Expert: Bill DeShawn - 12/8/2004

Question
Dear Bill,
I'm working acad 2004 with windows xp, but I encountered this problem with 2000 lt and it's killing me . I'm the only cad guy where I'm working so I really could use your help.
 Thr problem: I only plot "A" size drawings using
a hp printer designjet 865c. When I go into the plotter manager and set the margins for letter size piece of paper .28 top and bottom , .53 left and right side margins, landscape, plot extenets,
scale to fit, on the screen I see exactly what I want with the titleblock filling the screen up to the margins i set (in paper space)and I check center the plot. When I preview the plot i see exactly what i want. The plot however comes out with a small .1" left margin and a large 1" right margin. In my page setup i have use device paper size, and have it set to the hp printer.
We just added this printer which was a newer version of an older model hp. When I encountered this problem with 2000 lt windows nt I just changed the margins where it says modify paper sizes in autocad and it worked fine. But I can't get it to work now after several gazillion tries.
  I would appreciat any help you could give me in this matter. Right now I'm a cad zero.
Please help,
Thank you,
Gil Rocha
gilnic@meganet.net


Answer
OK, Gil.  I found the message.  Well, of course without overstating the obvious check the extents and make sure they are correct.  If there is an insertion point of a block outside the extents even though no block object is outside the extents, it could cause such a problem.  Draw a line from (getvar "extmin") to (getvar "extmax").  That will check your extents.  But if extents aren't working, try limits.  Of course, set your limits before plotting.  As a last resort you can set a window plot.  Don't shift your work on the paper by changing the margin size.  Use your X and Y offset next to the Center the Plot checkbox instead.  Changing the margin will limit your paper size.  Set your margins one time and forever and leave it alone after that.  So, .28 top and bottom and .53 left and right.

Keep in touch
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn