Video: https://youtu.be/GfjpUW8RpS0
Transcript:
The PDF file format is a very popular way to share files with other people, whether it be a print company or other businesses or individuals involved in your building project. Many people have a PDF viewer installed on their computer. Those who don’t have a PDF viewer can download Adobe® Acrobat Reader® for free from www.adobe.com.
To create a PDF file, you need to have a PDF writer installed on your computer. This is like a special print driver or utility that has the capability of producing PDF files. When a PDF writer is installed on your system it will appear in the list of printers in the Print dialog, just like any other printer.
Some PDF writers are free and can be downloaded from the Internet, and some companies charge for the PDF software. Check out the following web sites, or do a search on the Internet: www.adobe.com, www.docudesk.com/deskpdf www.cutepdf.com, www.dopdf.com, www.pdf995.com.
- Select a worksheet view that you would like to print.
- Select File > Print.
- In the Print dialog, select the PDF print driver in the list of available printers.
- In the Print Area section, you can define what you want to print.
All (Extents). Prints your entire drawing, even if part of it is currently not visible. **If your drawing appears small this could be because you have an element way off in space and it is trying to print “All” of the elements and zooming out to fit everything
Window. Prints a selected area of your drawing. To select the area, click the Window button. Note that this option is not available for 3D perspective views. **This is the best option for printing 2D drawings such as plans, elevations, sections, and details, as you can specify exactly what you want to print.
Display. Prints exactly what you see on the screen in the current view. If only part of your drawing is currently visible, only that part will appear in the printout.
- In the Page Setup section, you define how the information selected will sit on the page (Lower Left or Center on Paper). You can also define if you want to Print all colors as black.
- In the Print Scaling section, you can define how the drawing will fit on the paper size chosen.
Fit to Page. Scales the drawing to fit the selected paper size. Note that this is the default setting for 3D views since 3D views are not affected by changes in scale (unless they are elevation views).
Print to Scale. Prints the current view according to its defined scale in the view properties, regardless of the paper size. This option does not work with 3D views since 3D views cannot be scaled. If the print scale is too large for the paper size chosen, it will print onto multiple sheets of paper that you can then attach together. You can adjust this by adjusting the scale (see below).
Scale. Click the drop box to select a print scale for the view (if using the Print to Scale option). A view’s print scale is the ratio of units on paper to real-world units.
- In the Line Work section, you can specify whether or not you want lines to print using the pen weight (thickness) assigned to them in element properties. If this option is not selected, every line has the same weight when printed.
- The preview area on the right side of the dialog shows you how the image will look on the paper when printed.
- Once you have specified all your print settings and are satisfied with the preview, click Print.
- In the Save PDF File As dialog, select a save location for the PDF file, then type a name for the file in the File name edit box.
- Click Save. The PDF file is created in the specified location and can now be shared digitally or sent to an off-site print shop for printing.