It has long been a standard for everyone working with electronic documents, design layouts, drawings, as it allows you to display exactly the same formatting on almost every device.

Convert PDF file into format for AutoCAD in several ways.

But many users, especially beginners, have difficulties: how to convert PDF to AutoCAD or, conversely, how to transfer to DWG from PDF to AutoCAD. The answers to these and other questions will be covered below.

In order to convert a drawing from “DWG” to “PDF”, you will need to perform the following simple manipulations:



  1. Next, to save the print area, select “Frame” in the “What to print” line, click on the button of the same name and use the mouse to place the desired object to save in the frame.

Method 2

To convert to PDF format in AutoCAD, you can use the tools of the Universal Document Converter distribution kit; by the way, it is distributed free of charge. All steps are the same as those described in “method 1”, except that you will need to specify “Universal Document Converter” in the “Printer/Plotter” list.

You can also use another method for defining the print area and instead of specifying a frame, specify “Borders,” and also set “Align drawing to center” and “Align to paper size.” Using the same distribution, you can convert the drawing and protect it with a password.

To do this you will need the following:

  1. Open "Properties" and on the "Device and Documents" tab select "Advanced Properties"
  2. An editor window will open, in which select the “Format” section
  3. In the “Standard” line, indicate “Password protection” and, accordingly, set the password you need. And in the future, users who open this document, you will need to enter a password, and using this section you can also set a watermark.

How to convert (convert) PDF to DWG

Implemented this opportunity using the "Import" function. Will do this method for versions software AutoCAD is no older than 2010.

So, in order to convert PDF files in AutoCAD, you need the following:

  1. Open the menu section by clicking on the letter “A” and select “Import”, then select “PDF”.
  2. The file import window will open, in which click on the “Browse” button to select the downloaded file.
  3. If the downloaded object has many pages, below in the “Pages to import” block, indicate the number of the desired fragment.
  4. On the left you can see blocks with parameter settings, set the ones necessary for work and finally click “OK”.

Useful Commands and Variables

  • “EXPORT” – to save objects in another format ;
  • “EXPORTPDF” – to display the “Save to PDF” window;
  • “EXPORTEPLOTFORMAT” – to install the default extension;
  • “EXPORTMODELSPACE” – to determine the part of the drawing to be exported;
  • “PDFSHX” – serves to save text objects used in the SHX font to a PDF file in the form of comments during export.

Converting files with an extension from PDF to DWG or vice versa is also carried out using third-party converters, for example “Aide Converter” or “PDF2DWG” and others.

How everyone works online converters is similar, two steps are performed - to the PDF file resource and indication his real address Email to get the result DWG file. Let's look at the most popular services for this purpose.

Online resource Cometdocs.com– download PDF document via button UpLoad.

Drag it in the Convert field.

Choose DWG format, enter your email and click Convert.

The letter received at the specified address will link to download DWG.

Next resource – Cadsofttools.ru. The operating principle is absolutely identical to the previous one.

Conversion programs

Opportunity PDF conversion in DWG appeared in the version AutoCAD 2017. For this you need import content this file directly into AutoCAD drawings. In this case, the lines and text will become changeable. Accuracy depends on the quality of the original document.

In earlier versions this conversion impossible, however, there is such a command as PDF import. The image from the document will be attached to the drawing in the form external link on raster image without the ability to edit.

Among the conversion programs we note Aide PDF To DWG Converter. The program is very easy to use.

Standard procedure installations.

As for use, the interface is English, but intuitive. Choose requiring conversion PDF document by pressing the button ADD PDF Files.

Then choose the folder into which the resulting file should be placed.

By pressing the button Settings choose which format AutoCad versions You wish to receive.

Press the button Convert, wait for the operation to complete. Note that in addition to DWG, you can also get the popular format as output DXF.

From shortcomings of this program, the following can be noted: the text remains not editable, but the lines vector graphics become completely changeable.

In this video we will talk about How to insert a PDF file into AutoCAD.

From the lesson you will learn:

– How to insert a PDF file into AutoCAD;

– How to correctly add PDF to Autocad;

– How to open a PDF file in AutoCAD;

– How to import PDF into AutoCAD;

– How to darken a PDF backing and how to make bindings on it.

Video version of the lesson:

Text version of the lesson:

Hello again dear friends! Today we will talk about how to correctly insert a PDF file into AutoCAD. And in such a way that it is possible to attach to key points.

Question 1. How to insert PDF file in AutoCAD?

Step 1. First you need to go to the “ tab insert“.

Step 3. Next, for PDF inserts file needs to be found. Therefore, select the location where it is stored, in the “file type” list, select “PDF FILES”. This is done so that only PDF files are displayed in the window; this speeds up the search for the desired document if there are a lot of files.

In our example, the file is called “lesson sheets”. Select it and click the “open” button.

Step 4. In a new window you need to select the desired PDF sheet. There can be many sheets, depending on the PDF file itself.

If there are a lot of sheets and you need to insert everything, then you should hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard and select the required sheets or all (depending on what exactly you need to insert)

The CTRL key is here

So, if you have several sheets in one PDF file, then select the ones you need by holding down the CTRL key and the left mouse button. In our case, we only have one file and it is already selected (highlighted in blue).

Step 5. Now important point. When we insert the PDF file into AutoCAD, then you should select “Relative path” in the “path type”. Another important point. Your PDF file and the drawing itself into which you insert the PDF file must be located in one folder, then, if you move the entire folder to another disk or flash drive, the PDF file will still be displayed in the drawing. After setting, click “Ok”.

“There have been times in my practice when I forgot to make such a setting. Even when I moved files to other devices or drives, when I opened the PDF drawing, the file did not appear because... the path was set with saving to the old location, but it is no longer there, which means there is nothing to be displayed.”

Step 6. Our PDF file opened and moved automatically to the origin, so it is not visible on the screen.

If your file is also not visible, then you should quickly double-click on the mouse wheel. And so, we were automatically moved to our PDF file.

Question 2. How to snap to key points on a PDF file in AutoCAD?

This is done quite simply. Let's say we want to draw a segment, select this command. Then, we enlarge our PDF file in the right place and move the mouse cursor to the corner of the building. Voila, with snaps turned on, we will immediately see a “green marker”, which means that we can snap our segment to the corner of the building.

Question 3. How to darken a PDF background in AutoCAD?

When digitizing drawings using underlays, it is sometimes not convenient to draw the necessary lines; they simply merge. To do this, darken the substrate itself.

Step 1. Click on the frame.

Step 3. If we set the value using the slider to 70 or more, we will see that our PDF file has become dimmer. Thus, we will be able to better distinguish between the lines of the substrate and the lines that we apply on top.

And that's all for us! As you can see, inserting a PDF file is very easy and simple. By the way, it also happens that you need to insert a drawing that was previously . Such simple techniques will help you in your work, especially if you need to digitize a project or supplement it with other materials in PDF format.

And that’s all for us, see you in new video lessons and articles on our website! Thank you for reading to the end!

Other lessons on the topic


PDF to DWG is a program that allows you to change the format of documents. This functionality can be useful for those who often work with scanned copies of books, or with 2D graphic drawings. Using the utility, you can convert pdf to dwg, preserving the original quality and even fonts from the original file. PDF Converter Absolutely any user who is faced with the need to change the format can download DWG for free. The program can even be used to solve corporate problems without paying any license fees to the developers. The interesting thing is that this converter works even with quite strong outdated versions formats. Using PDF to DWG, you can open a file created in AutoCAD 2005 and later. This versatility will be useful for those who need to review old drawings and diagrams. Moreover, using the program, you can turn a raster image into a vector image, maintaining the closest possible color scheme and clarity of lines.

To ensure speed of work, the utility has the ability to convert PDF to DWG not entirely, but only individual pages and elements. This allows you to avoid wasting extra time processing an entire document consisting of hundreds of pages. Also, this program to convert to PDF to DWG allows you to save the required pages as one new file, and in several. Proper use of all functionality will help save time and effort on carrying out the necessary procedures.

The utility is distributed in Russian, which makes it more user-friendly. Anyone can download a PDF in DVG, as well as understand the operating principle of the utility. This is facilitated by a convenient interface, divided into several working areas. Thanks to this, you can work with the utility for a long time without feeling discomfort or pain in your eyes.

Positive qualities of PDF to DWG:

  • Full Russian version with clear translation;
  • Functionality required for Windows users;
  • Convenient and logical interface;
  • Support for legacy PDF and DWG format standards;
  • High performance on Windows systems;
  • Batch processing capabilities;
  • High quality graphics after conversion.

Converting files allows you to easily change their format for reading, sending or editing. Very often you have to wonder about converting documents from PDF to DWG.

PDF is a format electronic documents, which was developed by Adobe Systems. The main purpose is the presentation of printed products in in electronic format. It can be viewed on almost any device using a variety of programs. Editing can only be done using special software. Among the advantages of the PDF format it is worth highlighting:

  • high level of document security, the ability to configure additional protection against editing;
  • small volume of files, which is very convenient for storage;
  • versatility that we mentioned above.

DWG is a format used to store two-dimensional and three-dimensional design data. By default, it is used by programs such as AutoCAD, nanoCAD, IntelliCAD.

Important! To open files in the formatDWGthere are paid and free apps. The latter allow you to view documents and, in some cases, perform editing. Paid software opens up the widest possible possibilities: for any parameters that interest the user.

How to convert a document from PDF to DWG using a program

Browsing the Internet, you will see a large number of programs that allow you to convert a document from PDF to DWG. Select one of them, download and install on your computer. Remember that most software is paid. But its functionality is much broader.

You can choose from the following programs:

  • PDF to DWG;
  • PDF to DWG Converter;
  • ABViewer Enterprise.

After downloading the program and installing it on your computer, you will need to run it. The interface will differ depending on the selected software. The general sequence of actions looks like this:

  • select the format into which you want to convert the document;
  • indicate the folder where it will be placed new document. The field may be called "Output Folder";
  • in the settings, select the AutoCAD version;
  • open the PDF file. If the program is in English, this will be the “Add PDF File” button. Select a document, indicating the path to its location;
  • start conversion.

The new file will be located at the address you specified.

How to Convert PDF to DWG Using AutoCAD

Considering versions of the program before 2017, we note that conversion here will not be possible. The file can only be used as a background, scaling it if necessary. Versions of the program 2017 and later provide the ability to import PDF content file. This is done very simply.

Open AutoCAD and click Import on the menu bar.

Select the document you want to open.

Configure import options, if required.

Click the “OK” button. This will start moving the file and opening it in the desired format.

Important! After importing, the text contained in the file may not be recognized. In this case, the reason becomes in an unsupported encoding.

Not all files can be imported using this method, but only those that were created in the appropriate programs, in particular AutoCad. If you are trying to translate a document that contains scanned images, the program will not be able to recognize them. You will see a message stating that there are no imported objects.

When importing in an earlier version of the program, you will not find the “Import” menu item. Here the sequence of actions will be slightly different.

On the top menu bar, click the "Attach" button.

In the window that opens, install PDF format, select the file you are interested in from the desired folder.

After confirming the action, you will see the required drawing in the program.

Video - How to convert PDF to DWG