Fix Unreadable Acrobat PDFs When Plotting from AutoCAD LT 2017
Question details
Users need to resolve an issue where CAD drawings exported to PDF are rendered unreadable, displaying gray lines and text.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat and AutoCAD LT 2017
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Plotting or exporting CAD drawings to PDF format using the Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker or printer driver.
- Observed behavior
- The generated PDF file exhibits degraded quality with unreadable content, specifically gray lines and gray letters instead of clear plotting styles.
Verify that you have administrative privileges on your computer to update plotter drivers and install the latest patches for your CAD and PDF software.
Check Compatibility and Update Software Drivers
Ensure your version of Acrobat PDFMaker officially supports AutoCAD LT 2017 and install the latest system driver updates.
In many cases, poor PDF output quality is caused by a version mismatch between the CAD software and the PDF conversion tool. AutoCAD LT 2017 may not be listed in older Acrobat PDFMaker compatibility matrices.
Navigate to the official Adobe Help website and review the Acrobat PDFMaker compatibility matrix to verify if AutoCAD LT 2017 is fully supported by your Acrobat version.
Open Adobe Acrobat, click on 'Help' in the top menu bar, and select 'Check for Updates' to install the latest patches.
Open the Windows Device Manager, expand the 'Printers' or 'Print queues' section, right-click your Adobe PDF printer, and select 'Update driver'.
Use AutoCAD's Built-in PDF Plotter
Bypass Adobe Acrobat entirely by using the native DWG to PDF plotting capabilities within AutoCAD LT to prevent rendering glitches.
Use WPS PDF Virtual Printer for Clear CAD Exports
If your current PDF creator causes formatting and rendering errors, you can use the built-in WPS PDF printer to export crisp, perfectly readable documents directly from your CAD software.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office, which automatically configures the WPS PDF virtual printer on your operating system.
- 2. Access the plot menu in CAD: Open your drawing in AutoCAD LT 2017 and press Ctrl+P to bring up the Plot dialog box.
- 3. Select WPS PDF as the plotter: In the Printer/Plotter dropdown menu, choose 'WPS PDF' from the list of available devices.
- 4. Export your document: Configure your paper size and plot scale, then click OK to generate a high-quality, readable PDF without graying issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my AutoCAD to PDF conversion result in gray lines?
This typically occurs due to an incompatibility between the AutoCAD plot style table (CTB/STB) and the PDFMaker add-in rendering engine, or because the specific CAD version (like LT 2017) is unsupported by the installed Acrobat driver.
Does Adobe Acrobat officially support AutoCAD LT 2017 for PDFMaker?
AutoCAD LT 2017 is frequently omitted from the standard Acrobat PDFMaker compatibility matrix. To confirm, you must check the specific compatibility chart for your exact version of Adobe Acrobat on Adobe's official support website.
How can I share files securely with support teams for troubleshooting?
You can upload your raw AutoCAD (.dwg) file alongside the generated faulty PDF to secure cloud storage platforms such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or Adobe Send, and then provide the shareable link to the support team via a private message.
