How to put a picture behind your drawing in AutoCAD?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

Yes — in AutoCAD, the most common professional way to put a picture behind your drawing is to attach it as an image reference with IMAGEATTACH, then send it to the back using draw order. This works well for tracing or underlays. Limitation: the image is externally referenced, not embedded in the DWG.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: If the image file is moved, renamed, or stored on a disconnected network path, AutoCAD will lose the reference and show a missing image. Large image files can also slow zooming, panning, plotting, and file open performance.

How to Put a Picture Behind Your Drawing in AutoCAD

  • Command: IMAGEATTACH

  • Shortcut: No default shortcut

  • Quick Steps:

    1. On the Insert Ribbon tab, go to the Reference panel and click Attach, then select your image file.
    2. In the Attach Image dialog, set Path type to Relative Path if the project will move between systems, then place or scale the image in the drawing.
    3. Select the image, right-click and choose Draw Order > Send to Back so your drawing objects display in front of it.

Variables & Settings

  • System Variable: IMAGEFRAME (Default: 1)

  • Expert Setting: This controls whether image frames are displayed and plotted.

    • 0 = frame not displayed and not plotted
    • 1 = frame displayed and plotted
    • 2 = frame displayed but not plotted
      In production, 2 is usually best so you can select the image without printing the border.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The image was inserted at the wrong scale or insertion point, so it does not align with the drawing area you want to trace or reference.

  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The image is on a locked, frozen, or non-plot layer, or the current objects are on a layer state that makes the image appear hidden.

  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The image is attached correctly, but draw order was not changed, so solids, wipes, or hatch objects may cover it or the image may visually sit in front of needed geometry.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Use DRAWORDER on the selected image and choose Send to Back, then set IMAGEFRAME to 2 for easier handling without plotting the frame.

  • Manager’s Verdict: Use attached images for tracing, site plans, markups, and scanned backgrounds, but avoid relying on them for final deliverables unless the reference path is managed carefully and the image scale is verified.

FAQ

Can I fade the image in AutoCAD?

Yes, select the image and adjust the fade setting in the image properties.

Can I clip part of the picture only?

Yes, use the image clip option to crop the visible area.

Will the image stay with the DWG if I email it?

Not always — send the image file too, or use etransmit to package all references.

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