Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 16-7:
Editing a color-dependent plot style table.
It's remotely possible that you won't need to bother with plot styles. If the drawings you
want to plot have layer and object properties (especially lineweight) that reflect how
you want objects to plot, you can dispense with plot styles. But most people and most
drawings use plot styles, so you should at least be familiar with them.
A couple of common reasons for using plot styles are to
Map screen colors to plotted lineweights.
If this idea seems completely loony to
you, try to suspend judgment until you've read the “Plotting through thick and
thin” section, a bit later in this chapter.
Create screened lines on monochrome plots.
Lines that are screened display in
various shades of gray, not black. Drafters sometimes use screened lines to de-em-
phasize secondary objects that otherwise would overwhelm the main objects in
the drawing. Screening is expressed as a percentage, with 100 percent being com-
pletely black and 0 percent being invisible.
Using plot styles
If you want objects in your drawing to plot with properties that differ from their display
properties, you need plot styles. For example, you can plot with different lineweights or
colors from the ones you're using for display purposes. Or, as I mention in the preceding
