Plot problems with designjet 1055cm plus

[randy.herx]

I am having a lot of trouble trying to get my sheet borders the proper distance from the edge of paper. Here is what I've tried:

In paperspace, I created a box that was24" x 36" since I am using Arch D. I put this box on a non plottable layer with it's origin at 0,0 which is the paper corner. I then offset this non-plotting box with the margins that I am needing. In this case, 1.5" at the top and left, with 0.5" along the right and bottom. When I plot, I select Layout and plot at 1:1. The border plots, but when I scale it from the edge of paper. It is shifted 0.12" in the LR direction and 0.24" in the UD direction. I can't understand why this is happening. I've looked in the plotter setup file and see that the printable area is 0.2" Left and Right with 0.33" for Top and Bottom. I've tried plotting extents and window with the same results.

Has anyone experienced this sort of trouble before and offer some suggestions on how to fix it? I would be most appreciative!

[jmctamney]

I am having a lot of trouble trying to get my sheet borders the proper distance from the edge of paper. Here is what I've tried:

In paperspace, I created a box that was24" x 36" since I am using Arch D. I put this box on a non plottable layer with it's origin at 0,0 which is the paper corner. I then offset this non-plotting box with the margins that I am needing. In this case, 1.5" at the top and left, with 0.5" along the right and bottom. When I plot, I select Layout and plot at 1:1. The border plots, but when I scale it from the edge of paper. It is shifted 0.12" in the LR direction and 0.24" in the UD direction. I can't understand why this is happening. I've looked in the plotter setup file and see that the printable area is 0.2" Left and Right with 0.33" for Top and Bottom. I've tried plotting extents and window with the same results.

Has anyone experienced this sort of trouble before and offer some suggestions on how to fix it? I would be most appreciative!

try plotting extents and centering your plot

[randy.herx]

Sorry for the delay in my reply. I tried plotting extents centered and the plot looks identical to the layout plot. I am still off by 0.12" in the XY direction. I could use a plot offset to correct this, but then the plot preview looks goofy. Does anyone know if there is a plotter setting that I need to adjust? Thanks everyone!

[jmctamney]

Sorry for the delay in my reply. I tried plotting extents centered and the plot looks identical to the layout plot. I am still off by 0.12" in the XY direction. I could use a plot offset to correct this, but then the plot preview looks goofy. Does anyone know if there is a plotter setting that I need to adjust? Thanks everyone!

What if you use a plot window and center it?

[randy.herx]

no joy.... I even tried it from a different work station. Something is telling me that maybe it is a problem with the driver for the plotter.

[jmctamney]

no joy.... I even tried it from a different work station. Something is telling me that maybe it is a problem with the driver for the plotter.

Could be. With it not being able to plot to the edge of the paper it's hard to get stuff truly centered on the page. I don't think we ever got it right with 1055. We now have a nice big KIP 6000 and don't have to worry about it anymore.

[randy.herx]

I will have our IT guy look into installing the latest drivers. I just don't want a set of plans rejected for something as trivial as the sheet borders being off by 0.1". Believe me, it happens!

Anyone else out there using a 1055 with similar issues?

[architecture68-raff]

What is the value of your "PLOTOFFSET" sysvar? If it's 0, try changing it to 1 and see if that helps. This variable changes the offset to either the edge of the paper (1), or the edge of the printable area (0).

Otherwise, does your HP driver give options for printing with small margins?

[randy.herx]

No option for small margins, just extended margins. I tried playing with the plotoffset variable too, it didn't fix it. I have a feeling that the 'printable area' is wrong in the .PC3 file. I guess that I am going to have tinker with it unless someone here has a 1055cm with Autocad 2008 and could kindly share their settings. I could kick this back to the IT guy but he knows NOTHING about how Autocad works.

[jmctamney]

No option for small margins, just extended margins. I tried playing with the plotoffset variable too, it didn't fix it. I have a feeling that the 'printable area' is wrong in the .PC3 file. I guess that I am going to have tinker with it unless someone here has a 1055cm with Autocad 2008 and could kindly share their settings. I could kick this back to the IT guy but he knows NOTHING about how Autocad works.

I can't say whether it is off or not but we have our printable area margin set to .33" top & bot. and .20 left & right. Have you tried calibrating the plotter through the properties dialog? Might be something else beside driver issues such as paper stretching although I haven't heard of that happening with inkjet printers.