CAD tip # 10182:

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CAD

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How to create a PDF file from DWG without AutoCAD?

If you have no AutoCAD installation, you cannot use the standard method for converting a drawing to a PDF file - printing it (with the PLOT command) to the pseudo-printer "DWGtoPDF.pc3".

But there are several other methods how to generate a publishing file in the PDF format from a DWG drawing without AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT:

Acrobat Pro - the commercial version of Adobe Acrobat X Pro supports DWG as the source format for document publishing. Use the function File > Create > PDF From File to convert a selected DWG file to PDF. With the Settings button you can set folders for SHX fonts (the replacement font is "MyriadCAD") and plot style tables.
AutoCAD 360 - the free web- and mobile AutoCAD 360 supports printing and sharing of 2D DWG, DXF and DWF drawings to the PDF format. You can use it anywhere.
Autodesk DWG TrueView - the free viewer DWG TrueView (see Download) is the most reliable and 100% compatible way for publishing DWG and DXF drawings to PDF - with TrueView you can plot and publish drawings the same way as in AutoCAD, including PDF layers, multipage files, etc. See Tip 10461 for advanced unattended use of DWG TrueView.

ACADDWG

*CAD

29.1.2015 25042×

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applies to: AutoCAD · DWG ·

See also:
Tip 14604:	QRcode - dynamically generated QR codes in AutoCAD.
Tip 14481:	How to bulk publish a folder of DWG/DXF files to PDF?
Tip 14472:	Overview of CAD formats supported in Inventor 2026 (import/export/AnyCAD).
Tip 14347:	PDFIMPORT - No objects were imported.
Tip 14075:	Overview of CAD formats supported in Inventor 2025 (import/export/AnyCAD).

Selected tip: How to erase duplicate lines in a DWG drawing?

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