Are you looking to print your AutoCAD drawings in grayscale? Printing in grayscale can be useful when you want to save ink or create black and white copies of your designs.
In this tutorial, we will explore how to easily print in grayscale using AutoCAD. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Open your drawing
To begin, open the drawing that you want to print in AutoCAD. You can either open an existing file or create a new one.
Step 2: Access the Plot dialog box
Once you have your drawing ready, navigate to the “File” menu and select “Plot” from the dropdown list. This will open the Plot dialog box, where you can customize the printing settings.
Step 3: Select a printer
In the Plot dialog box, under the “Printer/Plotter” section, choose the printer you want to use for printing your drawing. Make sure that the selected printer supports grayscale printing.
Step 4: Choose a plot style table
In AutoCAD, plot style tables control how colors are printed. To print in grayscale, select a plot style table that is specifically designed for grayscale printing. In the Plot Style Table (pen assignments) section of the Plot dialog box, click on the drop-down menu and choose a grayscale plot style table.
TIP:
If you don’t have a suitable grayscale plot style table available, you can create one by modifying an existing color plot style table. Simply duplicate it and adjust the colors accordingly.
Step 5: Configure paper size and orientation
In the “Page Setup” section of the Plot dialog box, ensure that the correct paper size and orientation for your drawing are selected. Adjust these settings according to your requirements.
Step 6: Set the plot area
Under the “Plot Area” section, choose whether you want to print the entire drawing or just a specific portion. You can select options such as “Layout,” “Window,” or “Display.” Make your selection based on what you want to print.
Step 7: Customize plot settings
In the “Plot Options” section, you can further customize the plot settings. Here, you can choose to plot objects in black and white, hide paperspace objects, adjust lineweight, and more. Experiment with these options to achieve the desired printing result.
Step 8: Preview and print
After configuring all the necessary printing settings, click on the “Preview” button to see a preview of how your drawing will be printed. Review the preview carefully to ensure that everything looks correct.
Once you are satisfied with the preview, click on the “OK” button to proceed with printing. The Print dialog box will appear, allowing you to further customize printer-specific settings if required.
TIP:
If you frequently need to print in grayscale, consider creating a custom page setup that includes all your preferred grayscale printing settings. This way, you can easily access it whenever needed without going through all the configuration steps again.
Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to print in grayscale using AutoCAD. Now you can save ink or create black and white copies of your drawings effortlessly.
- To summarize:
- Open your drawing in AutoCAD
- Access the Plot dialog box from the File menu
- Select a printer that supports grayscale printing
- Choose a grayscale plot style table
- Configure paper size and orientation
- Set the plot area
- Customize plot settings as desired
- Preview the printout and make necessary adjustments
- Print your drawing in grayscale
I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Happy printing in grayscale with AutoCAD!