How to Print Shop Drawings and Submittals Without a Trip to the Print Shop
Most submittals move as PDFs now, but paper still shows up on real jobs. The field crew wants a set at the gang box, the superintendent wants a marked-up copy in the trailer, and some architects and inspectors still ask for hard copies. Here’s how to get clean prints of shop drawings and submittal packages from the same PDF you sent for review.
Short answer: export the package as a PDF at true sheet size, flatten the stamps and markups, then upload it on the order page. Sheets are $1.95 in black and white or $3.75 in color, the same price at all sizes (18×24 to 36×48), with no minimum order. We print on 20 lb bond paper.
Shop drawings vs. submittals
- Shop drawings are the fabricator’s or trade contractor’s detailed drawings (steel, rebar, millwork, MEP coordination, curtain wall and similar) showing how something will be built or installed.
- Submittals are the broader package you send for review: often a transmittal, shop drawings, product data and calculations.
You usually print both the same way: one clean PDF at true sheet size. The specs (often Division 01) say how many copies the reviewer wants and who gets them. For set counts on bid and field packages, see bid set printing: how many copies contractors need and construction drawing printing for job-site sets.
Which trades print shop drawings most often
| Trade / package | What usually ends up on paper |
|---|---|
| Structural steel & misc. metals | Connection details, piece marks, erection sequences |
| Rebar / reinforcing | Placement drawings, bar bends, lap schedules |
| Millwork & casework | Elevations, hardware schedules, shop sections |
| MEP coordination | Composite overlays, clash markups, zone colors |
| Fire protection | Sprinkler layouts, hydraulic calc cover sheets |
| Curtain wall / glazing | Anchor details, panel elevations, sealant notes |
| Precast / tilt-up | Panel layouts, embeds, lifting points |
If you only need your own trade’s sheets out of a larger set, plan printing for subcontractors shows how to pull them into their own PDF.
1. Get the PDF right first
- Export each sheet at its true size so the scale bar still reads correctly on paper. Our guide to exporting PDFs from AutoCAD or Revit covers the settings.
- Flatten the markups and stamps you want to show. Approval stamps, reviewer clouds and redlines should be part of the PDF, not a separate layer that may drop out at print time.
- Put the package in the order the reviewer expects: transmittal, then drawings, then any product data sheets.
- Name the file with the revision and date (for example “S-201_Rev2_2026-10-14.pdf”) so the paper set matches the digital one.
- Check the page count before you upload. A missing cover sheet or an orphaned detail page is an easy way to end up reprinting a submittal.
Uploads are PDF only. If a fabricator sent DWG, RVT or image files, export them to PDF first. Need to print from another file type? Email us at support@printmyplans.com. Not sure what size your pages are? The free PDF page size checker reads every page on your own device.
2. Pick the sheet size
| Size | Typical shop drawing / submittal use |
|---|---|
| 18×24 | Smaller millwork or casework details, reduced field copies |
| 24×36 | Most architectural and trade shop drawings (ARCH D, see the 24×36 sheet explained) |
| 30×42 | Matching larger design-set sheets, MEP coordination |
| 36×48 | Large steel, site or civil sheets that need full-size paper |
Every size is the same price per sheet. Match the size the architect or engineer issued. Half-size copies are fine for the trailer when the reviewer already has a full-size set, but don’t submit half-size when the specs call for full-size review copies. More on that in half-size vs full-size plan sets.
3. Choose black and white or color on purpose
- Black and white ($1.95/sheet) is fine for most fabrication drawings, steel and rebar details, and millwork shop drawings.
- Color ($3.75/sheet) is worth it when the reviewer’s comments are in red, or when the drawing uses color to separate trades or systems (MEP coordination, fire protection zones).
- A common split is color for the sheets with review comments and black and white for the rest. Add them as separate items in one order, each with its own PDF.
4. Print the right number of sets
Check the submittals section of the specs for how many copies the architect or engineer wants. Add one set for the field and one for your own file when the job needs them. Printing an extra set with the first order saves a reorder under deadline pressure, and since there’s no minimum, one corrected sheet later is fine too.
| Recipient | Why they want paper |
|---|---|
| Architect / engineer of record | Review stamps, markups, filing |
| General contractor | Coordination and trailer set |
| Trade contractor / fabricator | Shop floor and field install |
| Owner / CM (when required) | Record and progress meetings |
| Your own file | Matching the digital revision |
5. Keep the revision straight
When a submittal comes back, the stamp decides what you print next:
| Stamp / status | What to print next |
|---|---|
| Approved / No Exceptions Taken | The approved set for the field, plus one office copy |
| Approved as Noted | Incorporate the notes, then print the corrected PDF if the stamp requires it |
| Revise and Resubmit | Only the new revision. Don’t keep circulating the returned sheets |
| Rejected | Start from the corrected export; don’t reprint the failed package |
Print from the newest PDF only and recycle or clearly mark the outdated paper set. Matching file names, revision letters and print dates saves arguments in the trailer about which set is current. For swapping out a few sheets, see printing revised sheets.
What a shop drawing or submittal set costs
Printing only, before shipping, at $1.95 per sheet in black and white and $3.75 in color. Sheet size doesn’t change the price.
| Order example | Sheets | Printing | With WELCOME20 (first order) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single corrected sheet, B&W | 1 | $1.95 | $1.56 |
| Single corrected sheet, color | 1 | $3.75 | $3.00 |
| 12-sheet B&W shop drawing set | 12 | $23.40 | $18.72 |
| 20-sheet B&W submittal | 20 | $39.00 | $31.20 |
| 18 B&W + 2 color comment sheets | 20 | $42.60 | $34.08 |
| 8 color MEP coordination sheets | 8 | $30.00 | $24.00 |
| 20-sheet B&W submittal, 3 copies | 60 | $117.00 | $93.60 |
New customers can use WELCOME20 at checkout for 20% off printing on a first order. Students get 25% off printing with STUDENT25. One code per order. More examples: how much it costs to print blueprints online.
Common mistakes that waste a print run
- Uploading a “fit to page” PDF instead of one exported at true scale
- Leaving review clouds on a layer that doesn’t print
- Mixing black and white and color pages in one PDF (split them into two items instead)
- Ordering half-size when the specs call for full-size review copies
- Printing Rev B after Rev C already went out
- Counting on same-day delivery; the cutoff is for shipping the same day
FAQ
Do shop drawings need to be printed in color?
Usually not. Black and white works for most fabrication sets. Color helps when red review comments or color-coded trades need to stay readable.
Can one order mix black and white and color sheets?
Yes. Add the color sheets and the black and white sheets as separate items in the same order, each with its own PDF.
Does sheet size change the price?
No. It’s $1.95 per sheet in black and white or $3.75 in color at all sizes (18×24 to 36×48).
What paper and files do you use?
We print on 20 lb bond paper, from PDF uploads.
Can I order just one corrected sheet after a resubmittal?
Yes. There’s no minimum. Upload the single-sheet PDF and order that page alone.
Can you ship to the job site?
Yes. We ship to the address you enter at checkout: job site, trailer or office. Use a receiving contact who will be there when the package arrives.
Printing it
When the PDF is ready, upload your shop drawings or submittal set, choose the size and black and white or color, and check out. Order by 3 PM ET, ships same day, arrives as soon as the next day. If we make a mistake, we reprint and ship it free of charge.
