faint lines when plotting

[mzsaunders]

I hope someone can help with this - I've seen several queries on the web by users with similar problems and, mostly, they don't seem to get resolved.  My issue is that lines in some layers of a drawing plot very light when plotted using the Autocad PDF printer.  I have played around with line weights and transparency settings in model space and paper space and tried ACAD.CTB, None and Monochrome.CTB, none of which seem to make any difference. 

It's only in certain layers and not everything in the layer is faint, for example text is fine.  There's a block in the drawing made up of five lines and a circle and one line prints fine, but the rest don't.  This is a block that repeats seceral times in the drawing and it's the same for all of them.

 I found today that the drawing plots okay from model space using DWG to PDF print driver, so suspect it's something to do with paper space.  I did get a "the annotation scale is not equal to the plot scale" warning when printing from model space, but can't believe this has anything to do with it?

Would appreciate some help, as this is holding me up issuing drawings for a project I am working on.

I can send example of PDF and original DWG file.

Thanks,

[pendean]

Certain layers? What is unique about those layers? Are the objects on those layers set to BYLAYER for all the settings? Are the layers a certain setting or linetype unique to them alone and no other layer?

Show us a screenshot of the PLOT pop-up from modelspace and paperspace from that file that exhibits the problem in addition to a screenshot of the LAYER command highlighting these unique layers.

[Emmsleys]

HI @mzsaunders, 

• What release are you working in? 
• Can you post your drawing files or example files? If you do not want it on the public forums let me know I can send you a BOX invite. 
• Can you show us what you want/do not want.(ex. screenshots)? 

 If you could also answer the questions mentioned by Dean as well that would be helpful, the more information the better we can assist your issue. 

[mzsaunders]

Thanks Pendean,

lineweight is set to "by layer" but linestyle and colour aren't for all objects on the layers.
The only thing unique about the layers is that they are those that I and a colleague added to a drawing created by another party. As far as I can see, it's only our layers that are affected, not the layers that were on the drawing before it was issued to us.
Screenshots follw

[mzsaunders]

Hi Sarah,,

it's LT 2016. Original drawing may have been created in a different version.

If you could send the Box invite I'll send the original and an example of the pdf output.

Thanks,

[mzsaunders]

Hi Dean,

please see screenshots attached.  I noticed something strange in the shot from paper space - a bank of layers in layer dialogue box are highlighted light blue and the status symbol has changed.  This must be something I've done today, but I've no idea what.

Worst affected layers are:

LF High Level Circuits

LF High Level Lighting (this is the one with the "two-tone" blocks)

LF Revisions Red

Thanks,

Mark

[Emmsleys]

@mzsaunders

Sending invite now along with adding @pendean to it as well. 

[pendean · Accepted solution]

Problems I see in your screenshot:

You "export" to PDF, instead of PLOT in the first image.
All lineweights are set to default, whatever the heck that is, that's random.

You plot with no plot style table in the second image.
You have "plot with plot styles" PLUS "plot object lineweeghts on: pick one or the other, never both.
Lineweights are set to default, whatever the heck that is, and two non-LF layers to something else.

Third image: LEGACY WIREFRAME means you want AutoCAD to totally ignore the plot style table you finally selected.
You continue to select DEFAULT for lineweights, which means nothing to anyone.

Lots to fix: start now.

[mzsaunders]

Hi Dean,

many thanks for your help.  Here's what I find now:

• Changing lineweights in layer dialogue doesn't seem to make a difference
• If I plot using DWGto PDF.pc3 and acad.ctb, with only "plot with plot styles" box ticked, it plots fine (with lineweights set as "default")
• If I use export to PDF command with DWG to PDF preset it's still not printing correctly

So, many thanks for solution and workaround, but I am mystified as to why it still won't plot using export to PDF command, which is the method I've always used to create PDFs from Autocad.

Thanks,

Mark

[pendean]

I never EVER use "export to pdf": that's too random and useless for my need to be very precise and controlling of all of my output.

Besides all it really does is plot to pdf, it just relies on settings I can't fully control satisfactorily each and every time without so much effort that is any better that PAGESETUP command.

[mzsaunders]

I think I got into the habit because in earlier versions of Autocad I have used it was, I believe, the only way to create a PDF that retained layers. I was pleasantly surprised to see that DWG to PDF.pc3 does this too.

Thanks again for your help.

[Anonymous]

Hello Sarah<

                       while print my drawing on my plotter using acad.ctb. it prints very faint lines on sheet. Can you help on this please.

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[Norton72]

"You continue to select DEFAULT for lineweights, which means nothing to anyone."

it means something to those of us that use color dependent plot styles.

[pendean]

You're replying to a 3.5year old post.

[Norton72]

Is there a question in there? I did not ask one.