AutoCAD 2017 creating landscape pdf files

[timlane]

I am updating our office from AutoCAD 2012 to 2017. We have several different versions of Adobe installed on these computers. In our old version of AutoCAD we were able to create PDF files that were in landscape mode which is desirable for the engineers electronic stamps. With 2017 all of the PDF's are coming out portrait which requires every file to be opened, rotated and resaved. We are not using DWGtoPDF due to its insistence on creating layers which our clients didn't like. Has AutoCAD changed a setting that no longer allows PDF's to be created landscape? I have tried changing my custom paper sizes for the Adobe printer as well as my plotter settings with no success. Any advise is appreciated. Thanks.

[john.vellek]

Hi @timlane,

I have had some issues now and then with the Adobe PDF  configuration. I suggest using the AutoCAD PDF driver whcih through PDF Options can be set not to include Layer Information.

I suggest starting the Plot command, selecting the AutoCAD PDF pc3 and then selecting the properties button to the right of the print driver.

From here you can filter paper sizes, , and set margins for each size (I like to set my margins to 0).

Select Plot Area, Paper Size, Scale and orientation in the plot dialog window.

Then save these changes to a unique name such as B-size Landscape PDF. You can apply this to Page Setups which can be applied to your layouts.

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

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> We are not using DWGtoPDF due to its insistence on creating layers which our clients didn't like

You can turn off the output of the layers, that was always an option.

>> Has AutoCAD changed a setting that no longer allows PDF's to be created landscape?

It's an Adobe Printer issue, not an AutoCAD one.

You can define your own paper formats using a format with more width then height, then imho landscape PDF's can also be created with Adobe, but that is always a bit tricky (that's why I only use "DWG to PDF" as that created smaller files, higher quality and more control 😉 )

- alfred -

[john.vellek]

Hi timlane,

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

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

[timlane]

This is option still uses AutoCAD's built in PDF driver. I want to continue utilizing how we are currently set up using the Adobe printer driver. This worked well in v2012 but not in v2017. If I want my PDF's to plot landscape am I stuck using the AutoCAD PDF driver?

[john.vellek]

Hi @timlane,

I don't have the Adobe driver and I can't support its use or configuration as it is not developed by Autodesk.  I know that the most current Autodesk PDF drivers do not have this issue and will likely give you better results.

I switched from Adobe's driver in 2013 and haven't regretted it. I hope that you can give it a try.

[timlane]

One of the main issues we have with the AutoCAD driver is that when the PDF files are printed they go through a flattening process. This causes issues with our clients. Can this be turned off?

[john.vellek]

Hi @timlane,

What do you mean by flattening? If you mean lose all layers that is an option you can set. Bookmarking isn't possible but I think you should try it and see what you think. Let me know if you have questions

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> when the PDF files are printed they go through a flattening process

I also would be interested about what you mean by "flattering process". Flatten in AutoCAD means that all objects are flattened to be 2D.

The AutoCAD internal driver as well as the Adobe Printer create 2D-PDF's, so from my point of view they do the same.

>> Bookmarking isn't possible

...until 2016, starting with AutoCAD 2017 bookmarking is possible 😉

BTW: have you tried my suggestion with the paperformat definition? Have not seen a response yet.

- alfred -

[timlane]

I have attached two PDF files. The file adobe 11x17.pdf was made using the Adobe printer driver, the drawing was produced in portrait mode and I rotated it to landscape. When this file is sent to a printer it immediately goes there. The second file 11x17.pdf was made using AutoCAD's DWGtoPDF driver, the drawing was produced in landscape. When this file is sent to a printer it first goes through a flattening process before going to the printer. This is true with all drawings created using this driver. The PDF files attached are very simple and the flattening process time is minimal but on larger more complex files this flattening process can take several minutes. If this PDF file contains many drawings, each drawing goes through this flattening process which interm can take a very long time to print. This is what us or our clients want to eliminate.

[john.vellek]

Hi @timlane,

Neither PDF has bookmarks or layer information so they are both in essence "flat".

If one takes longer to print I would take a look at how you send them to the printer and what the printer driver looks like (IE Postscript, PCL5 or PCL6).

I would also consider whether you are printing straight to the IP address of the printer of if you are printing to a network print queue which takes the print data from the workstation much faster.

[timlane]

I don't have control of how the PDF file is printed, but I should be able to control how the file is created. I have attached a much more complex file that depicts the issue we and others have with files created using the DWGtoPDF driver. If there is a solution to this I am open to it, if not then the results are not acceptable and another method must be looked into. Let me know if we just have a setting wrong or if this is indeed what everybody else gets.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> a much more complex file that depicts the issue

Which issue?

I see the pdf (well, it misses one font, that's just a setting), but what is the issue you are speaking about.

Can you describe or mark what is wrong with the pdf? Or what does Adobe PDF make better (besides of incorrect rotation)?

Sorry if I'm bothering you, but showing a file without telling us, what you are missing or what could be wrong (without seeing the original data), how should we find out what you mean?

- alfred -

[john.vellek]

Hi @timlane,

I am now a bit confused. Originally the issue was that:

• The Adobe driver didn't create the PDF from AutoCAD 2017 in the correct orientation.
• Then the problem was that the AutoCAD DWGtoPDF driver created PDF's that "Flatten" (still not sure what this means).
• Then the problem was that the AutoCAD DWGtoPDF file prints slowly.
• Are we now looking at another/different issue?

Here are my suggestions:

• Create a new Page Setup that uses AutoCAD PDF (General Documentation) (not Dwg to Pdf)
• Set you paper size, plot scale, pen table, and orientation in this page setup. in the PDF Options you can also indicate if you want layers to be retained.
• Apply this page setup to a drawing layout and then plot it to the PDF.  Attach the PDF here and tell me what you think is missing or incorrect.
• Next send it to your printer and tell me if there is an issue there. Please also tell me the printer model and the type of driver being used.

I hope to resolve your issue or issues that you are having but I need a bit of clarification.

[timlane]

The issue is in the printing of the PDF file. I open the file in Adobe Acrobat Standard or Adobe Reader and then when I send the file to different printers, they will perform the flattening process prior to actually printing. Can you duplicate this, the flattening, while printing the file I attached earlier?

[timlane]

This is all part of the same issue. We started using the Adobe driver because of the flattening issue we get using the DWGtoPDF driver. Now with AutoCAD 2017 we still get the flattening issued using DWGto PDF so I want to continue using the Adobe driver but for some reason, using this version of AutoCAD, it will not create a PDF file in landscape. This was not an issue with v2012.

[john.vellek]

Hi @timlane,

I would like to have a sample drawing from you so I can test various PDF drivers. Please attach one for me to work with along with any necessary pen tables.

As I said earlier, I don't have the Adobe driver but I have some others.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> they will perform the flattening process

Can you please describe what "flattening process" is, what is your understanding of that, I don't know what you mean by that, so when I print your PDF I would not have the possibility to say "yes it does" or "no it does not" ... happen on my system.

- alfred -

[john.vellek]

Hi @Alfred.NESWADBA,

Apparently the flattening process occurs when the plot file (PDF) has transparency.  Adobe tries to "flatten" everything prior to sending the output to the printer. This can be fixed in the Reader or Acrobat by "printing to Image".

Another option is to uncheck Line merge.  I would really like to test the OP's file but I am still waiiting.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> Adobe tries to "flatten" everything prior to sending the output to the printer

Ok, if I'm understanding this now correct, then it's just the setting in the "DWG to PDF.pc3" to either

• capture all fonts (which is imho the only external data which might not be embedded into the pdf file ... or
• convert all text to geometry ... which makes sure that the fonts are not needed as all is first converted to pixels (which guarantees a 1:1 output within the pdf and also on the printer, but the file is not searchable for text content)

So are we just speaking about that switches?

Hopefully I have understood it now, thx for explanation! 😉

- alfred -