How to make the lines look thicker when printing in AutoCAD?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

To make lines look thicker when printing in AutoCAD, use PLOT and assign heavier lineweights in your plot style table or layer properties before printing. This is the most common professional method because plotted thickness follows lineweight settings, not just screen appearance. Limitation: display thickness on screen does not always match final plotted output.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: Many users turn on lineweight display and assume the print will match, but AutoCAD plots based on plot style, object lineweight, and printer settings. If your CTB/STB file is overriding lineweights, your lines may still print thin even when they look thick in model space.

How to Make Lines Look Thicker When Printing in AutoCAD

  • Command: PLOT

  • Shortcut: Ctrl+P

  • Quick Steps:

    1. Press Ctrl+P or go to the Output tab on the Ribbon and click Plot.
    2. In the Plot dialog, choose the correct printer/plotter and select your plot style table (CTB/STB), then make sure Plot with plot styles is checked.
    3. Click Edit for the plot style table or assign heavier Lineweight values to layers in Layer Properties Manager, then preview and print.

Variables & Settings

  • System Variable: LWDISPLAY (Default: 0)

  • Expert Setting: This controls whether lineweights are shown on screen. Set it to 1 to preview thick lines visually, but remember it affects display only, not actual plotted thickness.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): Objects are set to Default or very small lineweights, so they plot with little or no visible thickness.
  • Cause 2 (Layers/Locks): Objects are on layers with incorrect lineweight assignments, or the layer settings are being controlled by a plot style override.
  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Plot with plot styles is unchecked, or the selected CTB/STB file maps colors/styles to thin output.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Open PLOT, enable Plot with plot styles, and use a CTB/STB that assigns heavier lineweights such as 0.35 mm or 0.50 mm to the needed objects.
  • Manager’s Verdict: Control print thickness through layer lineweights and office-standard CTB/STB files, not manual object overrides. This is faster, more consistent, and easier to manage across teams.

FAQ

Why do my lines look thick on screen but print thin?
Because LWDISPLAY only affects screen display, not plot output.

Should I change object lineweight or layer lineweight?
Use layer lineweight in most professional workflows for consistency.

Can CTB files override my lineweight settings?
Yes, a CTB plot style can force thinner or thicker plotted output.

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