"Plotting" is also called "Printing" because you can print to both large-format plotters as well as small printers just like any other windows operation to produce hard-copy output.

You have to have the drawing you want to plot open to plot it.

There are several things that have to be done and settings that have to be set before printing - they are:

• Create a plotting "Layout"
• Set up one or more viewports in the Layout
• Set the scale that each viewport will be plotted to
• Set visibility of layers in each the viewports
• Make a viewport hide lines
• Select the "Plot Device" to print to for the Layout
• Select the "Plot Style Table" to be used for the Layout
• Select the "Paper Size" that you want to plot to
• Select the "Plot Area" - this should be "Extents" almost always
• Set the "Plot Scale" - this should be 1:1 always
• Set the "Drawing Orientation" - this should always be "Landscape"
  
  
1. Creating a Plotting "Layout:"
• There is at least one Layout tab to the right of the Model tab at the bottom of the screen. Click on one of them to make it current. Right-click on the layout tab and select "Rename" then type in the name you want to give to that viewport. Each layout can have a different arrangement of viewports, each with their own scale and each with a different selection of visible (frozen or thawed) layers.
  
  
2. Creating a viewport in the Layout:
   • There will likely already be a viewport that exists in the Layout you have selected. When you start a new drawing, AutoCAD automatically creates at least one Layout and puts an automatic viewport in it. But you will want to create your own with the size you want. Erase the bad viewport you don't want. Don't panic at this point. It will look like you erased your entire drawing in one step, but you didn't - you simply took out the viewport that showed your drawing through it.
   • To create a new viewport the same size as the piece of paper you are plotting on, do the following:
     • Set the current layer to A-BORD-VP - make sure that this layer is a "non-printing" layer
     • Make sure that the variable "regenauto" is turned ON
     • Type MV<RET>
     • In response to the Command Prompt "Specify corner of viewport ...:" type in 0,0<RET>
     • In response to the Command Prompt "Specify opposite corner:" type in the coordinates of the upper right hand corner of the paper size you want to plot to, minus 1/2" for a border, such as:
       • 8 1/2" x 11" paper: 10.5,8
       • 11" x 17" paper: 16.5,10.5
       • 18" x 24" paper: 23.5,17.5
       • 24" x 36" paper: 35.5,23.5
     • Set the current layer back to A-WALL
       
       
3. Setting the viewport scale:
   • Viewport scale can be set in two ways:
1. The first method is to click on the viewport and set its "properties" to a scale - drop down the "Standard Scale" box under the Properties Pallette and select one of the standard scales. If the drawing model disappears or extends beyone the viewport, the scale is too large - try a smaller scale.
2. The second method is to double-click within the viewport (to make it active) and "Zoom" it to the correct "zoom scale factor." For instance, if you want to plot a viewport to 1/4"=1'-0" scale, you would double-click the cursor in that viewport and type Z <RET> 1/48XP <RET> If the drawing disappears from the viewport after doing this, zoom to extents first (double-click the wheel on the mouse), then zoom to the desired zoom scale factor. Click here for zoom scale factors for standard plotted scales
• Once a scale has been set, click on the viewport again if necessary to highlight it and drop down the "Display Locked" item in the Properties Pallette and select "Yes." This will prevent movement of the model within the viewport.
  
  
4. Setting the visibility of layers within each viewport:
   • You can change the visibility of layers in a viewport by clicking inside the viewport and freezing a layer or layers in that viewport. To accomplish this, double-click in the viewport you want select the drop-down list of layers on the toolbar and select the layer you want to freeze and select the icon for "freezing the layer in a viewport." (Note, do not select the icon for "freezing" the layer, because it will freeze it in all viewports, as well as in model space.)
   • Check each viewport to make sure that all layers you want to show on the plot are thawed and are visible on the screen.
     
     
5. Hiding lines in a viewport:
   • you may want to hide lines in one or more viewports, because they may be 3d views. To do this, follow these steps:
   • Select viewports in which you wish to remove hidden lines in the model. Click on the viewport in which you want to hide lines, drop down the list after "Shade Plot" in the Properties Pallette and select "Hidden."
     
     
6. Select the "Plot Device:"
   • Right-click on the Layout tab
   • Select "Page Setup Manager"
   • Click the "NEW" button and then OK.
   • Select the "Printer/Plotter" drop down
   • Select the printer or plotter you wnat to plot to
     
     
7. Select the "Plot Style Table" to be used for the Layout:
   • A "Plot style table" controls the colors, line widths, and "screening" (grey tones) of each line when it is plotted.
   • There are several Plot Style Tables that come standard as part of the Program
   • There are two types of Plot Style Tables:
     • "Named" Plot Style Tables - these use named objects to control the colors, line widths, and "screening" such as "walls," "doors," "windows," "notes," "dimensions," etc., or a more generic "Style1," "Style2," "Style3," etc. Each of those named objects can be set to plot to a different color, line width, and screening. These plot style tables have a file name extension of *.stb. Named Plot style tables are becomming the standard of the industry in recent years.
     • "Color" dependent Plot Style Tables - these use the color of the object to control the colors, line widths, and "screening" such as all yellow-colored lines will plot to 0.60 mm line width, black color and 100% screening, all red colored lines will plot to 0.20 mm line width, etc. These have been the standard prior to named plot styles coming into being. They have the limitation of having only 255 possible combinations (because that is the maximum number of colors in AutoCAD).
       
       
   • Every individual drawing is set up to be plotted with either color plot style tables or named plot style tables - neither the twain shall meet.
     
     
• If you have a drawing which has been created to use color dependent plot style tables, you can convert it to use named plot style tables, follow these steps:
  1. Open the drawing
  2. Type convertctb<RET> - This will create a new named plot style table mimicking the various plot styles (line color, width and screening) that are mapped to colors in the drawing - a new style will be created for each different plotted color variation, and given the names of style1, style2, style3, etc. - this new named plot style table will contain a color mapping table.
  3. Select the plot style table in the list that pops up that you would like to use to convert from
  4. Type in a name of the new named plot style table that you would like to convert it to
     
     
• If you have a drawing which has been created to use named plot style tables, you can convert it to use color dependent plot style tables, follow this:
  
1. Type convertpstyles<RET> - A notification box will pop up telling you that "This command converts a Color Dependent plot style drawing to use Named Plot styles" - click OK. Then you will be prompted to select a named plot style table to use with the drawing - you must choose a named plot style table from the list which contains a color mapping table, such as the one you just created in step 2 above. If you do not, an error message will pop up telling you that the named plot style table you selected does not contain a color mapping table and asking you to select a different one.
   
   
• Normally, you want all colors to be plotted with Black color, because you will distribute your drawings in multiple copies to many contractors and printing color is very expensive - therefore, plot style tables should have the color of every style set to black.
• Normally, you also want each object to have its own line weight associated with it, therefore the plot style table should have the "Lineweight" setting to be set to "Use object lineweight" - therefore, if you change the lineweight of an object or the lineweight assigned to a layer, it will be plotted correctly. To facilitate this, every layer should be assigned a lineweight, in addition to color and linetype.
  
  
• To edit a plot style table: type stylesmanager<RET>
  
  
8. Select the "Paper Size" that you want to plot to:
   • Select the Plot Settings Tab in the Plot dialogue box
   • Select the drop-down paper size box
   • For 8 1/2" x 11" landscape drawings, select ANSI A - 8 1/2 x 11 (portrait)
   • For 11" x 17" landscape drawings, select ANSI B - 11 x 17 (portrait)
   • For 18" x 24" landscape drawings, select ARCH C - 18 x 24 in. (portrait)
   • For 24" x 36" landscape drawings, select ARCH D - 24 x 36 in. (portrait)
     
     
9. Select the "Plot Area"
   • Select the "Extents" radio button
     
     
10. Set the "Plot Scale"
    • From the drop-down box, select 1:1
      
      
11. Set the "Drawing Orientation"
    • Select the "Landscape" radio button
      
      
12. If you want to save these parameters for use again, under the heading "Page Setup Name" in the Layout Settings Tab, select the "Add" button, type in a new page setup name then select OK. Page setups are saved with the drawing.
• To use this plot setup again in the same drawing, pull down the list of Page Setup Names and select the one you want. The Page Setup controls everything on the dialogue boxes about plotting, such as the Plot Device, the Plot Style Table, the paper size, the plot area, the plot scale, and the drawing orientation.
• To use this page setup in another drawing, select the "Add" button, then select the Import button, then browse for the drawing file that contains the page setup name you want.
• Click OK to go back to the Command: prompt.
  
  
13. Now you are ready to plot.
    • Select from the Applications menu "Print" and then "Plot"
    • Select the "Full Preview" button
    • If everything looks good, right click, then select "Plot." If it does not look good, click "Exit" and then fix the setup.
    • When the setup is fixed, select OK