How Do I Save Multiple SolidWorks Drawings as PDF?

Do you find yourself needing to save multiple SolidWorks drawings as PDFs? If so, you’re in the right place! In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the steps to help you achieve just that.

Step 1: Open SolidWorks and navigate to the drawings

First and foremost, launch SolidWorks on your computer. Once it’s open, locate and open the folder containing the drawings you want to save as PDFs. Make sure all the necessary drawings are present before proceeding.

Step 2: Select the drawings

To select multiple drawings, hold down the Ctrl key (or Command key on a Mac) on your keyboard while clicking on each drawing you want to include. This will allow you to choose multiple files simultaneously.

Step 3: Click on ‘Save As’ option

With your desired drawings selected, right-click on any one of them. In the context menu that appears, hover over ‘Save As’, and then click on ‘PDF..’. This will open up the ‘Save As PDF’ dialog box.

Step 4: Configure PDF settings

In the ‘Save As PDF’ dialog box, you have a few options to customize your PDF output. Here’s what each setting does:

  • Select sheets: Choose whether you want to save all sheets or only specific ones.
  • Merge files into one PDF: If enabled, all selected drawings will be combined into a single PDF file.
  • Create separate files: If enabled, each drawing will be saved as an individual PDF file.
  • Add watermark: This option allows you to add a watermark to your PDFs, such as a company logo or a “Draft” stamp.

Take some time to adjust these settings according to your preferences. Once you’re satisfied, click on ‘Save’ to proceed.

Step 5: Choose the save destination

After clicking ‘Save’, SolidWorks will prompt you to choose the location where you want to save the PDF files. Navigate to the desired folder on your computer using the file explorer and click ‘OK’ to confirm.

Step 6: Wait for the process to complete

SolidWorks will begin converting your selected drawings into PDF format. The time it takes depends on the complexity and number of drawings you’ve chosen. Please be patient and avoid interrupting the process.

Step 7: Verify your PDF files

Once the conversion is finished, navigate to the folder where you saved your PDF files. Open them one by one using a PDF viewer software or web browser to ensure they’ve been created successfully.

Troubleshooting Tip:

If you encounter any issues during this process, double-check that all necessary drawings are open in SolidWorks before trying again. Additionally, make sure you have sufficient disk space on your computer for saving the resulting PDF files.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully saved multiple SolidWorks drawings as PDFs. Now you can easily share them with colleagues or clients without worrying about compatibility issues.

I hope this tutorial has been helpful and informative. If you have any further questions or need assistance with any other SolidWorks features, feel free to reach out!