How to Print to Scale in AutoCAD 2019?

Understanding Printing in AutoCAD

Printing in AutoCAD involves scaling drawings appropriately to ensure they fit correctly onto paper. To achieve precise results, especially for detailed designs, understanding the conversion between units and setting up your layout is essential.

Preparing Your Drawing for Print

1. Scale Conversion: Before printing, confirm that your drawing is in millimeters. If the original dimensions are in meters, convert them by multiplying by 1000. This conversion is crucial since AutoCAD printing uses ISO paper sizes, which are in millimeters.

2. Select All Elements: Press Ctrl + A to ensure every component of your drawing is selected. This ensures that any scaling or adjustments you apply will affect the entire drawing.

3. Access the Scale Command: Type scale into the command line and press Enter. This activates the scaling function, allowing you to adjust your design to the desired scale.

Setting Up Viewports and Printing

1. Adjusting the Viewport: Open your layout tab and set up the viewport for the intended scale. This can be done by selecting the viewport and then adjusting the scale from the properties toolbar.

2. Initiating the Print Command: Navigate to the Output tab and select the Plot option. This opens your printing dialog box, where crucial settings can be adjusted.

3. Selecting the Printer: From the Printer/Plotter dropdown menu, choose “DWG To PDF.” This option is commonly used for creating PDF files of your drawings.

4. Choosing Paper Size: In the Paper Size dropdown, select the appropriate size for your project. Make sure that it corresponds with your layout dimensions to avoid any scaling issues.

5. Final Adjustments and Printing: Before finalizing the print command, review additional settings. Once satisfied, click the Print button to generate your output.

Troubleshooting Print Scaling Issues

If you encounter problems when printing, check the following:

• Ensure that the plotted content fits within the page dimensions or set margins. This can often be the source of scaling problems, particularly if parts of the drawing get cut off.
• Use a dedicated PDF viewer, such as Adobe Reader, for better results compared to using web browsers.
• Review any plotter driver updates, as these can affect printing functionality and compatibility.

Understanding Scale Essentials

• AutoCAD Scale Definition: In AutoCAD, drawings are typically created in a 1:1 scale (full-size). For instance, a wall measured at 12 feet is drawn at that same length. When plotting, these dimensions can be resized to fit specific scale requirements, such as 1/8″ = 1′.

• What is a Scale of 1:100?: This scale means that the drawing is reduced to 1/100th of its actual size. This means each unit on the paper represents 100 units in real life.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What should I do if my drawing does not fit on the selected paper size?

   • Check your margins and adjust the scale of your viewport if necessary. You may also want to consider changing the paper size to accommodate your drawing.

2. Is there a shortcut for accessing print settings in AutoCAD?

   • Yes, you can quickly access the print settings by pressing Ctrl + P, which brings up the Plot dialog box directly.

3. How can I determine the scale of a specific drawing?

   • Utilize the Scale Monitor feature in AutoCAD. Access it via the View tab, and hover over the scale area or viewport to see the current scale indicated in the dialog box.