How to Export PDFs From AutoCAD or Revit So They Print at the Right Scale
A print shop can only plot what your PDF actually contains. If the export uses the wrong page size, "Fit to paper," or a color plot style you didn’t mean to use, the large-format printer will faithfully reproduce the mistake: wrong scale, faint linework, or gray where you expected black. Getting the export right takes a few minutes and saves a reprint.
New to ordering online? See how to print blueprints online. Pricing details: how much it costs to print blueprints.
Drawing in something other than AutoCAD or Revit? We also cover printing Chief Architect and Home Designer plans at full size and exporting SketchUp LayOut drawings to a scale-accurate PDF.
Order prints — upload your PDF, pick size and color, and check out. Or start from the homepage. Want the full rundown first? See how our plan printing service works, or how we print architectural drawings.
Make the PDF page size match the real sheet
The single most important setting is paper size. A 24×36 sheet should export as a 24×36 inch PDF page, not letter or tabloid. Common construction sheet sizes:
| Name | Size (inches) | B&W | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH C | 18×24 | $1.95 | $3.75 |
| ARCH D | 24×36 | $1.95 | $3.75 |
| ARCH E1 | 30×42 | $1.95 | $3.75 |
| Sewing pattern | 36×46 | $1.95 | $3.75 |
| ARCH E | 36×48 | $1.95 | $3.75 |
Those are the checkout sizes at Print My Plans, all the same price per sheet. Most residential and light commercial sets are 24×36 — see the 24×36 ARCH D guide. Other sizes: email support@printmyplans.com.
AutoCAD: plot from the layout at 1:1
- Plot from a layout (paper space) tab, not model space. Your viewports carry the drawing scale, so the layout itself plots at 1:1.
- Printer/plotter: AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3, which Autodesk describes as optimized for printing on paper. DWG To PDF.pc3 also works; Autodesk now lists it as the general-purpose driver used in AutoCAD 2015 and earlier.
- Paper size: pick the ARCH size that matches your title block, for example ARCH full bleed D (36.00 x 24.00 Inches).
- Plot area: Layout. Plot scale: 1:1, with Fit to paper unchecked.
- Plot style table: use monochrome.ctb (or your office’s B&W CTB/STB) for black-and-white sets so colored layers print solid black. Use your color plot style only for sheets you want printed in color.
- Keep Plot object lineweights and Plot with plot styles checked so lineweights come through.
- To export a whole set at once, use Publish and choose a multi-sheet PDF, so every sheet lands in one file in order.
Revit: export sheets at their own size
- Use the PDF export (File > Export > PDF in recent versions) or print to a PDF printer.
- Paper size: Use sheet size (or set it to match your title block). Zoom: 100%, not "Fit to page."
- Colors: Black lines for a B&W set, or Color for sheets meant to print in color.
- Raster quality: High; prefer vector processing when the sheet has no transparency or shadows that need raster.
- Hide reference planes, scope boxes, crop boundaries, and unreferenced view tags so they don’t print.
- Select all the sheets in the set and combine them into a single PDF in sheet order.
Revit in more detail: every Export Setup field that affects size, Use Sheet Size vs a fixed paper size, vector vs raster, and mixed sheet sizes.
Check the PDF before you upload
Open the exported file in a PDF viewer and check:
- Page size in document properties reads the intended size (for example 24 × 36 in).
- Scale: measure a known dimension with the viewer’s measure tool, such as a 10′-0" wall at 1/4" = 1′-0" should measure 2.5 inches.
- Linework is black and crisp, not gray or pixelated.
- Every sheet is there and in order, with no blank pages.
- Fonts and title block text display correctly (missing SHX/TrueType fonts sometimes render as boxes).
Common export mistakes and the fix
| Symptom on the print | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing is smaller than scale | Fit to paper / Fit to page was on | Re-export at 1:1 (AutoCAD) or 100% zoom (Revit) |
| White margin or clipped title block | PDF page size doesn’t match the sheet | Pick the ARCH size that matches the title block |
| Gray or faint linework | Color plot style or Grayscale export | monochrome.ctb (AutoCAD) or Black lines (Revit) |
| Boxes instead of text | Missing SHX/TrueType fonts | Install the font or use a PDF export that embeds fonts |
| A sheet is missing | Sheets exported one at a time | Publish (AutoCAD) or combine (Revit) into one multi-page PDF |
Tell the print shop what you need
Sheet size, B&W or color, and how many sets. At printmyplans.com you upload a PDF per item and choose size and color for that item. To mix B&W and color in one order, add them as separate items (each with its own PDF). Everything prints on bond paper (we don’t offer vellum or Mylar). Order by 3 PM ET, ships same day, arrives as soon as the next day. Bidding a job? See bid set printing: how many copies. Sending sets to the field? See construction drawing printing for job-site sets. New customers can use code WELCOME20 for 20% off a first order. Students can use STUDENT25 for 25% off (codes can’t be combined).
What a correctly exported set costs to print
Print-only totals before shipping, at $1.95/sheet B&W and $3.75/sheet color:
| Set | Sheets | Price | With WELCOME20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-sheet permit set, 2 copies, B&W | 24 | $46.80 | $37.44 |
| 20-sheet CD set, 1 copy, B&W | 20 | $39.00 | $31.20 |
| 20-sheet set with 2 color renderings, 1 copy | 20 | $42.60 | $34.08 |
| One reprinted sheet after a fix, B&W | 1 | $1.95 | $1.56 |
| Three corrected sheets after an export fix, B&W | 3 | $5.85 | $4.68 |
| 20-sheet color presentation set | 20 | $75.00 | $60.00 |
| 30-sheet CD set, 2 copies, B&W | 60 | $117.00 | $93.60 |
| One color rendering sheet | 1 | $3.75 | $3.00 |
Shipping is extra and shown at checkout. Students: a 20-sheet B&W set is $39.00, or $29.25 with STUDENT25. WELCOME20 and STUDENT25 can’t be combined.
There’s no minimum order, so if one sheet exported wrong you can reprint just that sheet. Full breakdown: how much it costs to print blueprints.
FAQ
Why did my drawing print smaller than scale?
Usually because "Fit to paper" (AutoCAD) or "Fit to page" (Revit) was on, or the PDF page was a different size than the sheet. Re-export at 1:1 / 100% with the page size matching the title block.
Why is my linework gray instead of black?
The drawing was plotted with a color plot style or Revit’s Color/Grayscale option, so colored layers came out as tints. Use monochrome.ctb in AutoCAD or Black lines in Revit for B&W sets.
Should I send one PDF or separate files?
One multi-page PDF in sheet order is easiest to check and less likely to miss a sheet.
Can I mix black-and-white and color sheets in one order?
Yes. Put black-and-white and color in the same order as separate items—each item is one color mode with its own PDF upload (one PDF cannot mix B&W and color). B&W is $1.95 per sheet and color is $3.75 per sheet.
Do you print from DWG or RVT files?
No. Site uploads are PDF only. Export to PDF first. For other file types, email support@printmyplans.com.
What sheet sizes can I order, and do bigger sheets cost more?
You can order 18×24, 24×36, 30×42, 36×46, or 36×48 at the same flat price: $1.95 per sheet for B&W and $3.75 per sheet for color. Export your PDF at the size you plan to order.
Can I print a half-size set from a full-size PDF?
A half-size set prints the drawing at 50%, so the scale noted on each sheet no longer applies (1/4" = 1′-0" becomes 1/8" = 1′-0"). If you need a half-size set, export or label it as half-size so nobody scales off it by mistake. Half-size sizes like 11×17 or 12×18 aren’t checkout sizes; email support@printmyplans.com.
Do you print on vellum or Mylar?
No. We print on bond paper only.
Is there a minimum order?
No. Print one sheet or several full sets.
How fast do prints ship?
Order by 3 PM ET, ships same day, arrives as soon as the next day. Arrival depends on where it’s going, so don’t count on same-day delivery.
What if something is wrong with my prints?
If we make a mistake, we reprint and ship free. For anything else, like a file exported at the wrong scale, email support@printmyplans.com and we’ll help sort it out.
Upload your exported PDF to print architectural plans online, pick 18×24, 24×36, 30×42, 36×46, or 36×48, and B&W ($1.95/sheet) or color ($3.75/sheet). No minimum, bond paper. Order by 3 PM ET, ships same day, arrives as soon as the next day. First order? Use WELCOME20 for 20% off. Students: STUDENT25 (can’t stack with WELCOME20). Questions about a file? Email support@printmyplans.com. Comparing a print counter with ordering online? copy center vs online blueprint printing. Printing a house plan you bought? How to print house plans bought online.
