Can I hide the viewport borders so they don’t show on the print in AutoCAD?

Short Answer

Yes — in AutoCAD, the standard professional way to hide viewport borders from plotting is to place the viewport on a non-plot layer, then use LAYER to turn off plotting for that layer. The viewport still works in paper space, but its boundary will not print. This does not remove the viewport itself.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: If you freeze, turn off, or erase the viewport instead of putting it on a non-plot layer, the model view may disappear from the layout or stop updating correctly. A locked viewport on the wrong layer can also mislead users into thinking the border is already safe not to plot.

How to Hide Viewport Borders from Printing

• Command: LAYER

• Shortcut: LA

• Quick Steps:

  1. In the Ribbon, go to Home > layers panel > layer properties, then create a new layer such as VIEWPORT-NOPLOT.
  2. In Layer Properties Manager, click the Plot icon for that layer so it shows No Plot.
  3. Select the viewport border in a layout and move it to that non-plot layer using the Layer drop-down or Properties palette.

Variables & Settings

• Key Setting: Plot property for the viewport layer

• Expert Setting: When a layer is set to No Plot, objects on that layer remain visible in paper space for editing, but they are excluded from printed and PDF output. This is the standard way to keep viewport frames editable without showing on the final sheet.

Why it Fails

• Cause 1 (Geometry): The selected object is not actually the viewport border; it may be a rectangle drawn over the viewport, which will still plot.
• Cause 2 (Layers/Locks): The viewport is on a plotting layer, or the wrong layer was set to No Plot.
• Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The user turns off or freezes the viewport layer, which hides the viewport entirely instead of only preventing its border from printing.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

• Quick Fix: Use LA, create a dedicated VIEWPORT-NOPLOT layer, set its Plot property to No Plot, and move all layout viewports onto it.
• Manager’s Verdict: This is the best production method for sheet setups because it is clean, repeatable, and easy for teams to standardize. Avoid deleting or switching off viewport borders manually.

FAQ

Can I make the viewport border invisible but still selectable?
Yes, put it on a non-plot layer instead of hiding or deleting it.

Will a non-plot viewport layer still show in layout view?
Yes, it stays visible on screen but does not print.

Can I apply this to multiple viewports at once?
Yes, select all viewport borders in paper space and move them to the same non-plot layer.

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