AutoCAD - Changing the default plotter on multiple drawing files and layout tabs

By Dennis Collin

This is a frequent question I get with AutoCAD users who wish to replace printer settings on many drawings. This is a very simple process provided users have setup their print settings with named page setups.

Execute the DWGCONVERT command within AutoCAD.

This will display the following dialogue:

Select drawings and folders to process. The selection can be saved as a drawings list and be recalled later for further processing if desired.

Clicking on the conversion Setups button as marked will then display a screen with the conversion process options.

I suggest creating a new conversion setup called printer convert and choose the following options (as highlighted):

• In-place (over write files)
• Tick overwrite Page setups which will then open a secondary dialogue allowing the selection of a reference drawing with the named page setup style that will replace incumbent settings.

Once the list and setup has been configured. Click the convert button and the selected drawings will be processed.

Opening any converted drawing will now show the transferred named page setup, which holds the printer driver, name, plot configuration, pen settings etc. This can be employed with single sheet printing or AutoCAD’s excellent batch plotting utility. Indeed, the Batch Plot utility will permit users to plot multiple drawings with different page setup settings without having to go through this printer conversion process.