How to layout and scale a drawing in AutoCAD

Page Setup
1. Open your AutoCAD drawing.
2. Select the Layout tab (beside Model tab in lower left corner of screen)
3. Then Right Click on the Layout tab and select Rename from the menu then type in the
name of the sheet size that you want the drawing to be (ie. 11 x 17) and press [Enter].



4. Then Right click on the same layout tab and select Page Setup Manager from the menu.
5. Select the new layout that you just renamed and click Modify.
6. In the page setup screen, select a printer/plotter from the drop down menu that can
accommodate the sheet size drawing that you wish to set up.

*Note: a plotter is a large size printer that can print oversized sheets that smaller printers
cannot.



7. Select a paper size from the drop down menu that matches your desired final print size (ie.
11 x 17).
8. Select Layout from the menu options for Plot Area.
Right
Click
Tab

Next rename layout 1 to
the new sheet size 11 x 17
by right clicking on the tab
and selecting rename
Select a
printer


9. Select 1:1 for a Plot Scale.
10. Select your drawing orientation Landscape or Portrait.
11. Select Monochrome or Grayscale from the pen assignment drop down menu.
12. Finally click Ok then Close.
13. The page set up is complete. The next step is to make the drawing which was created in
Model Space appear on the new layout sheet that you just created. This is done by creating
a Viewport on your new layout sheet.

Creating a Viewport

14. With your new layout page visible on the screen (ie. Make sure you are not in Model Space
or on another Layout tab) click on the Command Line (bottom left hand side of the page)
so your cursor appears after the [Command:] prompt
15. At the Command prompt type the letters mv and press [Enter].

*Note: mv is the command for make viewport.



16. Once again click on the command line so your cursor appears following the [Command:]
prompt.
17. This time at the Command prompt type the letter f and press [Enter].

*Note f is the command for fit.



18. Your drawing should now appear on your new page layout. The next step is to Scale the
drawing.

Type in the command line the
letters mv then press [Enter]

*Note that mv is short for
makeviewport
Now type in the command line
the letter f
*Note that f is short for fit


Scaling a Drawing

19. Click somewhere outside the page border of your new drawing and drag the mouse over a
section of the Viewport so that it becomes selected.


20. At the bottom right side of your screen locate the Viewport Scale button (which only
becomes visible when your Viewport is visible).
21. Click the Viewport Scale button and select a scale from the menu that appears suitable for
the page size that you have just setup.

*Note: if you simply require the drawing to fit nicely on the page then selecting a suitable
scale is just a matter of trial and error until you are satisfied with the way the drawing fits the
page. Otherwise, you must know the specific scale requirement (ie. 1/8=1-0)


22. All the steps for Layout and Scaling a drawing are now complete. Your drawing is ready to
print. See the AutoCAD Printing help sheet for instructions on printing.

Click
and
drag
To scale the drawing
begin by selecting the
viewport by clicking
and dragging the
mouse over the border
Select
1/8=10


Next select the
Scale = 1/8=1-0
from the menu
shown here.



Need Help?
For assistance, please contact the Mohawk College Library see this page for all of our service
options: http://brain.mohawkcollege.ca/AskUs.html.

Your drawing is now
scaled and ready to print