It is not necessary to go through the complete setup procedure each time you print a design file. Instead, you can create a print definition (.pset) file and save it to disk. A print definition file contains the design file-specific information required to recreate a print of a particular drawing, thus streamlining repetitive printing tasks. This information includes the area to be printed, the design file specification, page size, margins, and scale. Where a pen table is attached, this too is saved as part of the print definition file. Once saved, you can recall the print definition file at any time to create printed output of the same area of your design file.

Print definition files are binary files and have replaced print setup or print configuration text (.ini) files. Print definition files created with the Print dialog contain a single print definition and are not intended to be edited outside of MicroStation.

The File > Open Print Definition File menu item on the Print dialog allows you to select a print definition (.pset) file or a legacy print configuration (.ini) file, and the File > Save Print Definition File menu item can write only .pset files.

When the Print dialog reads a .pset file, it only opens the first print definition in the set. When the Print dialog saves to an existing .pset file, only the Print dialog's print definition is saved. Any other print definitions in the file will be lost.

The initial directory for the Open Print Definition File dialog is determined by the first directory in the MS_PRINTDEF_PATH configuration variable, if defined. If the variable is not defined, it defaults to the most recently used directory.

The .pset file format stores the design file specification, and that design file is automatically opened when the print dialog opens the .pset file. If the design file cannot be opened the .pset open attempt is aborted.

The legacy .ini file format does not contain the design file specification; therefore, you should open the proper design file, and then open the .ini file. If the .ini file does not match the currently loaded design file, an error is produced if the dimensions are different. Otherwise, as much of the .ini file is read as possible, which may or may not result in the desired print definition.