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How to prepare your PDF for blueprint printing

We print from PDF only: export at the sheet size you will order, at 100% scale, then check the page size before you upload.

Upload plans & get price Check a PDF's page sizes

Three steps to a print-ready PDF

The same three steps apply whatever the drawing software. The per-software clicks are further down.

  1. Set the sheet size to the size you will order

    In the layout or sheet setup, choose the ARCH or ANSI size you will print: ARCH D for a 24 × 36 in print. The PDF page size must equal the print size.

  2. Export to PDF at 100%

    Plot or export from the layout at 1:1. Never use “fit to page” or “scale to fit”. Pick a monochrome plot style for black and white, a color style for color.

  3. Check the PDF, then upload

    Open the PDF: page dimensions, orientation, every sheet present. Then upload. The quote tool measures each page, and a technician reviews the file before printing.

Before you upload

  • Page size equals the print size

    A 24 × 36 in page for ARCH D, 22 × 34 in for ANSI D. Not letter size with the drawing shrunk onto it.

  • Exported at 100%

    No fit-to-page, shrink-to-fit or automatic resizing anywhere in the export.

  • Orientation is right

    Wide drawings open in landscape. A page saved the wrong way round prints rotated.

  • Every sheet is there, in order

    One multi-page PDF per discipline keeps a set in order; several files in one order are priced together.

  • Markups are flattened

    Bluebeam comments, stamps and clouds print only when flattened into the page.

Export steps by software

Open the one you use.

AutoCAD Plot from a layout with DWG To PDF
  1. Open the layout tab for the sheet and type PLOT, or choose File, Plot.
  2. Under Printer/plotter choose DWG To PDF.pc3. Microsoft Print to PDF also works.
  3. Under Paper size choose the size you will order, for example ARCH D (24.00 x 36.00 Inches).
  4. Under Plot scale choose 1:1 and leave “Fit to paper” unticked. Plotting from model space needs the drawing scale entered here instead; layouts are safer.
  5. Under Plot style table choose monochrome.ctb for black and white, or your color CTB for color.
  6. Plot, name the PDF, then open it and confirm the page size and orientation.

Publishing several layouts at once produces one multi-page PDF. Full guide: printing blueprints from AutoCAD.

Revit Print or export the sheets at 100% zoom
  1. Choose File, Print, or File, Export, PDF in recent versions.
  2. Under Print range choose Selected views/sheets and tick the sheets for the set; they come out as one multi-page PDF.
  3. In Setup, confirm the paper size matches the Revit sheet size; Revit's title block families follow the ARCH and ANSI sizes.
  4. Set Zoom to 100%. Do not use Fit to page.
  5. Save the PDF, then open it and confirm every sheet, its size and its orientation.

Full guide: printing blueprints from Revit.

Bluebeam Revu Confirm the page size and flatten markups
  1. Starting from a drawing file, choose File, Create PDF from file, or plot from the CAD program to the Bluebeam PDF printer at the correct paper size.
  2. In Revu choose File, Properties and confirm the page dimensions equal the ARCH or ANSI size you will order.
  3. If the PDF carries comments, stamps or cloud markups that must print, choose Document, Flatten.
  4. Save, then re-open the PDF to confirm the markups are part of the page.

Full guide: printing blueprints from Bluebeam.

SketchUp Export dimensioned sheets from LayOut
  1. Use LayOut, not SketchUp's own PDF export, for scaled and dimensioned sheets.
  2. In LayOut choose File, Document setup, Paper and set the page to the size you will order; ARCH D is 24 × 36 in, landscape for wide drawings.
  3. Choose File, Export, PDF. Set the output resolution to 300 dpi or higher for any raster content.
  4. Open the PDF and confirm the page size before uploading.
Other software Any PDF export or print-to-PDF driver
  1. Use the application's PDF export, or print to a PDF driver such as Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows or Save as PDF on a Mac.
  2. Set the page size to the print size: ARCH D 24 × 36 in, ARCH E 36 × 48 in, ANSI D 22 × 34 in. If the size is not listed, enter the dimensions in inches.
  3. Turn off every fit, shrink or auto-resize option and export at 100%.
  4. Open the PDF and check page dimensions, orientation and that the scale note matches a known dimension.

Check the PDF before you upload

Page size. Acrobat shows it under File, Properties; Preview under Tools, Show Inspector; Bluebeam under File, Properties. An ARCH D page reads 24 × 36 in. If a page reads 8.5 × 11 in, the drawing was shrunk onto a letter page and needs re-exporting.

Scale. Measure a dimension you know. At 1/4" = 1' a 10 ft wall measures 2.5 in on the page; Acrobat's measure tool will show it. If the number is off, the export was scaled.

Mixed sizes. A permit PDF often mixes ARCH D plan sheets with letter-size specifications. Upload it as it is: the quote tool measures each page, so you can see where a page differs from the size you chose, and the print size you choose is what prints.

Common export mistakes. Fit to page; a letter-size page under a large drawing; plotting from model space without a viewport scale; a PDF made from a screenshot or a phone photo; unflattened markups. A print technician reviews your files before printing, and if we spot an issue we contact you.

File questions

What file format do you accept?

PDF only. Export from AutoCAD, Revit or Bluebeam as PDF before uploading. Drawing files such as DWG, DXF, RVT and SKP, and images, are not accepted.

Why PDF only?

A drawing file depends on things that travel separately: xrefs, fonts, plot style tables, linked images. If any is missing or from another version, the output changes. A PDF captures all of it at export, so what you see is what prints, and the quote tool can count pages and measure page sizes the moment you upload.

How do I know if my PDF is the right size?

Open the PDF and look at its document properties: Acrobat shows the page size under File, Properties; Preview under Tools, Show Inspector; Bluebeam under File, Properties. An ARCH D page reads 24 × 36 in. The quote tool measures every page when you upload and shows where a page differs from the size you chose, and the scale checker does the same in your browser.

Can I upload several files for one order?

Yes. Add every PDF to the same quote. Files are priced together, so sheets from different consultants count toward one volume tier. One multi-page PDF per discipline keeps the sheets in order.

What happens if my file has a problem?

A print technician reviews your files before printing. If we spot an issue, such as a page size that does not match the size you chose or output that was scaled to fit, we contact you before anything prints.

PDF ready? Price the set in a few minutes.

No account required. Review your total before paying.

Upload plans & get price