Drawing plotting variation between 2024 and 2026

[Nathan_Tigner]

Hello everyone,

When plotting a drawing to pdf in AutoCAD 2026, I am getting a different result than I do in 2024.

As you can see from the images, everything is very dark and they shouldn't be.

The drawing has not been altered at all between 2024 and 2026. Same layers, stb, plot styles. I also checked that plot settings are the same. Both are using the same DWG to PDF.pc3 driver and the driver properties as well as PDF options both match.

Anyone have any guesses as to what else it could be? The drawing has no xrefs, all the linework is in this drawing. Simple lines and polylines mostly.

[engrjvb · Accepted solution]

Hi @Nathan_Tigner, not sure if you have checked this as well.  Changing DPI might do the trick.https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-lt-forum/publish-to-pdf-quality-is-poor/td-p/8458328

[imadHabash]

Hi,

You may need to review Plot transparency option .... Maybe.

[Nathan_Tigner]

I have tried both DPI changes and Plot Transparency with no changes at all. 

[RSomppi]

Something is different that is causing the lineweights to change. Scaling lineweights maybe? Plot style may be the same name but with different settings? 

We can only speculate without seeing it in action. Maybe try sharing ALL of your settings.

[engrjvb]

Some more thoughts on this.

1. Check graphics card if it affects the printing. Try turning it off then print.

2. Try creating a new pc3 file similar to DWG to PDF.

3. In the Page Setup, check if Plot with plot styles is checked.

4. Try these other settings as well

[jnelson1071]

We also just noticed this same issue.  This happens to us with the objects on the same layer even.  We are using CTB and not STB.  I confirmed the plot settings between the versions, and everything matches.  We also tested using out of the box Grayscale.ctb, tested using the default profile, and used the DWG to PDF.pc3 from each version's ENU location to rule our customization or our shared "DWG to PDF".  This appears to be random issue across the sheet, but if you zoom way in on the PDF, the line weights seem to match.  I also had them plot to paper, and same thickness changes.  It doesn't matter who on the team plots it, we get the same results.  Here is quick example