How can you format 2D CAD drawings for different printing and plotting devices?

As said in this article, using a PDF is best option, which will reflect actual hard copy output and this is acceptable by any plotter or printer amd makes your life simpler.

Please plot PDFs instead of wasting our trees. We need trees to breathe because they make oxygen for all life forms. Thanks.

In my experience it always come down to the specific needs of your project and how you plan to use or distribute the drawings. For me as an Architect, Plotter and PDF are most useful because of the need for Large Format printing for site use and also maintaining a digital archive in PDF format. Ultimately, each option has its merits, and the best choice depends on the unique demands of your projects.

Best and easy way creating a PDF file i am also think this is a best option from plot commend, make your life simpler always,

Share a CAD-neutral format in addition to PDF. In my experience providing a CAD-neutral format such as .dxf (aka Drawing eXchange Format) in addition to the .pdf format would help in cases where we need to share the 2D CAD with the Draft department that own printer and plotter. For example, when we just sent the PDF to the Draft department, they may have to Zoom in/out to understand some of the intricate details, before running it on their printer/plotter. But, PDF would lose the resolution when zoomed in/out. Whereas, .dxf being CAD-neutral can be read by the CAD software. Draft department can zoom in/out to understand any details present within, before executing the printing/plotting.

One additional note I see on this is, depending on what program you are using, you may need to be careful when adjusting layout to make sure you aren't moving or modifying your actual CAD drawing. For instance, in AutoCAD, make sure you are in layout space and not model space. When you are in layout space, make sure the viewer is active to change the viewport, but, again, be careful not to alter your CAD drawing when changing the viewport. Also it may be helpful to decide ahead of time what size you plan to print it as this can change how you frame your drawing (and where drawing information is written in the frame).

Before printing one needs to modify the settings like line weight and resolution, there can never be enough emphasis on previewing the layout after everything has been done (setting of scale and orientation) then convert to PDF since most printers and plotters accept it plus it's un editable after saving, so they won't be tempering with data.

I’d like to see more digital transformation and less deforestation. In today’s digital landscape there’s really no need to print drawings anymore. We all carry a device in our pocket that has more computing power than the computers that sent astronauts to the moon so why are we still printing drawings like it’s the 1960’s?

My last job (which lasted 3 months) the CAD Manager was so old skool we had to print everything out, even if it then sat there on your desk. Old dogs who will not get with modern workflows, technology need to be put out to pasture. Unfortunately that would mean 90% of them.