Why do plans look blurry or pixelated in Fieldwire, and how can I fix it?

Overview

This article explains why plans may appear blurry or pixelated in Fieldwire and how to fix the issue.

Why this matters: Blurry plans make it difficult to read details, place tasks accurately, and work efficiently on-site.

• Platforms: Web / iOS / Android

Why does this happen?

Blurry plans are usually caused by how the PDF was created, uploaded, or rendered in Fieldwire.

The most common causes include low-quality exports, non-selectable text, mobile upload limitations, and device-specific rendering behavior.

Common causes

• Uploaded from mobile: Uploading plans from a mobile device can reduce quality.
• Text is not selectable: Text embedded as an image cannot render sharply.
• Non-standard page size: Unusual dimensions may affect processing.
• Export settings: Poor AutoCAD export settings can reduce clarity.
• Older project processing: Older projects may not use higher-resolution rendering.
• Mobile optimization: Plans are rasterized on mobile for performance, which can reduce sharpness.

Example

This example shows the difference between a properly formatted PDF and one that may appear blurry in Fieldwire.

• In Fieldwire: Text may appear pixelated or unclear when zooming.
  

• In Adobe Acrobat: Text appears sharp and selectable.
  

How to fix blurry plans

On Mobile

Some quality reduction is expected on mobile due to performance optimization.

1. Open the project in the Fieldwire mobile app.
2. Go to project settings.
3. Disable Smart Synchronization.
4. Re-sync the project completely.

On Web

Blurry plans on Web are usually related to the source file or browser behavior.

1. Re-upload from desktop: Always upload plans using a computer.
2. Check if text is selectable:
   • If you can copy text in Adobe Acrobat → continue troubleshooting.
   • If you cannot → re-export the PDF with proper text formatting.
3. Check page size: Ensure the plan uses a standard format (A0–A3 or similar).
4. Review AutoCAD export settings: Ask the plan creator to use optimized export settings (e.g., exploded text).
5. Upload to a new project:
   • If it looks better → issue is project-related.
   • If it is still blurry → issue is source file–related.
6. Try another browser: If using Safari, switch to Chrome or another supported browser.

Troubleshooting

• Issue: Plan looks blurry only on mobile
  Solution: This is expected behavior due to mobile rendering optimization.
• Issue: Text is blurry at all zoom levels
  Solution: The PDF likely contains image-based text. Re-export the file.
• Issue: Plan quality varies by browser
  Solution: Test in Chrome to rule out browser-specific issues.

When to contact Support

Contact Support if all of the following are true:

• The plan is sharp in Adobe Acrobat
• Text is selectable
• The page size is standard
• You uploaded from desktop
• You tested in a new project
• The plan is still blurry in Fieldwire

Best practices

• Upload plans from desktop only
• Use PDFs with selectable text (not image-based text)
• Export using optimized CAD settings
• Use standard sheet sizes (A0–A3 or equivalent)

Known limitations

• Plans are processed with a maximum resolution limit; not all files reach it
• Mobile rendering prioritizes performance over visual fidelity
• Files uploaded to the Files tab may retain original appearance better than the Plans tab