AutoCAD drawings are primarily plotted using configured printers or plotters. These devices are essential for transforming digital designs into physical hard copies.
Understanding AutoCAD Plotting Devices
The term "plotting" in the context of CAD software like AutoCAD refers to the process of producing a hard copy of a drawing or design, typically onto paper or other media. The devices used for this purpose fall into two main categories:
- Printers: Generally used for smaller format outputs (like A4 or Letter size) and common for printing text documents and smaller drawings. Laser and inkjet printers are common types.
- Plotters: Traditionally, these were pen plotters used for drawing lines on large format paper (like A0, A1, B1, etc.). Today, the term often refers to large-format inkjet or laser printers capable of handling wide rolls of paper, suitable for architectural blueprints, engineering plans, and large-scale maps.
Both types of devices serve the same function in AutoCAD: to create a physical representation of the digital drawing.
How AutoCAD Manages Plotting with Configured Devices
In AutoCAD, the plotting process is centered around selecting a specific, configured plotting device.
According to the documentation, AutoCAD Specifies a configured plotting device to use when plotting layouts. This means that before you can plot, you need to have a printer or plotter installed and configured within your system and selected in the AutoCAD plot settings.
The software interacts directly with the capabilities of the selected device. If the selected plotter doesn't support the layout's selected paper size, a warning is displayed and you can select the plotter's default paper size or a custom paper size. This highlights a key part of the plotting workflow: ensuring compatibility between the drawing's layout size and the physical media the chosen device can handle.
Examples of Plotting Devices
While the exact model varies, common types of devices used for plotting AutoCAD drawings include:
- Wide-Format Inkjet Plotters: Ideal for detailed line drawings and shaded areas on large paper sizes (A2 to A0+).
- Laser Printers: Suitable for faster output of standard-sized sheets or drawings that don't require large formats.
- Multifunction Devices: Units that combine printing, scanning, and copying capabilities, often used in smaller offices.
In essence, any output device that can be configured within the operating system and selected by AutoCAD can be used for plotting, though printers are typically for smaller formats and plotters for larger, wide-format outputs.
