Change Drawing Black and White

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Black and white (monochrome/grayscale) named plot style (STB) plots color in AutoCAD

By:

Support

Issue:

When attempting to plot a file in black and white (monochrome) or grayscale using an STB file in AutoCAD, some (or all) of the objects are plotted in color instead.

Causes:

• Objects or layers are set to use a TrueColor (RGB) value instead of one of the 255 indexed colors.
• The drawing is configured to use named plot styles (STB) where color-dependent plot styles (CTB) are expected.
• The Visual Style of the Model tab or viewport is set to a 3D or hidden style (Realistic, Hidden, Conceptual, etc.), and the Shade Plot is set to 'As Displayed'. Alternately, the Shade Plot may be set specifically to one of the 3D or hidden style options. Either of these scenarios will cause the applied plot style table (CTB) to be ignored.
• In the Page Setup Manager or the Plot dialog, the Plot with plot styles checkbox is unchecked.
• An object or layer is set to a plot style which is configured incorrectly.

Solution:

• Change any colors that are set to a TrueColor value to use one of the 255 indexed colors instead.

For specific objects:

1. Select the affected object(s).
2. Right-click and choose Properties to display the Properties palette.
3. Adjust the Color setting by picking one of the 255 indexed colors.

For specific layers:

1. Enter the LAYER command to open the Layer Properties Manager.
2. Choose the color swatch for the affected layer(s).
3. Select one of the 255 indexed colors.

• Change the plot style mode of the drawing

EnterCONVERTPSTYLES at the command line in AutoCAD and follow the prompt. The drawing switches from using STB plot style tables to CTB plot style tables.

Notes:

• This command is only present in Windows versions of AutoCAD.
• Verify this in the Plot or Page Setup dialog box.
• The Plot Style Table drop-down menu shows CTB files instead of STB.
• Choosing monochrome.ctb or grayscale.ctb will now work, in addition to any other plot style configured for black and white or grayscale plotting.
• If the CONVERTPSTYLES command does not switch the plot style, the file may be corrupt (see How to repair corrupt AutoCAD files)

• Change the Visual Style or Shade Plot setting

  Click the viewport controls pull-down in the upper left corner of the model area (Model tab or model space within a layout viewport), and select 2D Wireframe. Then verify that Shade Plot is set to 'As Displayed'.

Alternately, change the Shade Plot setting in the Plot dialog (if plotting from the Model tab), or in the properties of the layout viewport to either 2D Wireframe or Legacy Hidden. Those two options will cause the output to adhere to the applied plot style table, regardless of what the Visual Style is set to.

• Check the 'Plot with plot styles' setting

1. Enter the PAGESETUP command to open the Page Setup Manager and click Modify.
2. Uncheck Display Plot Styles at the upper right.

Alternately, the same checkbox is also available in the Plot dialog.

• Adjust the plot style in the Plot Style Table Editor

If a Named Plot Style is expected to plot in black or grayscale, check that the plot style is configured as such.

1. Enter the PAGESETUP command to open the Page Setup Manager and click Modify.
2. Choose the desired STB plot style from the drop-down.
3. Click on the Table Editor button and verify the plot style configuration.

• Adjust the layer settings for Viewport Plot Style

1. Enter the LAYER command to open the Layer Properties Manager.
2. Locate the affected layers, that are not plotting correctly.
3. Change the Viewport Plot Style column setting to Solid.

Products:

AutoCAD for Mac; AutoCAD LT for Mac; AutoCAD Products;

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Change Drawing Black and White

Source: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Plotting-monochrome-in-AutoCAD-still-outputs-color.html

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