Imported PDF CAD drawings faint lines showing in photoshop

[Mattyswift1995]

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

[c.pfaffenbichler]

»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. 

[Mattyswift1995]

[c.pfaffenbichler]

What is the problem? 

That the display changes from preview to teh commited content? 

[Mattyswift1995]

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

[c.pfaffenbichler]

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

[Mattyswift1995]

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

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Please provide such a pdf. 

And what are the previes settings you use in Indesign? 

[Just Shoot Me]

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.

[Gabriela293022947iae]

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.

[mglush]

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

[Mattyswift1995]

[Mattyswift1995]

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

[5FAC]

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?

[mglush]

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

[Kudder]

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

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Can you provide such a pdf? 

What is the width of the lines in vector data? 

[Robert5E29]

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.

[Narges5C2C]

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

[Silvia5EAB]

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!

[c.pfaffenbichler]

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

[Carla23066115uryo]

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

[Marija26677795zt6y]

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

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

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:

[Gabriela293022947iae]

The easiest fix to this issue is creating a new fill/adjustment layer, and moving the brightness down to all the way to -150.

This issue happens because when you draft your work you often use different lineweights and the thinner the lineweight the lighter it will appear when you import it onto photoshop

Zoomed out it may look dark but once you zoom in you can actually see the different lineweights in your drawing.

Hope this helps.