DCDigital
Competence

Computational Design — Archive of Practice

v0.1.0 — draft

Aalto University · Dept. of Architecture

  4. 04Output09

    Preparing visual, printed, and fabricated output from the digital model.

    1. 04.01Cut and generate architectural sectionsUpcoming

      Archived — content in progress. Not yet available.

    2. 04.02Export clean 2D linework from a 3D modelUpcoming

      Archived — content in progress. Not yet available.

    3. 04.03Keep text and dimensions at the correct scaleUpcoming

      Archived — content in progress. Not yet available.

    4. 04.04Control line weights and line types for printingUpcoming

      Archived — content in progress. Not yet available.

    5. 04.05Manage messy hatches and overlapping elementsUpcoming

      Archived — content in progress. Not yet available.

    6. 04.06How to avoid colour and display errors when printing?

      Rhino separates the on-screen Display Colour from the output Print Colour — control both, plus a PrintDisplay preview, to get clean black-and-white line work.

      • Workspace vs. Paper Space (Layout)
      • PrintDisplay
      • Layer Setting vs. Object Property
    7. 04.07Fix blurry lines and pixelated PDF exportsUpcoming

      Archived — content in progress. Not yet available.

    8. 04.08Prepare a digital model for 3D printingUpcoming

      Archived — content in progress. Not yet available.

    9. 04.09Choose the right settings for renderingUpcoming

      Archived — content in progress. Not yet available.

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04 - OutputpublishedUpdated 21 Sept 2026

How to avoid colour and display errors when printing?

Combined screencaptures from Rhinoceros 7, file: Helsinki base map

Description

In digital modelling, we use vibrant colours to easily distinguish different geometries. This is known as the “Display Colour,” which makes the modelling process easier to view and manage. However, when outputting 2D architectural drawings, clear black-and-white line work is usually required, which is controlled by the “Print Colour.” Rhino intentionally separates these two systems: one is designed for your visual convenience while working, and the other ensures a unified and accurate colour output when printing.

Tips

  • Utilise the dual-colour system in the Layers panel

    Keep different Display Colours for your layers to help you model more efficiently, but unify all their Print Colours to black for output.

  • Enable real-time preview with PrintDisplay

    Use PrintDisplay command and set its state to “On”. This forces your viewport to simulate the actual print colours and line weights, helping you spot errors before exporting.

  • Understand object property overrides

    In Rhino, a geometry’s individual colour or line weight setting will override its layer settings. It is highly recommended to set all objects to By Layer to manage them systematically, and then use the Properties panel to apply individual settings to specific objects.

  • Printing Setting

    When setting up your print window (Ctrl+P), select Black and White under the Output Colour settings. This acts as a final safeguard to prevent any unwanted colours from showing up in your PDF export.

Keywords

[C] concept

  • Workspace vs. Paper Space (Layout)
  • WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)

[L] logic

  • Layer Setting vs. Object Property
  • Properties Override

[T] tool

  • PrintDisplay
  • Print Colour & Display Colour
  • Object Property