An AutoCAD Pen Table is a powerful tool that allows you to control the appearance of plotted lines and text in your AutoCAD drawings. It is essentially a mapping between the colors, lineweights, and line types used in your drawing and the actual pen settings of your plotter or printer. By defining a pen table, you can customize how your drawings will look when they are printed or plotted.
Why Use an AutoCAD Pen Table?
Using an AutoCAD Pen Table offers several advantages:
- Consistency: With a pen table, you can ensure that all your drawings have a consistent look and feel when printed or plotted. You can define specific colors, lineweights, and line types for different objects or layers in your drawing.
- Flexibility: A pen table allows you to easily modify the appearance of your drawings without having to change each individual object.
For example, if you decide to change the lineweight for all dimensions in your drawing, you can simply update the pen table instead of manually changing each dimension.
- Efficiency: By using a pen table, you can save time by automating the process of setting up plot styles for different printers or plotters. Once you have defined a pen table, you can easily apply it to multiple drawings.
Creating an AutoCAD Pen Table
To create an AutoCAD Pen Table, follow these steps:
- Create a New Pen Table File: Open the Plot Style Manager by typing ‘PLOTSTYLEDIT’ in the command line. In the Plot Style Manager dialog box, click on ‘New’ to create a new plot style table file.
- Define Pen Settings: In the ‘Plot Style Table Editor’ dialog box, you can define the pen settings for different colors, lineweights, and line types.
You can create new plot styles or modify existing ones.
- Assign Plot Styles: After defining the pen settings, you need to assign them to specific objects or layers in your drawing. You can do this by selecting an object or layer in the ‘Plot Style Table Editor’ dialog box and assigning a plot style to it.
- Save and Apply: Once you have finished defining and assigning plot styles, save the pen table file. You can then apply it to your drawings by selecting it in the ‘Plot’ dialog box when plotting or printing.
Modifying an AutoCAD Pen Table
To modify an existing AutoCAD Pen Table, follow these steps:
- Edit Pen Settings: Open the Plot Style Manager by typing ‘PLOTSTYLEDIT’ in the command line. In the Plot Style Manager dialog box, select the pen table file you want to modify.
- Modify Pen Settings: In the ‘Plot Style Table Editor’ dialog box, you can make changes to the pen settings such as colors, lineweights, and line types.
- Assign Plot Styles: If required, you can also assign plot styles to different objects or layers in your drawing.
- Save Changes: Once you have finished modifying the pen table file, save your changes.
Note:
The default pen table in AutoCAD is usually named ‘acad.ctb’. It is recommended to create a new pen table instead of modifying the default one. This way, you can always revert back to the default settings if needed.
Remember, using an AutoCAD Pen Table can greatly enhance the quality and consistency of your plotted or printed drawings. It allows you to have full control over how your drawings will look on paper, making them visually engaging and professional.