Printing and Plotting
What you must understand
Page setup, plot styles, and output devices dominate this domain. Know the difference between model space plotting and layout plotting, and how Plot Area options (Display, Extents, Limits, View, Window) behave. Understand plot scales, fit-to-paper, and why fit-to-paper overrides a set scale. Know CTB (color-dependent) versus STB (named) plot styles, how to convert between them, and the role of lineweight settings and plot style tables. Understand DWF, PDF, and plotter configuration (PC3), plus plot stamp and preview options.
Traps that appear in questions
- Fit to paper scales the drawing to the sheet and ignores the chosen scale.
- Plot Extents plots all objects, including stray geometry far from the drawing; Limits plots the drawing limits.
- CTB maps by color; STB maps by named style. A drawing uses one or the other, set in the plot dialog or Options.
- Lineweight display on screen differs from plotted lineweight; check plot style and lineweight settings separately.
- Plotting a layout plots paper space plus viewport contents, not model space directly.
Worked example
A layout must plot at 1:100 on A3. In Page Setup, choose the A3 sheet, set Plot Scale to 1:100, and confirm Fit to Paper is off. Verify the viewport scale matches 1:100 so geometry plots correctly. Preview before plotting; if content is clipped, check the plot area and the printable margin of the device.
Rule of thumb
If output is the wrong size, check Fit to Paper first, then the plot scale, then the viewport scale, in that order.