Calibrate Plotters and Work with Custom Paper Sizes

You should perform a plotter calibration only if your drawings must be exactly to scale and your plotter or printer produces inaccurate plots.

You can adjust plotter calibration to correct scaling discrepancies, and you can add custom paper sizes for nonsystem plotters.

Calibration Files

Plotter calibration is an optional process. If your plotter meets the manufacturer's specifications for accuracy of scale, a 10-inch line in a drawing plotted at a scale of 1:1 should be exactly 10 inches long on paper. If you need to correct scaling discrepancies, you can adjust the plotter calibration. If your plotter provides a calibration utility, use that utility instead of the AutoCAD calibration utility so the calibration is available for all applications using the plotter.

To calibrate a plotter, you must specify the dimensions of a test rectangle, print the test rectangle, measure actual dimensions, and enter the actual measurements in the Calibrate Plotter wizard. AutoCAD calculates the necessary calibration for the plotter.

When you complete the Calibrate Plotter wizard, AutoCAD creates a plot model parameter (PMP) file to store the results of the calibration for each plot device. AutoCAD automatically attaches the resulting PMP file to the plotter configuration (PC3) file that you used to perform the calibration test.

Calibrating a plotter creates a plotter model parameter (PMP) file that contains calibration information. If the PMP file is not already attached to the plotter configuration file (PC3) you are editing, you must create that association so you can use the PMP file. If the plotter was calibrated from within the Add-a-Plotter wizard, the PMP file is already attached. You can use the Calibration and User Defined Paper Sizes option to add PMP files to and detach PMP files from the PC3 file. If you have more than one PC3 file for a device, you can attach the same PMP file to them using the Plotter Configuration Editor. Because PMP files are plotter specific, it's appropriate to attach only one PMP file to a PC3 file.

NoteYou should perform a plotter calibration only if your drawings must be exactly to scale and your plotter or printer produces inaccurate plots. Plotter calibration causes AutoCAD to rescale all plots sent to your plotter to correct errors in its hardware scaling. It is recommended that you use any calibration setting provided by your plotter instead of the AutoCAD setting.

Custom Paper Sizes

For a nonsystem plotter, you can choose the Add option to create a custom paper size or change the printable area of a standard or nonstandard paper size. Using the Custom Paper Size wizard, you can create a new paper size or select from a list of available paper sizes (from a PMP file). For a Windows system printer, use the Custom Properties option to adjust paper settings.

You can modify standard paper sizes to adjust the printable area to match a printer's capabilities. In the Plotter Configuration Editor, you cannot create custom paper sizes for Windows system printers, but you can correct errors in the printable area of standard paper sizes.

Procedure

To calibrate a plotter

From the File menu, choose Plotter Manager.
Double-click the Add-a-Plotter wizard icon.
Start the Add-a-Plotter wizard and configure the device you want to add.
When you reach the Add Plotter - Finish page, choose Calibrate Plotter.
You can also calibrate a plotter by running the Plotter Configuration Editor on an existing PC3 file for the device you want to calibrate.
In the Paper Size list, select a paper size for the test plot. Choose Next.
On the Calibrate Plotter - Rectangle Size page, in the Units list, select the measurement units.
In the Length and Width boxes, enter the dimensions of the test rectangle. Choose Next. AutoCAD plots the test rectangle.
Retrieve the plot and measure the test rectangle. On the Calibrate Plotter - Measured Plot page, in the Measured Length and Measured Width boxes, enter the actual dimensions of the plotted test rectangle. Choose Next.
AutoCAD compares the actual plotted measurements to the size you specified in the preceding screen and computes the correction needed to accurately calibrate the plotter.
On the Calibrate Plotter - File name page, enter a file name. Choose Next.
The resulting PMP file is stored in the AutoCAD Drv folder.
On the Calibrate Plotter - Finish page, choose Check Calibration.
AutoCAD plots the text rectangle again. Measure the sides again to verify that the calibration is correct.
Choose Finish to return to the Add-a-Plotter wizard or Plotter Configuration Editor.

To attach a PMP file to a PC3 file

To detach a PMP file from a PC3 file

To save a PMP file to a new file name

To add a new custom paper size from scratch (nonsystem HDI drivers only)

From the File menu, choose Plotter Manager.
Double-click the plotter configuration you want to modify.
In the Plotter Configuration Editor, choose the Device and Document Settings tab.
Double-click User-Defined Paper Sizes & Calibration to display the calibration and paper size options. Then select Custom Paper Sizes.
Under Custom Paper Sizes, choose Add.
In the Custom Paper Size Wizard, on the Begin page, select Start from Scratch. Choose Next.
On the Media Bounds page, in the Units list, select either Inches or Millimeters for paper size.
When you plot a nondimensional raster image, such as BMP or TIFF, the size of the plot is specified in pixels, not inches or millimeters.
From the Width and Length lists, select the paper width and length. Choose Next.
Each plotter has a maximum printable area determined by where it grips the paper and how far the pen shuttle reaches. Verify that the plotter is capable of plotting the new dimensions.
On the Printable Area page, in the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right boxes, specify the printable area. Choose Next.
On the Paper Size Name page, enter a name for the paper size. Choose Next.
On the File Name page, enter a name for the PMP file.
On the Finish page, specify whether the paper source is Sheet-Fed or Roll-Fed. Choose Print Test Page to verify the custom size.
AutoCAD prints a cross that defines the paper size and a rectangle that defines the printable area. If all four sides of the rectangle are not printed, increase the printable area.
Choose Finish to exit the Custom Paper Size wizard.

To add a new custom paper size from scratch (system printers only)

To add a new custom paper size starting from an existing paper size

From the File menu, choose Plotter Manager.
Double-click the plotter configuration you want to modify.
In the Plotter Configuration Editor, choose the Device and Document Settings tab.
Double-click User-Defined Paper Sizes & Calibration to display the calibration and paper size options. Then select Custom Paper Sizes.
Under Custom Paper Sizes, choose Add.
In the Custom Paper Size wizard, on the Begin page, select Use Existing.
From the list of existing standard paper sizes, select a paper size on which to base the custom paper size you are creating.
On the Media Bounds page, select either Inches or Millimeters for paper size and specify the paper width and length. Choose Next.
Each plotter has a maximum printable area determined by where it grips the paper and how far the pen shuttle reaches. Verify that the plotter is capable of plotting the new dimensions.
On the Printable Area page, in the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right boxes, specify the printable area. Choose Next.
On the Paper Size Name page, enter a name for the paper size. Choose Next.
On the File Name page, enter a name for the PMP file.
On the Finish page, specify whether the paper source is Sheet-Fed or Roll-Fed. Choose Print Test Page to verify the custom size.
AutoCAD prints a cross that defines the paper size and a rectangle that defines the printable area. If all four sides of the rectangle are not printed, increase the printable area.
Choose Finish to exit the Custom Paper Size wizard.

To edit a custom paper size

To delete a custom paper size

To modify a standard paper size

To filter paper sizes

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