In AutoCAD, you can achieve a monochrome CTB (Color Table) by following a few simple steps. This allows you to convert your drawings to black and white, which can be useful for various purposes such as printing on grayscale devices or creating clear and easy-to-read technical documents.
Step 1: Accessing the Plot Style Manager
To begin, open your AutoCAD software and navigate to the “Plot” or “Print” menu. In this menu, you will find the “Plot Style Manager” option. Click on it to access the Plot Style Manager dialog box.
Step 2: Creating a New CTB File
In the Plot Style Manager dialog box, click on the “Add or Edit Plot Styles” button. This will open a new dialog box where you can manage your plot styles.
Click on the “New” button to create a new CTB file specifically for monochrome plotting. Give it an appropriate name, such as “Monochrome.ctb”, and click “OK”.
Step 3: Modifying Plot Styles
With your newly created CTB file selected in the Plot Style Manager dialog box, you can now modify its plot styles to achieve monochrome output.
In the right-hand side of the dialog box, you will find a list of available plot styles. By default, this list contains several pre-defined plot styles such as “Color”, “Grayscale”, and “Monochrome”. Double-click on the “Monochrome” plot style to open its properties.
3.1 Assigning Colors
In the Monochrome plot style properties dialog box, you will see a list of colors under the “Plot Styles” section. Each color represents an object property, such as lines, text, or hatches.
To assign black color to all objects, select each color from the list and click on the “Color” drop-down menu. Choose “Black” from the available options and click “OK”. Repeat this process for all colors in the list.2 Adjusting Line Weights and Patterns
Under the “Plot Style Table Options” section of the Monochrome plot style properties dialog box, you can adjust line weights and patterns for different object properties.
To achieve a consistent monochrome appearance, set all line weights to a single value, such as 0.25mm or 0.5mm. You can also modify line patterns to suit your preferences by selecting them from the drop-down menus provided.
Step 4: Applying the Monochrome CTB
Once you have customized your Monochrome plot style, click “OK” to save your changes and exit the Plot Style Manager dialog box.
To apply this new plot style to your drawing, go back to the Plot or Print menu. In the Plot dialog box, select your desired printer/plotter configuration and sheet size.
Under the “Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)” section, choose your newly created “Monochrome.ctb” file from the list of available plot styles. Make sure it is selected as the active plot style table.
Step 5: Previewing and Plotting
You can now preview your drawing by clicking on the “Preview” button in the Plot dialog box. This will show you how your drawing will appear when plotted using the monochrome CTB.
If everything looks satisfactory, click on “OK” to proceed with plotting. Your drawing will be printed in black and white, according to the settings defined in the monochrome CTB.
By following these steps, you can easily achieve a monochrome CTB in AutoCAD. This allows you to create clear and visually appealing black and white drawings for various purposes.