6.3 Plot styles and settings

Plot styles and settings are crucial for turning your digital designs into professional prints. They control how your drawings look on paper or in PDFs. You'll learn about color-dependent and named plot styles, and how to create and assign them to your drawings.

Managing plot settings is key to getting the output you want. You'll explore plot scale, paper size, and orientation. You'll also discover how to optimize your plots with lineweight scaling, screening, and file compression. These skills are essential for any CAD designer.

Plot Styles: Color-Dependent vs Named

Color-Dependent Plot Styles (CTB)

• Assign plotting properties based on an object's color in the drawing
• Contain a list of colors and their corresponding plotting properties (lineweight, linetype, grayscale or color output)
• Changing an object's color in the drawing will change its plotted appearance
• Less flexible than named plot styles, as an object's color and plotting properties are directly linked

Named Plot Styles (STB)

• Assign plotting properties based on an object's assigned plot style name, regardless of its color
• Contain a list of plot style names and their associated plotting properties
• Objects are assigned a specific plot style name that determines their appearance when plotted
• Offer more flexibility and control over object appearance by separating an object's color and its plotting properties
• Allow for the creation of multiple plot style configurations within a single drawing

Creating and Assigning Plot Style Tables

Creating Plot Style Tables

• Plot style tables are created and edited using the Plot Style Manager
• Define the properties for each color (CTB) or plot style name (STB)
• Properties that can be controlled include lineweight, linetype, color, grayscale, screening, and more
• Create custom plot style tables to suit specific project requirements or company standards

Assigning Plot Style Tables

• Assign a plot style table to a drawing using the Page Setup Manager or the Plot dialog box
• Select the desired plot style table from the available options
• Objects within a drawing can be assigned plot style names using the Properties palette or the Plot Style drop-down menu in the Layer Properties Manager (for named plot styles only)
• Ensure consistent plotting output by assigning the appropriate plot style table to all drawings within a project

Managing Plot Settings

Plot Scale and Paper Size

• Plot scale determines the relationship between the size of objects in the drawing and their size on the printed page
• Set plot scale as a specific ratio (1:50) or as fit-to-paper
• Paper size refers to the dimensions of the physical paper or PDF output
• Select paper size from a list of standard sizes or customize to specific dimensions

Plot Area and Orientation

• Plot area defines the portion of the drawing to be plotted (display, extents, limits, or a specific window)
• Plot orientation determines whether the drawing is plotted in landscape or portrait mode
• Manage plot settings using the Plot dialog box, along with other options such as plot style table and plot device
• Save plot settings as page setups for quick access to frequently used configurations

Optimizing Plot Output

Lineweight Scaling and Screening

• Lineweight scaling adjusts the thickness of lines in the plotted output to compensate for lineweights that may appear too thick or thin due to the selected plot scale
• Screening applies a halftone pattern to solid-filled areas, gradients, and raster images to reduce ink consumption and improve the appearance of plotted output on certain devices
• Access advanced settings for controlling the output of plotted drawings in the Plot and Publish tab of the Options dialog box (lineweight scaling, merge control, plot transparency)

File Formats and Compression

• Use appropriate file formats for plotted output (PDF or DWF) to ensure compatibility and maintain visual quality
• Compress raster images to reduce file size without significantly impacting the appearance of the plotted output
• Simplify complex geometry, such as reducing the number of vertices in polylines or using proxy objects for intricate components, to improve plotting performance and reduce file size
• Test and adjust plot settings to find the optimal balance between visual quality and file size for the intended purpose of the plotted output