AutoCAD blueprints missing hatch on print — driver & viewport settings
Joe B.
Reviewed for technical accuracy
Specialities: AutoCAD plotting, CTB/STB plot styles, DWG to PDF.pc3, viewport/PSLTSCALE, transparency & merge control
AutoCAD hatch missing on PDF/plot — CTB vs STB, FILLMODE, HPMAXLINES, viewport Shade Plot & transparency
Technician
• Version (AutoCAD/LT) and output path: DWG to PDF.pc3, printer driver, or a custom PC3?
• Layout viewport settings: Visual Style, Shade Plot (Wireframe/Hidden/As displayed), any Viewport Overrides on layers?
• Plot styles: CTB/STB in use (e.g., monochrome.ctb) and whether Display plot styles is on in Page Setup?
• Symptoms: solid hatch gone, pattern too light, transparency ignored, or preview OK but final PDF blank?
Technician
1) Viewport render mode — if Shade Plot is Hidden/As displayed with a shaded style, some hatches drop out.
2) Color management in plot styles — your CTB may screen the hatch to 0% or the layer might be set to No-plot in that viewport.
3) System variables/driver —
FILLMODE or HPMAXLINES values, plus transparency not enabled at plot time, can cause blank hatch in PDFs.We’ll set the viewport correctly, verify the CTB/STB mapping, and normalize variables before we test a clean export.
Technician
1) Click inside the viewport → open Properties → set Visual Style = 2D Wireframe and Shade Plot = Wireframe (not Hidden/As displayed).
2) In Layer Properties, check the VP Freeze/VP Color/Plot columns for that viewport — the hatch layer must be Plot = On.
3) If wipeouts/masks cover the area, use Draw Order: send wipeouts to back or bring hatch to front.
4) Run
REGENALL and UPDATEFIELD (good practice before plotting).
Technician
• In the Plot dialog, check Plot transparency. Without it, transparent solid hatches often plot as blank or fully opaque.
• Use a stock driver: DWG to PDF.pc3 (General Documentation). If a custom PC3 causes issues, switch to the stock one or recreate the PC3.
• In Plot Options: enable Plot object lineweights; set Merge Control to Merge if you stack fills; test both vector and raster (under Graphics) when transparencies are involved.
• If the PDF is still wrong, print again with transparency off as a control test.
Technician
• Set
FILLMODE = 1 (enables filled objects in display/plot).• Adjust
HPMAXLINES to a reasonable value (e.g., 100000–1000000) so dense patterns display/plot; extremely low values can suppress hatch.• Confirm
HPASSOC = 1 (associative hatch); re-create corrupted hatches if needed.• If pattern scale is huge/tiny per viewport, check
PSLTSCALE and the hatch scale; try Annotative off for testing.• Layer must be Plot = On; make sure it isn’t set to 0% screening in your CTB or to a non-plot style in STB.
Technician
• Attach the correct CTB/STB and tick Display plot styles to preview the effect.
• For STB drawings, ensure the hatch’s assigned style isn’t set to no-plot or 0% screening.
• If the file type switched (CTB↔STB), convert with CONVERTPSTYLES and re-check mappings.
Technician
• Toggle Plot transparency ON; if needed, switch to Raster output for that sheet.
• In the viewport, verify Shade Plot = Wireframe and that no Wipeout covers the region.
• As a control, print a small window with only the hatch on: if it plots, the issue is plotting order or overlap on the full sheet.
Technician
FILLMODE/HPMAXLINES. If custom PC3 drops fills, switch to stock DWG to PDF.pc3. Need eyes on your CTB or viewport overrides? Open the chat.
Quick answer: the accepted fix
Accepted fix when AutoCAD hatch doesn’t print: in each viewport set Visual Style = 2D Wireframe and Shade Plot = Wireframe, ensure the hatch layer plots, enable Plot transparency for transparent fills, use stock DWG to PDF.pc3, and verify CTB/STB isn’t screening the hatch. Normalize FILLMODE=1 and adjust HPMAXLINES for dense patterns.
Why hatches vanish on print (plot pipeline, styles & system variables)
AutoCAD’s plot pipeline respects plot style tables (CTB/STB), viewport display modes, and driver capabilities. If Shade Plot is not Wireframe, or if a CTB screens a color to 0%, hatches may preview but then drop from the PDF. Low HPMAXLINES and FILLMODE=0 can suppress fills in display/plot. Transparent solids require the Plot transparency checkbox in the Plot dialog.
How to verify the fix (page setup & driver sanity check)
Create a test Page Setup: stock DWG to PDF.pc3, Monochrome.ctb, Display plot styles ON, Plot transparency ON. Plot a zoomed window with only the hatch. If it prints, reintroduce layers and overlap objects, then confirm Draw Order and viewport overrides one by one until the full sheet matches.
Hatch missing — quick checklist
Viewport, plot style, and driver in harmony.
• Viewport: 2D Wireframe + Shade Plot = Wireframe.
• Plot: DWG to PDF.pc3, Display plot styles ON, Plot transparency ON if used.
• Styles: verify CTB/STB isn’t set to 0% screening or non-plot.
• Variables: FILLMODE=1, HPMAXLINES reasonable; HPASSOC=1.
• Overlaps: check Draw Order, wipeouts, and VP layer overrides.
Disclaimer: This information is AI-generated and intended for general guidance only. For advice specific to your environment, please consult a verified expert on Whizz-Tech before making decisions.
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FAQ
Why does hatch show in Layout but vanish in the PDF?
Viewport Shade Plot isn’t Wireframe, the hatch layer is set to no-plot/0% screening in CTB/STB, or the PC3/driver drops transparent solids. Set Wireframe, fix plot style, enable Plot transparency, and use stock DWG to PDF.pc3.
Which plot style should I use — CTB or STB?
Both work. CTB maps by color; STB uses named styles. Ensure the style used by hatch isn’t screened to 0% or set to non-plot, and enable Display plot styles to preview.
What variables affect hatch plotting?
FILLMODE (1 = on), HPMAXLINES (detail threshold), and HPASSOC (associativity). Also verify PSLTSCALE and hatch scale for viewport consistency.
Sources
- Autodesk — Hatch pattern does not display or plot in AutoCAD
- Autodesk Help — About Plot Styles (CTB vs STB)
- Autodesk — Plotting from AutoCAD does not respect transparency
Filed under: Printers
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