Print/Plot Setup Options

After you complete the Print dialog File>Print, and click its Print button, the Print/Plot Setup dialog appears , as shown below.

Dialog Options:

Set the Scale, Anchor, and Map, as well as other print/plot related settings, in this dialog box. Once you have finished configuring the settings in this dialog, click OK to print.

Print/Plot Region

The following settings appear in the Print/Plot Region segment of the Print/Plot Setup dialog. Using these options, you are able to specify the printable region, the size and the offset of that region.

• All of Media - Prints or plots using the largest available paper region depending on how the printer or plotter was configured in Windows. When you use All of Media, the Size box is inactive.

• Specify Region - Prints or plots using a paper region that you specify. Specify Region allows you to set a smaller paper region to print or plot in. When you use Specify Region, you can specify a paper region to use and an offset using the Size and Offset boxes.

Size

These options will be grayed out unless you have selected "Specify Region." The Size setting is used to set the size of the printing and plotting region in inches. The maximum size of the print or plot area appears in the Size box when All of Media is enabled. The print or plot region depends on the configuration of your printer or plotter in Windows. Typing in smaller X and Y values, specifies a smaller paper region to use. Specify X and Y values for the printing/plotting region.

Offset

Sets the origin of the print or plot region to compensate for any default offset the printer or plotter adds.

Enter X and Y offset values for the printer or plotter in the Offset box. You can have negative or positive offset values.

When entering Offset values, you can enter X and Y values that move the printing and plotting region off the paper resulting in a clipped print or plot.

Scale

Use Scale to scale your part to the paper size without distorting the part. Scale determines the ratio of part size to paper size. You can also allow for the scale to be automatically determined, or you can choose your own scale.

Point Size

Use to specify the size of a printed point entity. (See the Create>Points drop-down menu for a list of point entities.)

• Auto-Select so that the Point Size field setting on the Set Configuration Options dialog determines the size of the printed point entity Tools>Options>Display.

• Key In - Select if you want to specify the size of the printed point entity by typing the value in inches or millimeters. Once you type the in value and press the TAB key, the mm field is populated with the equivalent value, and vice versa.

Paper Position Anchor

• Auto - Scales the part to automatically reach the extents of the paper margins.

• Key In- Lets you enter a plotting scale value manually.

Paper Position Anchor

Use the Paper Position Anchor to define the point from which you move the paper drag box. When you finish setting up the printer in the "Printer Setup" dialog box, you are prompted to indicate a placement for the paper in the viewport. A rectangular highlighted paper border known as a drag box is then displayed. You can move the drag box to any position on your screen. The drag box allows you to set the paper around the part. Drag box boundaries match the print area size you set in the "Printer Setup" dialog box.

Position the cursor in the Drag Point box and click on one of the cursor placement options.

Paper Orientation

Specify a Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) orientation, or select Driver to use the orientation specified in the driver.

Printer Configuration

This setting allows you to select a printer configuration from the drop-down menu. By default, the "default" configuration appears.

Rendering Print Method

Use this option to control how to print in either the Flat or Smooth rendering methods. Three settings are available:

• Standard – When selected, the standard printing algorithm will be used. The Use painters paneling setting will enable paneling.

• Use Background Image with HLR - Enable this checkbox if you wish to print rendered solids as a background image. This may increase printing speed.

• Software Z-Buffer – When selected, the software z-buffer will be used. Note that this setting, when used, will require more memory than is usual, depending on the model, paper size, and printer resolution. If not enough physical memory is available, this method my fail.

Miscellaneous

The following miscellaneous printing settings are available:

• Extract HLR/HLD in Layout Mode – Enable this checkbox if you wish to use ACIS PHL/Advanced PHL for printing HLR/HLD instances instead of using the default (HOOPS) functionality. This may take longer to print, but it usually results in better line quality than the facetted HOOPS result.

• Background in Model Mode – This setting allows you to print the current Model Mode background color in the file.

• Background in Layout Mode – This setting allows you to print the current Layout Mode background color in the file.

• No Instance Border – When selected, the drawing instance border will be disabled.