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Imported PDF CAD drawings faint lines showing in photoshop

Community Beginner ,
Jan 30, 2020 Jan 30, 2020

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Hello, I am a new user to photoshop so im sure this is an easy fiaxable issue!

 

I do my Architectural work on AutoCAD and have been looking for new ways to format and edit my work. I bought a year subscription of the Photoshop and other softwares but have a problem.

 

When i set up my page and then import my CAD PDF drawings into photoshop, the finer lines on my work as an all look extremely faint and nothing like they do on the PDF document.

 

How do i fix this issue, is it a page set up issue or a background issue ect?

 

Many thanks for your help

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Community Expert ,
Jan 30, 2020 Jan 30, 2020

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»nothing like they do on the PDF document«

The pdf as viewed with which application? 

 

Please post meaningful screenshots (taken at View > 100% in Photoshop) or better yet provide a pdf and the corresponding psd. 

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 01, 2020 Feb 01, 2020

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Screenshot 2020-02-01 at 16.36.24.pngScreenshot 2020-02-01 at 16.35.53.png

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Community Expert ,
Feb 01, 2020 Feb 01, 2020

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What is the problem? 

That the display changes from preview to teh commited content? 

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 01, 2020 Feb 01, 2020

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The image chanages from normal to extremely faint as soon as its committed? I dont want the image to chanage at all from its original state

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Community Expert ,
Feb 01, 2020 Feb 01, 2020

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But the preview is not the »original state« it is just a preview. 

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 01, 2020 Feb 01, 2020

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The original state isnt faint. when i open the exact same pdf in InDesign or word or AutoCAD it isnt faint and looks normal. When i open in photshop it fades

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Community Expert ,
Feb 02, 2020 Feb 02, 2020

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Please provide such a pdf. 

 

And what are the previes settings you use in Indesign? 

 

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LEGEND ,
Jan 30, 2020 Jan 30, 2020

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This may be slightly off topic but I wonder why you think creating a PDF from your ACad drawings and then loading that PDF in Photoshop is a good way to Work on (I take that as Edit) your drawings?

 

Back to the question you asked.

 

How did you create the PDF of your ACad drawing?

What program did you use to create the PDFs.

 

I used CAD for many years, Generic Cadd to start then Visual Cadd and crossed with Acad every now and then, and never found creating a PDF of my drawings, mainly to share with others so they could not edit them, gave really good results. Line thicknesses were always lacking. Some to bold others not showing at all.

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New Here ,
Apr 07, 2023 Apr 07, 2023

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This comment was very unhelpful... Interior design/architecture students use AutoCAD and often plot their work onto pdfs to then import them on photoshop to render them. This is a common practice within the industry.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 30, 2020 Jan 30, 2020

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Hi! Another question might be is it a resolution issue? When you bring your PDF into Photoshop, in the import dialog, what resolution and page size are you using to import? When you look at the lines are you viewing the image at 100% or smaller?

 

There are a several ways you can darken the lines--here are a couple of easy ones: 

1. Duplicate the layer and then set the Blending Mode of the duplicated layer to Multiply. You can then use the Layer Opacity to adjust the darknesss.

2. You can also use Levels or Curves to darken the image. 

 

Let us know if that helps, or if you have any other questions!

Michelle

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 01, 2020 Feb 01, 2020

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Screenshot 2020-01-30 at 17.06.23.pngScreenshot 2020-01-30 at 17.06.37.png

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 01, 2020 Feb 01, 2020

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Hi, thanks for the reply. I started by setting up an A2 page with resolution 200, but im not really sure what this should be set at? when the image first improts it looks ok, then when it renders the lines so faint? thanks

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New Here ,
Sep 05, 2020 Sep 05, 2020

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Hi, I am an architecture student and I am having the same problem. My lines are very clear on the printed pdf but as soon as I place it into photoshop the lines become extremely light and are very hard to see. Is there any way to fix this?

 

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Community Expert ,
Sep 05, 2020 Sep 05, 2020

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When you import your pdf, what are your settings in the import dialog box that comes up? You should check the resolution and the color mode that you are using to import.

Michelle

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New Here ,
Oct 18, 2020 Oct 18, 2020

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Im having the exact same issue and the lines are thick in the PDF, but super faint when set in PSD????? 

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Community Expert ,
Nov 09, 2020 Nov 09, 2020

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Can you provide such a pdf? 

What is the width of the lines in vector data? 

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New Here ,
Nov 28, 2020 Nov 28, 2020

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Hi

I had the same issue when I imported pdf made by CAD into PS. All of my lines went really thin. When you import the pdf page, chose "Media box", and when PS pastes it on your page, unchek Anti-alias then click OK.

I hope it will work.

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New Here ,
Feb 26, 2021 Feb 26, 2021

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I had the same issue. I tried your solution and it finally worked for me. thanks!

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New Here ,
Feb 03, 2021 Feb 03, 2021

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I was having the same issue. I fixed it by checking my lineweights in CAD. If you view yoru pdf as the whole sheet, it looks all like the same linetype. Zoom in a lot and you can actually see the different line weights. Double check your line weights. When you plot, make sure the "plot lineweights" is on and test out which thickness you want.

Hope this helps!

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2021 Feb 04, 2021

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I think I have even received a pdf with a linewight of 0 sometime and that may preview very unreliably. 

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New Here ,
Feb 08, 2022 Feb 08, 2022

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Hi not sure if you got your answer, but when I import a CADD PDF into photoshop my lines disappear.  What has worked for me in the past - and you should know I am very inexperienced in photoshop >

 

FILTER

>OTHER

>>MINIMUM

>>ADJUST RADIUS BY 1

 

Hopefully this makes sense.

Carla

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New Here ,
May 20, 2023 May 20, 2023

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Thank you! Your solution is the only one that worked for me

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New Here ,
Sep 29, 2023 Sep 29, 2023

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LATEST

this is the best solution!!!! thank you!!!!

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 08, 2022 Feb 08, 2022

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If the CAD file has been saved as a PDF, I'd recommend running the PDF through Acrobat Pro's Print Production Tools: Preflight/Fixup where a minimum line weight can be set:

 

acrobatpro.png

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