Full size part prints using normal printer.

[Outlander]

Hello,

I'm currently in the planning stages of building a Guillemot kayak.

One of the recommended steps is drawing the plans at full size to make for easier building.
I have already made quite a few of the required forms in Solidworks and would like to know if there is any way to print them at full size using a normal printer.

Thanky you

[Armilite]

hey look for a program that prints posters using a regular printer. One that I looked at was posteriza. Hope this helps.
Rich Gillen

[quadrant2005]

Originally Posted by Outlander Hello, I'm currently in the planning stages of building a Guillemot kayak. One of the recommended steps is drawing the plans at full size to make for easier building. I have already made quite a few of the required forms in Solidworks and would like to know if there is any way to print them at full size using a normal printer. Thanky you

Hi there yes it is possible to do this in printer setup or page setup something like that under file, put a tick in the scale box something like that it will then print it out to scale on the paper sorry to be a little fague but i dont have solidworks currently infront of me...

regards
Richard

[apache405]

Originally Posted by Outlander Hello, I'm currently in the planning stages of building a Guillemot kayak. One of the recommended steps is drawing the plans at full size to make for easier building. I have already made quite a few of the required forms in Solidworks and would like to know if there is any way to print them at full size using a normal printer. Thanky you

your question is how to get a 1:1 scale drawing printed from your standard size printer, right?

the only way i can think of doing this is to let the drawing span many pages, then tape them together.

not sure how to do this in solidworks as everything i have done to date has been scaled or is smaller than an A size sheet of paper.

if i had to guess at it, i would try making a custom drawing template that had none of the normal boxes for text. then i would make a custom size that is the needed length and width and then play with it until i got it to do what i wanted it to do, which is print out the drawing as a multipage drawing.

another way that might work would be use the above steps until the print phase, where you could try making a pdf and then printing the pdf.

hope that helps.

[Toaster55]

I's be careful using poster software to accomplish what you are trying to do. Your best bet is to find someone with a large printer (24-36 inches wide) these printers are meant to print to scale, and when on roll papper, can print quite large prints. Maybe you know an architect or a draftsperson?

Another approach would be to print to 24x36 inch PDF's and take them to Staples and have them printed there. Watch them though, even when you ask to them to print to scale, sometimes they screw it up. (Put a little scale in the drawing to check)

Hope this helps.

[grubbyjeans]

Originally Posted by apache405 your question is how to get a 1:1 scale drawing printed from your standard size printer, right? the only way i can think of doing this is to let the drawing span many pages, then tape them together. not sure how to do this in solidworks as everything i have done to date has been scaled or is smaller than an A size sheet of paper. if i had to guess at it, i would try making a custom drawing template that had none of the normal boxes for text. then i would make a custom size that is the needed length and width and then play with it until i got it to do what i wanted it to do, which is print out the drawing as a multipage drawing. another way that might work would be use the above steps until the print phase, where you could try making a pdf and then printing the pdf. hope that helps.

Here is a link to a program that I've successfully used to print drawings for r/c aircraft. Begin by printing one page to adjust to scale. I just checked the print against a laser cut part from the kit. Once the scale is set correctly, you can print the remainder of the page. The program prints glue/tape margins as a feature.

http://www.grandutils.com/PosterPrint/

The drawing I printed

[doug.hartnell]

Yes you can print 1:1 in SolidWorks. Start by selecting print under the file menu or pressing ctrl+p. Next, under the "print range" section, select "selection" and click "OK". In the dialog box that appears, pick the scale that you require but don't hit "OK" just yet. Drag the frame that shows up on your drawing or model to the section you would like to print, then click "OK"

Good Luck.

[RICK0716]

Search your local yellow pages for a blue print service. This is becoming very popular these days. You can e-mail them a file and pick up your full scale drawing on roll feed or whatever size you need. The one in our area charges about 50 cents a square foot. So a 4' x 8' print would only cost $12. For your purposes, it will e much better than pasting together a bunch of small sheets.

[SuperDeLuxe]

You could also try going to a sign shop. You'll find quite a few that run paper in their sign plotters for installation patterns.

Most can use dxf or dwg files and shouldn't have any problem nailing the scale.

[skiddaw]

In COREL I lay down a 1/2" grid, group it to the whole drawing and then move the drawing around in the frame with vertical steps of 10" and horizontal steps of 7.5" (or the like) I then just printed each frame out. The grid helps in alignment when I taped the sheets together.

I also have gone to Staples with a CD but like toaster55 I've had them print-to-fit rather than as is. Trouble is the next time it's a different 'associate' so you start all over again.

[phil c]

Originally Posted by Outlander Hello, One of the recommended steps is drawing the plans at full size to make for easier building. Thanky you

I'm assuming you want to print full size 3 view drawings of a part. If you look through the Solidworks print menus, or maybe the Windows menu for your specific printer you may find an option for printing to fanfold paper. By selecting the right size sheet for the drawing and the right selection for printing fullsize to a sheet it may print the drawing in one or more strips that can be easily taped together.

Otherwise, Turbocad will do this, as will a number of other low end CAD programs. The poster print software mentioned essentially does the same thing.

[Outlander]

Thank you for all of your replies. I didn't know that print shops could handle dxf and dwg files that sounds like the best solution as i didn't really want to have to glue a bunch of sheets together and mess up the measurements.

Thanks again