prepared in autocad?

2. ok i understand what you say on the scale /complex issue.  I already tried it years ago on this exact very complex file on a 1:200 scale on a peper 100 x 70 cm .  Although i cant remember what king of printer o plotter pdf i was using. 

So to sum up, i appreciate your help, i think that hp printer will do the job. and i will try it saving the paper on autocad, exporting the pdf SHEET (or paper), on scale 1:1, with the correct paper size assigned in the moment of the "printing". 

If you tell me this is OK, in order to get the best resolution possible that's great. and if you consider there is something different i could do, just let me know please!!

have a nice weekend!

camila

---

I think I can tell you: it is OK. But I cannot be absolutely sure without testing this workflow in real life.

Maxim

[maxim_k]

---

@ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO wrote:

TNANK YOU MAXIM

1.

i know autocad works with vectors, and a way to still see them as vectors is to import them to illustrator.

BUT, sometimes it is absolutely neccesary to have drawings scaled in a same page. Once i have saved my paper on autocad, do you think i could open the dwg vector information, but on the exact scale and paper size as i prepared in autocad?

2. ok i understand what you say on the scale /complex issue.  I already tried it years ago on this exact very complex file on a 1:200 scale on a peper 100 x 70 cm .  Although i cant remember what king of printer o plotter pdf i was using. 

So to sum up, i appreciate your help, i think that hp printer will do the job. and i will try it saving the paper on autocad, exporting the pdf SHEET (or paper), on scale 1:1, with the correct paper size assigned in the moment of the "printing". 

If you tell me this is OK, in order to get the best resolution possible that's great. and if you consider there is something different i could do, just let me know please!!

have a nice weekend!

camila

---

I think I can tell you: it is OK. But I cannot be absolutely sure without testing this workflow in real life.

Maxim

[maxim_k]

When I mentioned 2400 resolution I meant that you can create raster image from vector graphics practically in any resolution, even very high resolution.

Maxim

[maxim_k]

When I mentioned 2400 resolution I meant that you can create raster image from vector graphics practically in any resolution, even very high resolution.

Maxim

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

HI MAXIM, 

how are doing? you are so perfect in your answers and you clearly master all of these topics.

i am just begging to understand what ou wrote here:

Hi Camila,

PDF resolution is not the same as raster image resolution.
PDF data "printed" from AutoCAD is always vector data, so it is scalable without loosing resolution.

When we talk about the resolution of PDF files, we are referring to how precisely separate segments of vector curves connected to each other to form smooth curves.

When you export from AutoCAD to PDF this precision depends on how complex id the drawing itself and on the output scale. If the scale is too large, the details in the PDF became smaller and the precision degrades.
So everything depends on hoe complex is your drawing for the desired scale (1:100 in your case). You need to try the output and decide yourself.

i used to think that pdf was the same thing as raster image. i did not know that a pdf is always vector data.

what i dont get here now is, if the printed pdf form autocad is vector data, how come peolple struggle so much with pixelated pdf drawings? 

you also wrote:

After you create PDF in AutoCAD, you can import it to Photoshop with different resolutions, including very high, such as 1200 or even 2400 ppi or even more. This is because you import vector data to the raster image.

Maxim

when you say," this is because you import vector data to the raster image", which would be in this case the vector data and which the raster image? 

(according to what you said before the vector data is the printed pdf)

i hope you can help me out! is this sort of thing that once i get it genuinely clear, i will be free forever to print and scale and master my graphic representation.

have a wonderful week.

camila. 

[ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO]

HI MAXIM, 

how are doing? you are so perfect in your answers and you clearly master all of these topics.

i am just begging to understand what ou wrote here:

Hi Camila,

PDF resolution is not the same as raster image resolution.
PDF data "printed" from AutoCAD is always vector data, so it is scalable without loosing resolution.

When we talk about the resolution of PDF files, we are referring to how precisely separate segments of vector curves connected to each other to form smooth curves.

When you export from AutoCAD to PDF this precision depends on how complex id the drawing itself and on the output scale. If the scale is too large, the details in the PDF became smaller and the precision degrades.
So everything depends on hoe complex is your drawing for the desired scale (1:100 in your case). You need to try the output and decide yourself.

i used to think that pdf was the same thing as raster image. i did not know that a pdf is always vector data.

what i dont get here now is, if the printed pdf form autocad is vector data, how come peolple struggle so much with pixelated pdf drawings? 

you also wrote:

After you create PDF in AutoCAD, you can import it to Photoshop with different resolutions, including very high, such as 1200 or even 2400 ppi or even more. This is because you import vector data to the raster image.

Maxim

when you say," this is because you import vector data to the raster image", which would be in this case the vector data and which the raster image? 

(according to what you said before the vector data is the printed pdf)

i hope you can help me out! is this sort of thing that once i get it genuinely clear, i will be free forever to print and scale and master my graphic representation.

have a wonderful week.

camila. 

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi @ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO,

You are correct that @maxim_k has a knack for being clear and concise.

Regarding PDF's from AutoCAD, entities that can be retained as vectors in a PDF will remain so if the PDF printer driver being used supports it. However, not all objects such as certain text entities, pictures, etc might not be. Images that are raster attachments into AutoCAD or scanned drawings (which are also raster) will not be converted into vector objects in a PDF.

I hope this helps.

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

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi @ARQ-CAMILA.PORTEIRO,

You are correct that @maxim_k has a knack for being clear and concise.

Regarding PDF's from AutoCAD, entities that can be retained as vectors in a PDF will remain so if the PDF printer driver being used supports it. However, not all objects such as certain text entities, pictures, etc might not be. Images that are raster attachments into AutoCAD or scanned drawings (which are also raster) will not be converted into vector objects in a PDF.

I hope this helps.

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

[john.vellek]

Hi CAMILAarqui,

I am checking back to see if my post or @maxim_k's helped you with your problem. Please add a post with your results so other Forum users can benefit.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if a post or posts fully solved your issue or answered your question.

[john.vellek]

Hi CAMILAarqui,

I am checking back to see if my post or @maxim_k's helped you with your problem. Please add a post with your results so other Forum users can benefit.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if a post or posts fully solved your issue or answered your question.

[maxim_k · Accepted solution]

Hi Camila,

Pixelated pdf drawings can be the result of saving to PDF scanned drawings. Plus, if you have Visual Style of the viewport in the Layout or Visual Style in Model Layout other than 2D Wireframe, PDF output will be raster, not vector data.


>>>>which would be in this case the
>>>vector data and which the raster image?
Vector data will be PDF file exported directly from AutoCAD - all native AutoCAD objects will be represented as vector data in such PDF. Exceptions are the objects which @john.vellek mentioned in his post the case when you are using visual style of viewport other than 2D Wireframe.

Maxim

[maxim_k · Accepted solution]

Hi Camila,

Pixelated pdf drawings can be the result of saving to PDF scanned drawings. Plus, if you have Visual Style of the viewport in the Layout or Visual Style in Model Layout other than 2D Wireframe, PDF output will be raster, not vector data.


>>>>which would be in this case the
>>>vector data and which the raster image?
Vector data will be PDF file exported directly from AutoCAD - all native AutoCAD objects will be represented as vector data in such PDF. Exceptions are the objects which @john.vellek mentioned in his post the case when you are using visual style of viewport other than 2D Wireframe.

Maxim