Print to scale without(?) autocad software

[Anonymous]

Hi - apologies for a noob/left-field/how-to question. To cut tile for a new sink, a full-size template would be very helpful. The manufacturer doesn't include these with the sinks, but the website has dxf files that can be downloaded. I need a file format I can get printed at the local UPS store on their big printer. What's the easiest way to convert a dxf into a pdf or other format they can just print? And how do I get the format converted in such a way that I can print the template to scale? Free/cheap converter software creates a PDF with an image either too large or too small. If I need to buy a program to convert and properly scale, I'm fine with that. Yes - I can ask the sink manufacturer to send me a template - but it will take days to get. Thanks for your help. John

[ennujozlagam]

you can free download DWG Trueview and you can open dwg or dxf file . thanks

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tip. How to I get it to ignore the page size of my printer when I plot to file? I will be printing on something big enough to do blueprints.

[Anonymous]

After more digging, it's clear I can export a dxf as a pdf with TrueView, but how do I do that in a way that preserves the dimensions in the dxf - i.e. I want to be able to print the pdf and have a full size, 1'=1" template. There are a lot of settings available to tweak, but I don't have ready access to a plotter to see what works. Suggestions? Thanks!

[ennujozlagam]

it is difficult to check the outcome if you don't have a printer? you can refer to these LINK  and see if helps. thanks

[pendean]

So you do not know how to PLOT from AutoCAD?
Or are you no sure how to PLOT to PDF at 1:1?
Or you don't know how to select a sheet that will fit your object at 1:1?

You seem overly distracted by this going to the UPS Store for printing, did you just call them to ask what formats they can use based on the size of sheet of paper you need?

[Anonymous]

The UPS store wants a PDF for their large-format printer. If I can directly convert from DXF to PDF at 1:1, that's fine. If I need intermediate steps, that's fine. I used freeware to convert to PDF (before downloading TrueView), and the scale was way off. I am assuming the attributes and scale for the PDF must be set during conversion, but this is new for me. I'm just looking for a one off solution to print some 1:1 templates because Kohler is too cheap to include templates with their sinks. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I have attached a screen-shot of plot (print) dialog in Tru-View

The key is selecting output device (I used AutoCAD pdf High Quality Print.pc3) and 1:1 scale, then selecting a paper size with no red at the border (indicating the plot will fit the paper)

If you can figure it out from here, great- if not, attach your dxf and I (or someone else) can convert it for you

Forgive the horrible "penmanship"- I'm not great at adding notes in Paint.

[ouafaehawaii]

This request sounds like the guy behind the printer would have to decide 🙂 It's hard to tell when you can't see the document. It is doubly difficult to do this if I don't know anything about the technique on which the document should be reproduced. In the printing company where I work, everything is tied up with software from https://wye.com/print/ . The guys from the technical department control all stages of document transformation within the framework of this software. The rest of the employees don't think about what happens to the sketch after completing their work.