Working in an architecture office does not mean that you have to work only with AutoCAD and Revit, but also you should know how to use other applications especially Microsoft Office and Adobe products. You also should know how all these software work and how you can convert the files from one to another. Adobe Photoshop is the most used application for photography, and because of that there are enough reasons why you have to learn how work with Photoshop and how to move your AutoCAD drawings into Adobe Photoshop.

You use Adobe Photoshop in architecture office to create powerful and high end photos for your presentations. Because AutoCAD creates “accurate, clear, and intelligent drawings,” Adobe Photoshop is the best application for you and your presentations. AutoCAD creates vector drawings in DWG format but for your drawing presentation you need a raster and pixel based application and Adobe Photoshop is the best known software out there for that.

For example you create a drawing using polylines in AutoCAD but “this sort of accurate drafting is very difficult to archive in Photoshop but AutoCAD makes it easy.” However, creating a photographic illustration is not possible in AutoCAD. But you should know that any of these applications can do the final job alone. “AutoCAD looks after the accurate and Photoshop deals with the presentation.”

There are many different ways to export drawings from AutoCAD into Adobe Photoshop, but it depends on the lower or higher resolution, and the quality of the image. There are three different methods and techniques to export AutoCAD DWG files into Photoshop. Each method will have its unique quality and because of that you should know what you want before you start with exporting your drawings.

Quick and Simple method for lower image quality – imagine you want to add some images from your drawings into your homepage or you just want to print it in a small format. The easiest and fastest way is the Print Screen method. You just open your drawing; zoom into the area which you want to create an image of them. Then you have to push one button on keyboard to save that image in your memory. To do so you just click the “Print Screen Button”, then open a new document in Photoshop and push the keyboard combination CTRL + V. You can see immediately that your drawing appears in Photoshop window. Now, you just have to cut the portion and save it as a JPG, TIFF, or GIF file for your website or printing. But the best file format will be EPS format because it supports a vector file format, but the problem is, you can´t use this file for your website, but it is the better file if you want to print your image.

Exporting to EPS – this method is perfect for line work. It is a fast and easy technique if you don´t need images with high quality and high resolution. To do so, first zoom into the area which you want to export to Photoshop to create your image. “Exporting to EPS works like the plot display option so that if there are objects in your drawing that are off screen, they won´t be exported.” Then click on File/Export… in the drop-down menu in AutoCAD. When the Export Data dialogue box appears, set the “Files of Type” to “Encapsulated PS”. Then just give a name for your file and save it in a destination. You might be disappointed after you open your image in Photoshop because the quality is not better than the method one, but don´t be worried because you have to make some changes in AutoCAD to make much better quality images in EPS format. Go back to your AutoCAD drawing and open the PostScript out Options dialogue box. In this dialogue box you have to change the paper size and play with the settings to get the best results for your line weights.

 Plotting to EPS – if you want a higher resolution than the method two for your images then you should use the Plotting to EPS technique. It is just like plotting on a paper, but you save your drawing as an EPS file. To do so, you have to set up a logical PostScript plotter. Adding a logical PostScript plotter is just like adding a normal plotter under Tools/Wizards/Add Plotter… Just do the step by step wizards but don´t forget to chose “Adobe”, when the page is asking for plotter model. Then click next to finish this wizard. Now you are ready to plot your drawing in an EPS format. Select File/Plot… Then click the Plot Device Tab when the Plot Dialogue Box comes up. Now, chose your PostScript plotter under Plotter Configuration, give a file name for your drawing under “File Name”, and file the destination for your file under “Location”. Then click on the Plot Setting Tab to set up the paper size and all other settings, which you might find important for your exported file. After saving your file, you are able to open your AutoCAD drawing in Adobe Photoshop to create a high quality image for your project and your presentation.