To prevent viewport borders from printing in AutoCAD, the most common and effective method is to assign them to a dedicated layer that is set to be non-plotting.
This ensures the border is visible on screen while working in the layout tab but does not appear on the final printed output (PDF, physical print, etc.).
Steps to Hide Viewport Borders During Plotting
Here's a simple guide on how to set up a non-plotting layer for your viewport borders:
- Open Layer Properties Manager: Access the Layer Properties Manager by typing
LAYERin the command line and pressing Enter, or by clicking the Layer Properties icon on the Home tab's Layers panel. - Create a New Layer: In the Layer Properties Manager, click the "New Layer" button (looks like a star or sun with a layer icon). Give it a descriptive name, such as "Viewports" or "No Plot Borders".
- Configure Layer for Non-Plotting: Locate your newly created layer in the list. Find the column with the printer icon (usually labeled "Plot"). Select the Plot/Do Not Plot icon for the new layer. This icon toggles between a printer symbol (layer will print) and a red circle with a slash through it (layer will not print). Ensure the icon shows the red circle with a slash.
- Assign Viewport to the Layer: Close the Layer Properties Manager by clicking "OK" or the "X" button. Select the viewport border(s) in your layout. In the Properties palette (
PRcommand) or on the Home tab's Layers panel dropdown, change the layer of the selected viewport(s) to the new "No Plot Borders" layer you created. - Verify: Before printing, use the Plot Preview (
PREVIEWcommand) to confirm that the viewport borders are no longer visible.
By following these steps, your viewport borders will be visible in your layout space for editing and arrangement but will be excluded from the final printed output. This is a standard practice in professional AutoCAD workflows.
