How Do I Add CTB to AutoCAD?

by

Adding a CTB (Color Table File) to AutoCAD is a simple yet crucial step in ensuring that your drawings are printed with accurate colors. CTB files allow you to control the lineweights and colors of your AutoCAD drawings when they are plotted or printed. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of adding a CTB file to AutoCAD, so let’s get started!

Step 1: Locate the CTB File

Before we can add the CTB file to AutoCAD, we need to make sure we have a CTB file ready to use. If you already have a CTB file that you want to add, locate it on your computer. If not, you can either create one yourself or download one from reputable sources online.

Step 2: Access the Plot Style Manager

To add the CTB file to AutoCAD, we need to access the Plot Style Manager. There are two ways to do this:

  • Method 1:
    • Click on the Application menu (the red A icon) in the top-left corner of the AutoCAD window.
    • Select ‘Plot’ from the drop-down menu.
    • In the Plot dialog box, click on ‘Plot Style Manager’.
  • Method 2:
    • Type ‘PLOTSTYLEMANAGER’ in the command line and press Enter.

Note:

If you cannot locate the Plot Style Manager using either method, it is possible that you are using an older version of AutoCAD that does not support CTB files. In that case, you may need to upgrade your software or use an alternative method for color management.

Step 3: Add the CTB File

Once you have accessed the Plot Style Manager, follow these steps to add the CTB file:

  1. Method 1:
    • In the Plot Style Manager, click on ‘Add-A-Plot Style Table Wizard’.
    • Click ‘Next’ in the wizard dialog box.
    • Select ‘Use a PCP or PC2 file or an Existing CTB File’ and click ‘Next’.
    • Browse for the location of your CTB file and select it.
    • Click ‘Finish’ to complete the process.
  2. Method 2:
    • In the Plot Style Manager, click on ‘Add-A-Plot Style Table Wizard’.
    • Select ‘Start from Scratch’ and click ‘Next’.
    • Choose a name for your new plot style table and click ‘Next’.
    • In the Plot Styles section, select ‘Color-dependent plot styles’ and click ‘Next’. This will allow you to use colors from your CTB file for plotting purposes.
    • Browse for the location of your CTB file and select it as the source color table file. Click ‘Finish’ to complete the process.

Step 4: Apply the CTB File

Now that you have added the CTB file to AutoCAD, it’s time to apply it to your drawings. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. In the Plot dialog box, select your desired plotter and paper size.
  2. Under ‘Plot style table’, select the CTB file you added.
  3. Adjust any other settings as needed (e.g., scale, plot area, etc.).
  4. Click ‘OK’ to plot or print your drawing using the selected CTB file.

Note:

If you want to make changes to your CTB file or create a new one from scratch, you can access the Plot Style Editor within the Plot Style Manager. This allows you to customize lineweights and colors for specific objects or layers in your drawings.

Congratulations! You have successfully added a CTB file to AutoCAD and now have more control over lineweights and colors when plotting or printing your drawings. Remember to always double-check your plot settings before finalizing any prints to ensure accurate representation of your designs.

Pro Tip: It’s good practice to keep a backup copy of your CTB files in case they get accidentally deleted or corrupted. This way, you can easily restore them whenever needed without having to recreate them from scratch.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we explored how to add a CTB file to AutoCAD for better control over lineweights and colors during plotting or printing. We learned how to access the Plot Style Manager, add a CTB file using different methods, apply the CTB file in the plot settings, and make changes using the Plot Style Editor if necessary. By following these steps, you can ensure that your AutoCAD drawings are accurately represented in print.