plotting problems...

[DrewNYTW]

Sorry if I'm breaking any forum etiquette.  I looked around for a second and didn't see a read first, or anything.

I have AutoCAD 2020.  I have been trying to get my HP Designjet Z2100 44in plotter to print in landscape, to no avail.  I have rolls of 44" wide paper and can not get it to print a 24x36, so that the 36" dimension is parallel to the 44" of the paper (36" wide).  It was printing  a 24x36 sheet so that the 24" dimension was parallel (24" wide).  So i went in to the printer settings and told it to print landscape.  Now it prints the image so the 36" dimension is parrallel to the 44" width of the paper, but it only prints for 24".  The other 20" of paper are blank and it is sill spitting out 36" of paper.  When I tell AutoCAD to print in landscape, the preview looks good.  I cant get my printer or AutoCAD (im not sure which) to realize my printer can do 24x36 and 36x24, which is what i would like it to do, I guess. 

The only fix i have come up with is to print DWG to PDF.  That printer offers 24x36 and 36x24.  once i print to pdf at 36x24, i can print the pdf on my 44" plotter and not waste a massive amount of paper.   

Again, not sure if this is a CAD or printer problem, but i have changed all the settings I know to change and dug around in all the custom files i know to dig around in. 

Thanks for any help! 

[GrantsPirate]

I don't have that plotter but I have an HP and the attached is what has worked for me.  Start a plot, pick properties next to plotter name, then Custom Properties, Layout/Output tab, pick Landscape button, and also select Autorotate.  Not shown, also go to the Paper/Quality tab and for Paper source, try using User printer settings.  Ever since moving to W10 plotting to HP has been hit or miss, where with W7 I set it once and rarely had to change anything.

[DrewNYTW]

Thank you for replying.  Glad to know Im know they only one having issues with my HP.  My previous job had a nice plotter that I never had a problem with.  New job has this old plotter that prints fine but doesn't seem to work well with CAD.    I dont have the same custom properties tab that you have.  I also don't have an auto-rotate option.  

[natasha.l]

Hello @DrewNYTW, 

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@DrewNYTW wrote:

Again, not sure if this is a CAD or printer problem, but i have changed all the settings I know to change and dug around in all the custom files i know to dig around in. 

Thanks for any help! 

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This is a printer/plotter issue the options available are provided by the printer/plotter software. The workaround you are using is the recommended way to resolve this issue, otherwise you can try to update your printer drivers to see if the printer settings have changed. 

Please "Accept Solution" if a reply or replies have helped resolve the issue or answered your question, to help others in the community.

[DrewNYTW · Accepted solution]

I have no idea what changed, but CAD now flips my print to a 36x24.  i was going through the settings on the plotter again to see if i could make a custom page size or something.  no luck, there.  i went through for a 3rd time, to make sure everything was set to Arch D landscape, in both the printer and page layout.  it was.  only difference, this time when i selected arch D it automatically rotated 90 degrees.   Im sure something just needed to reset.  Ive been dealing with this for months.  i dont print often so its only been an issue a few time, but its annoying!  i spent all day trying to solve it and i dont even know what changed.  Anyway, thank you for your help!

[GrantsPirate]

Do you have the latest driver from HP installed for this model?  Looks like there is one from later in 2019 (forgot the actual month it listed).

[natasha.l]

Hello @DrewNYTW, 

Its to bad you don't know how it got resolved but what can you do... Thanks for letting us know! 😊