Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts

Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts
Getting hard-copy output from AutoCAD is something of an art. You’ll need to be intimately familiar
with both your output device and the settings available in AutoCAD. You’ll probably spend a
good deal of time experimenting with AutoCAD’s plotter settings and with your printer or plotter
to get your equipment set up just the way you want.
With the huge array of output options available, this chapter can provide only a general discussion
of plotting and printing. As a rule, the process for using a plotter isn’t much different from that for a
printer; you just have more media size options with plotters. Still, every output device is different. It’s
up to you to work out the details and fine-tune the way you and AutoCAD together work with your
particular plotter or printer. This chapter describes the features available in AutoCAD and discusses
some general rules and guidelines to follow when setting up your plots.
I’ll start with an overview of the plotting features in AutoCAD and then delve into the finer
details of setting up your drawing and controlling your plotter or printer.
Topics in this chapter include the following:
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Plotting the Plan
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Understanding the Plotter Settings
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WYSIWYG Plotting Using Layout Tabs
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Adding an Output Device
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Storing a Page Setup
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Plotter and Printer Hardware Considerations