Additional lines appearing on HATCHes when plotting from PDF...

[lamensterms]

Hi guys,

 

I am getting some additional lines showing up over my hatches (mainly for logos), just wondering if anyone could please help me find a way to get rid of them.

 

The lines seem to appear only on plots (hard copy) from PDFs created with DWGtoPDF.pc3. Hard copy plots directly from ACAD are clear/fine, and hard copy prints from PDFs created with PDFCreator are clear/fine.

 

Please see attached image.

 

Has anyone seen this behaviour before? Is there anyway to clear it up while maintaining the use of DWGtoPDF.pc3?

 

Thanks a lot for any help.

 

[SLW210]

Can you post the drawing file?

[lamensterms]

Hi SLW210,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Please find attached a few files (DWG, PDFs & scanned prints).

 

HatchTest.dwg

 

Hacth Test DWGtoPDF PDF.pdf

 

Hacth Test DWGtoPDF PRINT.pdf

 

Hacth Test PDFCreator PDF.pdf

 

Hacth Test PDFCreator PRINT.pdf

 

Here are my plot settings...

 

 

Thanks again.

Edited January 14, 2015 by lamensterms

[nestly]

In the Plot dialog box, Try clicking the Properties button to the right of DWG to PDF.pc3, then "Graphics" and then "Custom Properties" and increase the DPI settings.

[lamensterms]

Hi nestly,

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I have tried both high and low resolution settings and the both produce the excess lines.

[rkmcswain]

Is transparency enabled in this page setup? Your screenshot says NO, but just wanted to make sure that was your actual page setup.

I've seen transparency = ON cause problems with solid fills.

 

Have you tried using a dense line (ANSI31) hatch, where the distance between the lines is slightly smaller than the printed line width? This will give you a solid fill. We had to do this with a logo because the solid hatch was giving us problems.

[lamensterms]

Hi rkmcswain,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

I'm pretty sure there is no transparency enabled for these plots. How would I check that other than the check box in the PLOT settings?

 

Also, the alternative hatch pattern does produce plots without the extra lines. But unfortunately this method has issues as well. With a hatch pattern (ANSI31) set just dense enough to seem solid, the edges of the hatch become jagged/pixelated (as formed by the ends of the lines), ie. it is not a smooth edge. If I increase the density of this hatch, it increases the PDF file size and also causes lag when viewing the PDF (zooming & panning). Not to sound ungrateful, but I would prefer an option without these pitfalls.

 

Thanks again.

[SLW210]

Printed pretty good here, the printed version actually looks worse on the scan than the actual printed copy.

 

You didn't supply your CTB, so I think that has something to do with it or your printer driver.

 

Of course, I am using AutoCAD 2011, maybe the newer version of DWG to PDF.

Hatch Test- SLW210 DWG to PDF plotted.pdf

HatchTest- SLW210 DWG to PDF.pdf

[Dana W]

I'm pretty sure there is no transparency enabled for these plots. How would I check that other than the check box in the PLOT settings?

There is hatch transparency setting adjustment in the hatch edit ribbon tab, but your properties have it set to zero, so that is not it.

 

Using 2015, I also cannot re-create this condition. I selected dwg to pdf.pc3 and monochrome.ctb, I set the plot quality to maximum. pdf printed with no issues. Well, the edges look a little ragged in the pdf doc when dyn. zoomed in as far as it will go. This is due to the pdf software, and a conflict between line arc radii, line angle, and pixel size/shape. Nothing to do about it.

 

What pdf viewer are you using?

[lamensterms]

Hi guys,

 

Thanks a lot for all the assistance. I have now attached my CTB file.

 

SLW210 - thanks for providing those test PDFs. I printed your version and the lines are present. So the issues seems local for me.

 

Dana - I am using Adobe Reader XI. I tried printing an 'erroneous' PDF from an alternative reader - and the lines do not appear.

 

So that suggests to me that it could be an issue (or setting) in Reader XI (and perhaps my printer drivers as well - maybe some sort of incompatibility).

 

So, given the above theory... what PDF viewer do you guys use? SLW210 - did you print your PDF from Reader or an alternative?

 

Thanks again.

 

Half Line Weights.zip

[Dana W]

What I use is in my last post. I use Adobe XI to view, but I don't normally print the pdf, after the fact. If I need a print I use the plotter. If it prints fine unless you use Adobe XI, I don't know what to tell you. It doesn't seem to be anything AutoCad is doing. I am suspecting a driver conflict between Adobe and your particular printer. Have you looked at the Adobe sight to see if they have any driver updates you have missed. I let Adobe Automatically update since they seem to have as many retrofit update issues as Windows has.

 

Have you messed with the dwg to pdf pc3.ctb custom properties?

[SLW210]

I used Adobe reader, the latest, though I do have Acrobat 8 Pro installed, it is not my default viewer, nor were the plots done with Acrobat 8 Pro. Not sure if just being installed would make a difference, wouldn't think it would, though.

[lamensterms]

Dana - all I've changed in the DWG To PDF settings is the resolution (which I have tried adjusting up & down, to remove the lines - without any success).

 

SLW210 - I also have Acrobat Pro (9) installed, so we are almost in sync in that regard.

 

I'm just going to try and find driver updates for the printer, I will post back with my findings.

 

---- EDIT -----

 

It turns out I do have the latest driver for the printer, I tried switching from a GDI driver to a PDL one and wasn't able to print at all. I know very little about printers & their drivers, so it looks like I might be stuck for now at least.

Edited January 20, 2015 by lamensterms

[Dana W]

My guess is you are on the right track. Did you check the printer mfg website or just let Windows do it? Windows doesn't check back with the manufacturer, it goes by what its own website database has. If this printer is 5 or more years old, there may not be any support for it.

[lamensterms]

Hi Dana, yes I checked the manufacturers website. The printer is a good few years old, and we have the most recent drivers they have.

[SLW210]

Try an older driver, particularly if this problem didn't exist in the past.

 

Sometimes when drivers are updated they cause new issues some may never notice.

[ReMark]

Hi Dana, yes I checked the manufacturers website. The printer is a good few years old, and we have the most recent drivers they have.

 

Is there money in the budget to get a new printer?

[lamensterms]

Haha, we do have a new one, but the old one out-performs it... So the new one is in storage.

[ReMark]

If that is the case why are we even discussing printers and drivers? Maybe we should be talking about graphics cards instead.

[lamensterms]

I think we're really just exploring possibilities ReMark. I've got an Nvidia Quadro K2000D. I don't know much about graphics cards.