File Transfer - Making your files 'print ready'

Why worry about print readiness?

At any given time there are no less than 4 different versions of AutoCad being used by our customers. Obviously, we can't purchase multiple copies of each version. So we encourage all our customers to make their files 'print ready'. That means making their files into a format that looks the same on anyone's computer.

We will certainly accept files that are not print ready, but the output will be less than perfect (and for DWG or DXF files there is a higher print cost). A CAD file or Word document, that looks perfect on your screen, may look much different when we print it out. This is due to non-identical fonts, generic line-weights, differing page layouts, missing xrefs, and many other factors.

There's no reason to spend the time getting that CAD file 'just right' if it's going to look completely different when it's plotting anyway. Making a file print ready will ensure the file we plot looks like the drawing or document you worked so hard to create. The most common print ready format is an Acrobat PDF. The PDF will 'embed' all your fonts, line-weights, etc. There are other formats too, like PLT, CALS, and LDF. For a complete listing of all the accepted formats, click here.

Also, and perhaps most importantly, making print ready files can save you significant money. we charge more for file types that need to be converted before printing our machines, including DWG or DXF files. Download our price-list for the complete price structure.