Plot to Tiff paper size

[Dylan W]

I have drawn plans and am trying to send them out for printing on 24" x 18" paper. I used the add a plotter wizard to get the Tiff version 6 plotter added to my plotters, and the tiff it puts out is only 4" x 3". I have tried scaling the picture, changing the paper size, looking through all the options in the layout tabs and plotting tabs. I can't get anything to work. My only options in for paper size in the plot menu are pixel sizes, I can't select paper size. I am using autocad 2005. Please help!

[tzframpton]

TIFF scales at 100dpi so you'll have to create a custom page size to the created PC3 file. So, locate the PC3 file and double click it to open it.

 

1. Click on the "Device and Document Settings" tab, and select the Custom Paper Sizes option.
   
2. Click the Add button. Select "Start from scratch" and click Next.
   
3. Width will be 2400, Height will be 1800 (100dpi multiplied by the page size in inches)
   
4. Click next, name it as needed, Next again and Finish. Click OK to exit.
   
5. Open the Plot dialog box and select the TIFF plotter and select the custom page size. Now, and most importantly, make sure under "plot scale" it's set to 100:1 (100 pixels to 1 unit). This will give you the exact dpi requirements on the output.
   

That should be it. But I wonder, why not use PDF instead? Is TIFF a requirement?

[Dylan W]

I was plotting to tiff because I don't have the software to plot to PDF. I'll buy acrobat if I have to, but I was avoiding it. Is there a way to create a PDF inexpensively?

[tzframpton]

Absolutely. Just download CutePDF print driver. It's free.

 

http://www.cutepdf.com/

 

[nestly]

I had good luck using PDF995 with AutoCAD2005.... never tried CutePDF.

[SLW210]

I currenty use the free PrimoPDF at home and previously used Cute PDF, both are free and work well with AutoCAD.

[Dylan W]

I downloaded PDF995, and it worked great. You can't choose the orientation of the paper from the paper size options (IE there's only ARCH C, 18 x 24, no 24 X 18 ), but it automatically rotated my drawing to fit vertically even though I drew it horizontally.

 

Thanks!

[tzframpton]

Change the orientation with Portrait or Landscape.

[Paraglide1]

TIFF scales at 100dpi so you'll have to create a custom page size to the created PC3 file. So, locate the PC3 file and double click it to open it.

 

1. Click on the "Device and Document Settings" tab, and select the Custom Paper Sizes option.
   
2. Click the Add button. Select "Start from scratch" and click Next.
   
3. Width will be 2400, Height will be 1800 (100dpi multiplied by the page size in inches)
   
4. Click next, name it as needed, Next again and Finish. Click OK to exit.
   
5. Open the Plot dialog box and select the TIFF plotter and select the custom page size. Now, and most importantly, make sure under "plot scale" it's set to 100:1 (100 pixels to 1 unit). This will give you the exact dpi requirements on the output.
   

That should be it. But I wonder, why not use PDF instead? Is TIFF a requirement?

I'm a bit late replying but I have some more information regarding Raster plotter resolutions and paper sizes. (Tiff, JPG, PNG, etc.)

 

AutoCAD actually has a unitless raster output regardless of how or which units you specify. The resulting image holds no dpi definition. Adobe and most other image software will make assumptions and assign a specific dpi when opening an AutoCAD plotted image.

 

I have been using "TIFF Version 6 (CCITT G4 2D Compression)" as my exclusive Black and White (and grayscale) plot device since about 2002 because it solved the problems wipeouts and other images frequently presented in plotted output (and it still does).

 

I use IrfanView to set the specific dpi resolution for my plot images. It is free image editing software available on the internet which also has a robust commandline interface that permits its use within lisp files and scripts.

 

You are correct that a custom paper size is required and that the dpi needs to be multiplied by the sheet dimension in inches; but, you can use any dpi setting you want. I typically use 288dpi on a 34x22 (ANSI D) sheet which is 9792px x 6336px. The real trick is getting image software to recognize your dpi setting. That is where IrfanView saves the day. It is the only software I was able to find that can set and reset the dpi resolution of any image. It can also create very nice multiple page PDF files from my raster plots (using a free plug-in).

 

When I first tried to tackle the wipeout/image plotting problems using Tiff plots I had Adobe Professional 7.0 and it could not set or reset image dpi. Adobe would assume my Tiff images were at 72dpi (because TIFF version 6 (CCITT G4 2D Compression) is FAX resolution, 72dpi). It also expanded the compressed Tiffs and the resulting PDFs were huge. Examining the AutoCAD Tiff images in Irfanview showed blank entries for dpi resolution. That's how I discovered that raster plots are unitless and eventually I found AutoCAD documentation that said so explicitly.

 

There is just one caveat: Most image software (Irfanview included) has trouble handling images greater than 10,000 pixels in any one dimension; so, keep the dpi down to a level that when multiplied by your sheet size the pixel dimensions stay below 10,000 in both dimensions. Since the default for my Tiff files is 72dpi I use multiples of 72dpi to eliminate pixel interpolations upon resizing which can cause some undesirable "plaid" pattern results in gray areas. DPI settings in multiples of 72 keep every pixel exactly as it was originally plotted.

 

I use a tool to batch script all of my plots (even just one) because the dpi resize is part of the tool. It is just as easy to use publish or plot and set the dpi afterwards. I open the image(s) in Irfanview, save it (or them) as a PDF and plot to any or all devices anywhere. Unless the drawing changes I never need to interrupt my work to replot any drawing. I just open the PDF and print it. I do half or full size by just changing the dpi setting of the existing images. If they were deleted, I can export them from the PDF and reset their dpi. There is no resolution loss at all and they always look exactly the same in either format (because they very literally are exactly the same!). I couldn't say that before I settled on this method. Half size plots would often have pen width variations from the full size that were introduced by the hardware.

 

No more tweaking plot setting for each device. I use just one plot device and print from a PDF to any plotter or printer anywhere.

[BIGAL]

A bit bit more TIFF we do tiffs all the time and like paraglide1 its pretty easy its just a case of working out pixels as a sheet size. Starting with fax at 72 dpi this was overtaken with inkjet at 180dpi then laser at 300dpi nowdays 600dpi. Once you go past 300dpi you are pretty well wasting your time the image will not really get better.

 

A 2nd thing you need to rework your line type thicknesses these now work at a dpi/thickness ratio so we created a new Ctb for tiffs pretty simple We had to make them thicker.

 

An example in metric for A1 we use a window plot 6mm outside our title border 807x541 becomes 807/25.4*200m =6401 541 = 4456 25.4 mm/inch 200dpi tif =6401x4456 as sheet size. the other is when tiff printed at 1:1 it is so close to true measurements maybe 1mm wrong we spent a lot of time perfecting. The reason for 200 dpi is that going higher did not realaly improve quality but file size increases dramaticly.

[Paraglide1]

A fellow TIFFer! that's rare I think. I have easily convinced those that work very close to me that TIFF is the only way to go. The other departments are reluctant to adopt it. I see them spending hours plotting and replotting... I don't push it anymore. That just made them dislike me... c'est la vie.

 

Regarding exact scales: The paper size is exact, e.g. ANSI-D 34"x22" x dpi is 9792 pixeks x 6446 pixels (as I said, I use 288dpi for good cause). There is no need for involving the metric translation as sheet size is specified straight up in pixels Any sheet size is just [(dpi*X-inches) X (dpi*Y-inches)] and the units resolve to just pixels. Notice that dpi can be read as a fraction, i.e. [pixels/inch] and the inches cancel leaving only pixels as the unit.

 

If you plot your TIFF to the full dimension of the paper (edge to edge, you can do that with raster images) and set the correct dpi setting for the image after plotting (using IrfanView or similar, see prior discussion) when you make a PDF from the image it is the exact paper size in Adobe reader and can be plotted to that exact size by choosing the "None" scaling option in the print dialog. Adobe (even reader) takes care of the margins necessary regardless of the device you print to. It couldn't be easier.

 

TIFF (JPG, PNG, etc.) images can be plotted in very good resolution and printed to exact scale on any plotter/printer device. I use 576 dpi on 11x17 and smaller prints (that started when I needed to make half-size out of ANSI-D sheets... I just set the original 288dpi up to 576dpi and I was done... exact half-sizes without replotting anything. They were identical in every respect (especially needed for lineweights) because it was literally the exact same image used for both full and half size.

[tzframpton]

Good extra info. Thanks gentlemen.

[halfcracked]

I find myself with a repro company that are being particularly obnoxious about the files they receive. I'v been able to get the AutoCAD driver to generate the files they want ("TIFF Version 6 - CCITT G4 2D Compression) in every way except for the missing page size header.

 

I'll have to check out IrfanView to see how easy their batch operations are to set-up but I have 12 users that will need this & I'd be MUUUCH happier to find a driver that just properly includes the page size header information in the first place. less steps, no added software, no training needed...

 

the problem comes when I have 3 different people plotting 3 different 30-40 sheet sets & then needing to process all those files for the Repro company.

[halfcracked]

OK, I just looked up IrfanView - it is NOT free. & AutoDesk keeps my software budget cleaned out. any other alternatives?

[tzframpton]

.....in every way except for the missing page size header.

I'm not understanding this part. Can you elaborate a bit more? If it's a paper size that you need, well you can create a custom size for that. Not trying to assume but thought I'd throw it out there just in case.

 

Also, you can publish to PDF, then use a free online service to upload and convert to TIFF. This is the way I've done it before as well. I can give you the link if this is an option you want to attempt.

[halfcracked]

I'm not understanding this part. Can you elaborate a bit more? If it's a paper size that you need, well you can create a custom size for that.

 

I have setup a custom size 8400 x 6000 which is for a 42"w x 30"h sheet layout - this would be a 200 dpi print. the problem is that AutoCAD's TIF driver doesn't store the DPI information (as mentioned previously by Paraglide1) so windows sees the file as 96 dpi, PhotoShop sees it as 72 dpi, & my repro company sees it as god only knows what. they say the file is 17" x 20".

 

I need a file that will show my preferred dpi in the header so that it will show up as a 42"x30" at the repro company.

Any thing else & they charge a "set-up" fee (including PDF's)

[tzframpton]

I haven't tried it in a long time, but you can give this a shot:

http://pdf.my-addr.com/free-online-pdf-to-tiff-convert.php

 

This always worked good for me but I do not know if it'll give you the DPI you need. And I do feel your pain as I am familiar with this flaw in this TIFF creator in AutoCAD. Years ago I ran into issues with this... we would generate TIFFs for our "as builts" but when you sent them to the Plotter, then didn't plot at the right paper size. I never could get it worked out, even after scouring the internet and tons of tech support. We knew it wasn't our plotter because anything scanned in would plot just fine.

 

The only application I ever knew to work in creating TIFFs from AutoCAD was AcroPlot Pro, but it's not free. My old company got me a copy of it and it worked fantastic. Worth every penny, especially back in the days where there wasn't a built in PDF driver for AutoCAD. Those were days long ago though and we absolutely do not deal with TIFFs anymore at all. No need.

[halfcracked]

hrmmm... that page is a bit scary the grammar is atrocious.

 

They don't seem to say what kind of TIF file you get back. my printer is insisting on TIFF Version 6 - CCITT G4 2D Compression. Judging on it returning only greyscale TIFF's I'm thinking it isn't what I need.

I understand that TIFF Version 6 - CCITT G4 2D Compression is a 2 color format matching FAX.

[tzframpton]

haha, yes it is atrocious I agree. Like I said, just see if it works out for you. I still am at a loss as to why your reprographics company can't accept PDF. It was just another options I was trying to help with but either way I think you're stuck. TIFF is just such an outdated raster format. I wonder if you could just plot to JPG instead? Might be worth a try. Or call around to other reprographics companies.

 

[halfcracked]

Oh they can print PDF no problem. They just charge a +- $100.00 "set-up" fee per job (on top of the $/sf printing cost) for anything that isn't their native format.

The fee's really been adding up. We have one client that would get 10-20 print jobs a month easy. They are starting to chafe at the charge.