Revit Tip: Revit Plotting Best Practices: Standardize Line Weights and Print Setups

Consistent printed output in Revit comes from disciplined plotting standards and well-managed line weights. Here’s a practical approach you can implement today.

• Standardize line weights before you print
  • Set Manage > Additional Settings > Line Weights for common scales your office uses (1:100, 1:50, 1:20, details, etc.).
  • Define a clear weight ladder (e.g., 0.10, 0.13, 0.18, 0.25, 0.35, 0.50 mm equivalents) and stick to it across all projects.
  • Drive category thickness via Object Styles and subcategories; avoid per-view overrides except for temporary presentation needs.
  • Lock these behaviors with View Templates so your plots are consistent regardless of who opens the model.
• Create named Print Setups for repeatability
  • File > Print > Setup: save named presets like “PDF-CD (Vector/Black),” “PDF-Checkset (Grayscale),” and “Presentation (Raster/Color).”
  • Vector processing for crisp linework and small files; switch to Raster when you need transparency, shadows, gradient fills, or high-density patterns.
  • Color mode: use Black Lines for construction sets, Grayscale for backgrounds/links, and Color for presentations.
  • Set DPI to 300 for issue sets; 150 is often fine for internal check plots.
  • Use “Combine multiple selected views/sheets into a single file” with a reliable PDF driver.
• Control halftones, underlays, and backgrounds
  • Manage > Additional Settings > Halftone/Underlay: standardize the halftone percentage (e.g., 60–70%) for linked models and underlays.
  • Use View Filters to push background elements to lighter line weights and halftone, rather than changing them ad hoc per view.
  • Prefer coarse/medium patterns that read at scale—avoid ultra-dense hatches that force raster printing or blotch at small scales.
• Keep prints clean and readable
  • In Print Setup, disable items you don’t want on sheets (reference planes, scope boxes, crop regions, unreferenced view tags).
  • Remember: Thin Lines is a screen-only toggle; it does not affect print thickness.
  • Transparent filled regions and images force raster; swap to opaque fills or lightweight images when you need vector output.
• Coordinate with consultants and DWG exports
  • If consultants rely on CTB/STB pen tables, align Revit’s Export Setup (Modify DWG Export Setup > Line Weights) so your deliverables match their plotting standards.
  • Share your pen standards and sample PDFs early to prevent last-minute surprises.
• Template and QA
  • Embed Line Weights, Object Styles, View Templates, and named Print Setups in your office template; maintain with Transfer Project Standards.
  • Do quick “scale checks” on a test sheet to verify relative weights (structure > primary walls > secondary elements > annotations).

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