Unpopular opinion: The default layer colors in AutoCAD are a trap for new drafters

I've seen at least five junior drafters in the last year send out drawings where everything is on layer 0 or the basic colors. It matters because when you plot to PDF, the line weights are a mess and things meant to be hidden lines look solid. I know because a contractor called me two months ago asking why the foundation plan looked like a single thick line. He had to guess at the footing edges. Has anyone else had to fix a drawing like this, or do you have a standard layer template you make people use?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbyhall1d ago

Totally agree, it's a real problem! Those defaults are way too easy to stick with when you're learning. We had a junior person do that on a set of site plans once, and the whole thing printed as a blurry mess. It took forever to untangle. A solid office template is a must, so everyone starts on the same page. It saves so many headaches down the line.

kai_ramirez3819h ago

Wait, did you hear about my friend's office? They had a new guy plot a whole permit set using the "monochrome.ctb" that just makes everything black. I mean, it looked fine on screen, but all the important line weight info was totally gone. The city reviewer sent it back with a giant red "reject" stamp. They had to redo like thirty sheets overnight. It was a total mess, all because nobody showed him the right plot style file.

fionamurphy1d ago

Actually, the line weights in a PDF come from the plot style table, not the layer colors. A red line and a blue line on the same plot style will print the same. The real trap is not setting up a proper CTB or STB file that assigns correct weights to colors or styles.