Drawing Orientation

Drawing Orientation
When you used the Preview button in the first exercise in this chapter, you saw your drawing as it
would be placed on the paper. In that example, it was placed in a
landscape orientation
, which places
the image on the paper so that the width of the paper is greater than its height. You can rotate the
image on the paper 90° into what is called a
portrait orientation
by selecting the Portrait radio button
in the Drawing Orientation group. A third option, Plot Upside-Down, lets you change the orientation
further by turning the landscape or portrait orientation upside down. These three settings let
you print the image in any one of four orientations on the sheet.
In AutoCAD, the preview displays the paper in the orientation that it leaves the printer. For most
small-format printers, if you’re printing in the portrait orientation, the image appears in the same
orientation as you see it when you’re editing the drawing. If you’re using the landscape orientation,
the preview image is turned sideways. For large-format plotters, the preview may be oriented in the
opposite direction. The graphic in the Drawing Orientation group displays a capital
A
on a sheet
showing the orientation of your drawing on the paper output.
TIP
Remember that you need to click the More Options button in the lower-right corner of the
Plot dialog box to access the Drawing Orientation group. The More Options button looks like a
circle with a greater-than sign. You can also press Alt+Shift+>.