Autocad plotter configuration

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone,

My coworker and I would like to start using AutoCAD 2016 but the only thing holding us back is the way our plotter prints.  It is completely baffling us!  When we plot a hard copy from autocad itself either the image that is printed is rotated 90 degrees or (when playing around with a few settings) it prints at the right rotation but with no lineweights whatsoever.  The odd thing about this all is that if we PDF first and then print from PDF file it works just fine! The closest we,ve gotten is in the plotter manager under device and document settings and custom properties and playing around with a few settings in there.  We are completely at a loss! Please help!

Thank you guys in advance!

P.S. the printer we are using is an HP Designjet t2300 PS HPGL2

[rkmcswain]

jlabbeT2HT4 wrote:
..... if we PDF first and then print from PDF file it works just fine!

Is it super important that you can print directly to the hard copy device?

I have not done that in probably 4 years, I print/publish everything to PDF first so I can review it on screen, and then physically print it if that is even needed.

Having said that, are you printing to the system printer or have you made a PC3 file?

Are you printing basic line drawings or more involved things like transparencies, colors, etc.?

[pendean]

... and are you plotting to the PS driver or the HPGL2 driver?
Does that driver have an AUTOROTATE feature? I haven't had to rotate a plot to any of our HP plotters in over 15-years, the driver does that for us.

Show us your expanded PLOT dialog box too, let's see what your settings and options are.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the quick reply!  I am a little new at autocad therefore I am not too sure what you mean by if it is printing by a system printer or a PC3 file where can I find this information? I have attached a screen view of my plot settings.

[rkmcswain]

Your screenshot show the Bluebeam PDF.

What hardcopy device are you printing to?

Here is what I'm talking about

[Anonymous]

Sorry about that! I attached a new screen shot of the printer. It looks like it is being sent to a system driver.

[pendean]

May I ask why you are not plotting to any scale? See those red makrs in the preview, it means your plot is larger than the sheet you selected.

ARCH C Landscape also means you are plotting to a 24" roll on the plotter.

Does your system driver offer the option of AUTOROTATE?

[Anonymous]

I meant to put it as a half size because the title block is actually an Arch D.  As for the AUTOROTATE yes it does offer it.

[jackshield]

half size of arch d ISNT arch c

[Anonymous]

I apologize for my ignorance but my problem is with the rotation of the paper not the scaling . When I send the hard copy from autocad 2016 it works perfectly fine from ealier versions just all of a sudden the 2016 version doesnt seem to want to cooperate. 

[Emmsleys]

Hi @Anonymous 

Welcome to the Autodesk Community!

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@Anonymous wrote:

I apologize for my ignorance but my problem is with the rotation of the paper not the scaling . When I send the hard copy from autocad 2016 it works perfectly fine from ealier versions just all of a sudden the 2016 version doesnt seem to want to cooperate. 

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Could you share a file with us? 

What are your operating system specs? 

[Anonymous]

Hi Emmsleys,

I have attached a test file with a titleblock and a couple page setups.  Our operating system is windows 7 professional.  

Thanks again for looking into this.

[sthompson1021]

As a test, try doing a plot without a page setup. In the plot dialog box, set page setup to none and change the plotter name to HPGL2. Do not use the pc3 file. Setup the rest of the plot the way you want it.

[Anonymous]

Hi, 

That worked in the rotation perspective but when the rotation is right I lose all lineweights. 

[sthompson1021]

Did you make sure that the plot object lineweights box was checked?

[pendean]

Well, you did not include your CTB at all and you seem to be plotting to BLUEBEAM and not this HP that you want to use, PLUS your sheet is D-size in the layout.

May I ask, without sounding rude on my part, is this your first time really using AutoCAD and plotting? Any reason your Layout is not ARCH C if you need ARCH C? Or are you trying to print a no-scale leave-it-to-the-plotter-to-scale test plot that will ultimately mean nothing and be somewhat useless as a record document?

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

Yes I have made sure the plot object lineweights is checked off.  Pendean dont worry you dont sound rude.  I have been an autocad user for a while but I am new to professional drafting which is why I have a harder time with the CAD lingo. I have plotted before on earlier versions and have had NO problems with it.  It is just in autocad 2016. We use an arch D layout for PDFs for record purposes or for clients and we use an arch C for quick office mark-ups that do not need to be scaled. I appologize for not attaching the PEN Settings but the forum is telling me that the CTB file is not a valid extension?

[pendean]

ZIP my friend, it's been built into Windows for some time now, and it still works.

What size sheet roll is in the plotter? That's usually the trigger for your plotter to autortate (or not) if turned on in the driver. If the sheet is wide enough, no rotation, if not wide enough, it rotates.

I substituted by own plot style table and to our HP printers/plotters with autorotate on, your D-size plots to C-size, B-Size and A-size with lineweights just fine over here. Same to PDFs and DWFs.

[Anonymous]

Okay...Thanks alot for everyones help and time.

[Emmsleys]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hi Emmsleys,

I have attached a test file with a titleblock and a couple page setups.  Our operating system is windows 7 professional.  

Thanks again for looking into this.

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@Anonymous 

Try using ETRANSMIT at the command line, this will include the pen styles (CTB). 

Were you able to resolve your issue with any of the post/posts made in the thread?