Hide Crop Boundaries, Scope Boxes and Reference Planes When Printing Revit
Revit Print Setup can hide crop boundaries, scope boxes, reference/work planes and other non-deliverable graphics so construction documents do not print modeling aids.
Beginner takeaway: Hide drafting aids through output/view controls instead of deleting useful model setup geometry.
What you need to understand first
A reference plane or crop boundary can be useful while modeling but undesirable in a formal PDF. Revit includes print options for exactly this separation.
- Print Setup includes options to hide crop boundaries, scope boxes and reference/work planes.
- These controls affect output without requiring permanent deletion.
- Unreferenced view tags can also be hidden in relevant output workflows.
Related guides: Revit Print Setup Dialog Explained for Beginners, Revit View/Sheet Sets for Printing: Save and Reuse Sheet Selections, and Revit PDF Missing Lines or Elements: What to Check First.
Step-by-step workflow
Step 1 — Identify unwanted item
Where: Problem sheet/view
Do this: Confirm whether it is a crop boundary, scope box, reference plane or tag.
Check: The correct control is known.
Step 2 — Open Print Setup
Where: Print > Setup > Options
Do this: Enable the applicable Hide option.
Check: Output configuration suppresses the aid.
Step 3 — Preview
Where: Print Preview
Do this: Inspect the affected sheet.
Check: Unwanted graphics are gone.
Step 4 — Check view graphics if still visible
Where: Visibility/Graphics / view settings
Do this: Confirm the item is not another category or annotation.
Check: Cause is isolated.
Step 5 — Save setting
Where: Saved Print Setting
Do this: Preserve the appropriate hide options for issue output.
Check: Future sets stay clean.
What usually goes wrong
| What you see | Likely layer | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Crop box prints | Hide option/view setting | Enable applicable control. |
| Scope box still visible | View/category difference | Check Visibility/Graphics. |
| Wanted tag disappears | Hide option too broad | Review output standard. |
| Only one sheet differs | View-specific settings | Compare view template/overrides. |
Practical example
Scope boxes are intentionally visible during coordination but should not appear on permit PDFs. Keep them in the model, enable the relevant hide output option in the permit Print Setting, and Preview a representative sheet before batch output.
What not to do
- Do not delete project reference planes just to clean one print.
- Do not hide categories globally without considering modeling/coordination needs.
- Do not assume every unwanted line is a crop boundary.
Good office standard
Create issue Print Settings that suppress non-deliverable aids while leaving coordination views free to show them when needed.
Quick verification before you move on
- Use one representative drawing or sheet, not a production batch.
- Verify page size, orientation and a known dimension.
- Compare Preview/PDF with the physical output when a printer is involved.
- Save the setting or set only after the result is repeatable.
Official references
Frequently asked questions
Can I hide crop boundaries only for printing?
Revit Print Setup includes hide options for crop boundaries and other reference graphics.
Should I delete scope boxes before issue?
No. Use output/view controls so the modeling structure remains intact.
Why might a line still print?
It may belong to a different category or view-specific graphic setting.
Explore more in Revit Printing & PDF Guide.