AutoCAD to PDF: save drawings as PDF

To save an AutoCAD drawing as PDF, plot the layout to the DWG To PDF.pc3 printer or use Export to PDF on the Output tab. For several sheets in one file, use Publish. If you only have the DWG file and no AutoCAD, drop it on this page and export a vector PDF in the browser.

How to save AutoCAD as PDF with PLOT

PLOT gives the most control and is the method most offices standardize on. It works the same in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT.

1. Switch to the layout you want to print, or stay in model space for a quick sheet.
2. Type PLOT or press Ctrl+P. As the printer, choose DWG To PDF.pc3.
3. Pick the paper size, for example ISO A1 or ANSI D. Set the plot area to Layout; in model space use Window or Extents.
4. Set the scale: 1:1 on a layout, because the viewports already carry the drawing scale. In model space, enter the scale the sheet needs, or choose Fit to paper for a review copy.
5. Pick a plot style table such as monochrome.ctb for black lines, check the preview, and save the file.

The plot style table decides line weights and colors on paper, which is why two people plotting the same drawing can get different PDFs. Save the settings as a page setup so every sheet comes out the same.

Export and publish several layouts

Export to PDF, on the Output tab or with EXPORTPDF, is quicker for one-off files. It offers presets for general documentation, high-quality print, smallest file, and web and mobile, and it can export the current layout or all layouts at once.

For a full sheet set, PUBLISH is the right tool. Add the layouts, set the output to PDF, and choose a multi-sheet file to get one PDF with one page per sheet. In the PDF options you can include layer information, which lets the reader switch layers in their PDF viewer, and keep hyperlinks and sheet bookmarks. Raise the vector quality if fine hatches look coarse when zoomed.

No AutoCAD at hand: export the PDF here

When you receive a drawing made in AutoCAD and only need a PDF, the program is not required. Drop the DWG on the area above. The viewer reads DWG from R14 through 2018 and newer inside the browser tab, so nothing is uploaded and nothing is installed. Hide layers you do not want, choose Export PDF, and drag a rectangle over the area or take the whole drawing.

That export is a vector PDF on a white page with the layer colors from the file. It covers model space only, uses a page sized to your selection rather than a standard sheet, and does not apply plot styles or line weights. It is a good review or quote copy. For a submission set plotted to scale from layouts, use AutoCAD as above. The browser route is described in full on DWG to PDF.

Common problems with AutoCAD PDFs

• Lines too thick or all the same weight. The wrong plot style table, or line weights switched off in the plot dialog.
• Colored lines on a print that should be black. Use monochrome.ctb or an office table that maps colors to black.
• Blank or tiny drawing on the page. The plot area is set to Display or Limits. Use Layout, Extents, or Window.
• Text unsearchable in the PDF. SHX fonts are drawn as strokes. Newer releases can add searchable comments for SHX text in the PDF options; TrueType fonts stay searchable.
• Huge file. Raster images or dense hatches at high resolution. Try the smallest-file preset.

To go the other way and bring a PDF back into a drawing, see PDF to AutoCAD. For PDFs from other CAD formats, CAD to PDF lists which program handles each.

AutoCAD and DWG TrueView are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. DWG Viewer is an independent browser tool and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Autodesk.

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