How to export DWG to PDF in AutoCAD?

Three ways to export

Which one you choose depends on what you need: a quick plot of the current layout, full control over page setup and plot style, or an entire set of sheets in one file. AutoCAD provides three routes for this: EXPORTPDF, PLOT, and PUBLISH. All three output to the included printer driver DWG To PDF.pc3, so you don't need any extra software.

Important to know in advance: DWG To PDF.pc3 is a virtual plotter. So you are not "printing" the drawing to paper but to a PDF file, using the same settings you would use for a real printer (paper size, plot area, scale, and plot style). If you plot regularly, you'll almost always work from a layout (paper space) rather than Model Space. In a layout, you place the title block, frames, and viewports at actual size, so the PDF immediately fits a standard paper size.

A second driver you may see in the list is DWFx ePlot (XPS Compatible).pc3. It creates a DWFx file, not a PDF; so deliberately choose DWG To PDF.pc3 if you want a PDF. External packages like Bluebeam or Adobe sometimes add their own printer, but you don't need those for a standard PDF.

Quick export with EXPORTPDF

This is the quickest route. Open the layout you want to export and use one of these methods:

1. Type EXPORTPDF at the command line, or
2. Go to the ribbon: Output tab > Export to DWF/PDF > PDF, or
3. Open the Application menu (the big A top left) and choose Export > PDF.

Command: EXPORTPDF

In the Save As PDF dialog, at the bottom, choose a profile under PDF Preset. The four default presets differ mainly in resolution and whether layers are included:

• General Documentation: good balance between quality and file size, suitable for everyday drawings.
• High Quality Print: higher resolution for crisp print work, larger file.
• Smallest File: lowest resolution for quick sharing and drafts.
• Web and Mobile: optimised for on-screen viewing.

Under Output, specify whether to export the current layout, all layouts, or a specified window. With the Options button, set whether to include layers (so they can be toggled in the PDF reader) and bookmarks. Click Save and your PDF is ready.

An important condition: EXPORTPDF follows the page setup attached to the layout. If the scale or paper size in the PDF is wrong, the error is almost always in the layout's page setup, not in the export itself.

Full control with PLOT

If you want to control exactly how the drawing appears in the PDF, use the plot window. Start it with PLOT or the shortcut Ctrl+P.

Command: PLOT

Work through the window from top to bottom:

1. Printer/plotter: choose DWG To PDF.pc3.
2. Paper size: select the desired sheet, e.g., ISO A3 (420 x 297 mm).
3. Plot area: choose Layout if plotting from a layout, or Window to define a rectangle in Model Space.
4. Plot scale: untick Fit to paper and set the correct scale (e.g., 1:100) when plotting to scale from Model Space. From a layout, the scale is typically 1:1.
5. Plot style table: choose a CTB or STB file in the top right, such as monochrome.ctb for a black-and-white PDF, or acad.ctb for colour.

Two options at the bottom of the window are often overlooked. Plot centring (Plot in the centre of the paper) ensures the drawing is neatly centred when the plot area is smaller than the sheet. And under Drawing orientation, set portrait or landscape; if the orientation is wrong, your A3 will end up sideways on an A3 sheet. Once set, click Preview to check the result before writing the PDF.

If you use these settings often, save them as a named page setup via the Add button in the top right. Then next time you only need to choose that setup. Click OK, give a file name and the PDF is written. The difference between coloured and black-and-white lines is determined entirely by the plot style table, which relates directly to how you set the annotation scale in AutoCAD to ensure text heights are correct on paper.

Plot style and layers

The plot style table translates between what you see on screen and what ends up in the PDF. AutoCAD has two types, and you cannot mix them in a single drawing:

Most offices work with CTB tables because older standards link line weights to colours. For a clean black-and-white PDF where light colours still print well, use monochrome.ctb. It converts all colours to black but preserves the assigned line weights.

Before exporting, check that Plot with lineweights is enabled in the plot window (under Plot options). If it is off, all lines will be the same thickness in the PDF, regardless of layer settings. Use the Preview button in the lower left of the plot window to see exactly what will appear in the PDF; this catches incorrect thicknesses or missing parts before you create the file.

If you include layers in the PDF, the recipient gets a file in which they can toggle drawing layers off in the PDF reader. That's useful for checking, but slightly increases file size. Bookmarks additionally let the reader jump quickly between sheets.

Multiple sheets with PUBLISH

If you have ten sheets that need to become one PDF, plotting individually is cumbersome. Use PUBLISH instead.

Command: PUBLISH

In the Publish window, a sheet list appears with all layouts from the open drawings. Set it up like this:

• Set Publish to: to PDF.
• Remove sheets you don't need and drag the remaining ones into the right order.
• Under PDF options, choose whether you want a single merged file (Multi-sheet PDF) or a separate file per sheet.
• Save the list as a DSD file with Save sheet list if you publish the same set regularly.

Click Publish. AutoCAD processes the sheets in the background; on the right side of the status bar you can see the plotter's progress. This route is ideal for complete drawing sets you send to a contractor or client in one PDF.

Setting PDF quality

The default settings produce a usable PDF, but for sharp lines or a small file, it's worth tweaking the driver. Open the plot window, select DWG To PDF.pc3, and click Properties. Under Custom Properties, you'll find:

Pay particular attention to fonts. TrueType text remains selectable and searchable in the PDF. SHX text (the classic AutoCAD fonts) is converted to linework and therefore not selectable; the reader often gets a message about "formatting errors" with a search bar for SHX comments. Use TrueType fonts if the text needs to remain searchable.

Common problems

A few situations keep cropping up. Here's how to spot and fix them:

• Empty or half-filled PDF: the plot area was set to Display or Extents while the drawing extended beyond that boundary. Set the plot area to Window and draw a rectangle around the drawing, or use Layout.
• Lines all same thickness or too thin: no plot style table selected, or line weights are set to default. Attach monochrome.ctb or set line weights per layer.
• Wrong scale: Fit to paper was ticked. Untick it and set the scale manually.
• Text not searchable: the drawing uses SHX fonts. Replace them with TrueType if searchability is required.
• File too large: heavy hatching or embedded raster images. Lower the raster resolution or replace solid hatches. A cleaned-up drawing also exports faster, which relates to the difference between AutoCAD LT and full AutoCAD if you're unsure which version can handle your plotting routines.
• Colours instead of black: no plot style table or the wrong one is attached. Choose monochrome.ctb for black-and-white or acad.ctb for colour.
• Border or part cut off: the drawing extends beyond the printable area of the paper size. Choose a larger sheet or scale down slightly.

If exporting stops working altogether, restart AutoCAD and try plotting a small test drawing first. That tells you whether the problem is with the drawing or the installation. More background on the driver can be found in the Autodesk technical documentation about the DWG To PDF.pc3 driver.