plot styles

A plot style table is a collection of plot styles assigned to a layout or the Model tab. There are two types of plot style tables: color-dependent plot style tables and named plot style tables.

Color-dependent plot style tables (CTB) use an object's color to determine characteristics such as lineweight. Every red object in a drawing is plotted the same way. While you can edit plot styles in a color-dependent plot style table, you cannot add or delete plot styles. There are 256 plot styles in a color-dependent plot style table, one for each color.
Named plot style tables (STB) contain user-defined plot styles. When you use a named plot style table, objects that have the same color may be plotted differently, based on the plot style assigned to the object. A named plot style table can contain as many or as few plot styles as required. Named plot styles can be assigned to objects or layers, just like any other property.

To set a plot style table type for new drawings

1. Click Tools menu  è Options. At the command prompt, enter options.
2. In the Options dialog box, Plot and Publish tab, click the Plot Style Table Settings button.
3. In the Plot Style Table Settings dialog box, select Use Color-dependent Plot Styles or Use Named Plot Styles.
4. (Optional) In the Default Style Table box, select a default plot style table.
5. (Optional) If Use Named Plot Styles is selected, select plot styles to assign to Layer 0 and to new objects.
6. Click OK.

Note

Setting plot style table types for new drawings does not affect existing drawings.

You can create either a named plot style table or a color-dependent plot style table. With a named plot style table, you can add and define plot styles as you like; the file name has the extension .stb. A color-dependent plot style table creates 255 plot styles based on color; the file name has the extension .ctb. You can specify whether you want to use a plot style table for new drawings or for pre-AutoCAD 2000 drawings when they are saved in a later format.