Rizal Technological University

Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City

College of Education

MECHANICAL DRAFTING

Moreno, Angelo
Naraga, Margie
Nerio, Kenneth Carl
Nervar, Joan

CED13-301A
Mechanical Drafting

 Drafting is said to be the universal language of industry and modern technology. It is

through the application of special lines and symbols that drafter’s use so that technical
people can communicate.
 Through drawings, ideas and designs are transferred between draftsmen, architects and
engineers.
 Drafting, otherwise known as technical drawing, is the creation of accurate
representations of objects, buildings or houses for technical, architectural or engineering
purposes. Someone who is skilled in drafting is called a draftsman or draftsperson.
 In drafting, objects are drawn to scale, and usually comprise a top view, a main view and
a side view of the object or building. They are usually very detailed and are often used as
blueprints for the construction or assembly of the object. While they are sometimes used
in engineering, they are more common in architecture.
 Architects will engage draftsmen to draft house designs, showing the dimensions of the
house, the configuration of the rooms, and specifications for windows, doors, lights,
appliances and other features, as well as external details such as driveways, garden beds,
fencing and roof type. These are house plans or building plans.
 Traditionally, house plans and technical drawings are done on paper with pencils, rulers
and protractors, but more recently, computer-assisted design, or CAD, has become the
preferred way of drafting design. It produces a three-dimensional technical image of the
object or building and is quicker and more accurate than a manual drawing. It can also be
stored electronically and provides more detail and options. Drafting services use CAD
and archi CAD as their major method of creating plans and designs.

Tools in Drafting

 Pencil - Traditional and typical styli used for technical drawing are pencils and technical
pens.
 Drafting board - The drawing board is an essential tool. Paper will be attached and kept
straight and still, so that the drawing can be done with accuracy. Generally, different kind
of assistance rulers are used in drawing. The drawing board is usually mounted to a floor
pedestal in which the board turns to a different position, and also its height can be
adjustable.
 T-square - is a straightedge which uses the edge of the drawing board as a support. It is
used with the drafting board to draw horizontal lines and to align other drawing
instruments.
 Drafting Machine - A drafting machine is a device which is mounted to the drawing
board. It has rulers whose angles can be precisely adjusted with a controlling mechanism.
  French Curves - French curves are made of wood, plastic or celluloid. Some set squares
also have these curves cut in the middle. French curves are used for drawing curves
which cannot be drawn with compasses.
 Rulers - Rulers used in technical drawing are usually made of polystyrene. It is used for
drawing lines and connecting points. Rulers come in two types according to the design of
their edge. A ruler with a straight edge can be used with lead pencils and felt pens,
whereas when a technical pen is used the edge must be grooved to prevent the spread of
the ink.
 Compass - Compasses are used for drawing circles or arc segments of circles. One form
has two straight legs joined by a hinge; one leg has a sharp pivot point and the other has a
holder for a technical pen or pencil.
 Templates - Templates contain pre-dimensioned holes in the right scale to accurately
draw a symbol or sign.
 Drafting paper - Silk-paper -like translucent drafting paper that wrinkles when wetted.
It is primarily suitable for pencils and felt tip pens. Pencil marks can be corrected to some
extent with an eraser.

PERFORMING MENSURATION AND CALCULATION

•Amperage (Amps) - a unit of measurement of electrical current flow

•Ampere - a unit of measurement which describes the amount of electric current passing a certain
point at a particular time

•Centimeter - hundredth of a meter

•Inch - a portion of a foot, which is an English unit of linear measurement

•Megger - an instrument used to measure the insulation resistance of conductors or wire. It gives
measurement in ohms or meg-ohms

•Millimeter - one-thousandth of a meter

•Multi-tester - an electrical measuring instrument used to measure the voltage, the resistance or
the current of a circuit. It is connected either through parallel or series with the circuit depending
on what to measure

•Ohm - the unit of measurement used to express resistance

•Ohmmeter - an instrument used to measure resistance in ohms

•Volt - a unit of measurement of electrical pressure or voltage

•Voltmeter - an instrument specially designed for measuring voltage

•Wire Gauge - used to measure the diameter of magnetic wire

Developed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

The Alphabet of Lines

 is used to make a drawing neater and clearer to understand.

Different lines represent different aspects of a drawing.

 Construction Lines
 Used to initially lay out a drawings.
 Used for guidelines for lettering.
 Drawn very light and thin so that they are barely visible.

 Visible/Object Lines
 Used to represent the visible edges of an object.
 Should be the most prominent on the drawing.
 Drawn thick and dark.
 These are thicker than construction lines.

 Hidden Line
 Used to represent edges, surfaces or corners of an object hidden from view.
 Drawn as thin, dark dashed lines.
 Spacing can vary slightly.
 Only the most important hidden parts are shown on the drawing to keep the
drawings from becoming cluttered.

 Center Lines
 Used to show the center of circles and arcs.
 Drawn as thin lines.
 Drawn using two long dashes and a shorter dash.
 To show the center of a round object, two centerlines are used so that the short
dashes cross in the center.
 Dimension Lines
 Used for dimensioning and notes.
 Drawn as thin lines.
 Drawn with arrowheads on each end and placed between extension lines.
  The dimension is lettered above the dimension line approximately half way
between the two extension lines.

 Extension Lines
 Used to extend dimensions from the related objects.
 Drawn as thin lines.
 Drawn with a short space between the object and line.
 Extend about 3 mm beyond the dimension line.

 Phantom Lines
 Used to show objects that are not hidden but they are simply not in view.
 Also used to indicate alternate positions of moving parts, lines of motion, adjacent
parts and repetitive details.
 Drawn as thin, dark lines.

 Long Break Lines

 Used to indicate parts of the object has been removed.
 Used when it is desirable to shorten the view of a long part.
 Long break lines are drawn thin with freehand “zigzags”.

 Short Break Lines

 Used to indicate a part of the object has been removed.
 Used when it is desirable to shorten the view of a long part.
 Short break lines are drawn thick and with freehand wavy lines.

 Cutting-plane Lines
 Used to indicate the plane through which a cut was made.
 A cutting plane line is usually a heavy line with long dashes with arrowheads at
both ends of the line.
 The arrowheads point to the surface to be viewed.

 Section Lines
 Used to indicate the surface in the section view imagined to have been cut along
the cutting plane line.
 Thin “cross hatching” lines drawn at a 45° angle.

 Leaders
 Used to point to notes or dimensions.
 Drawn as thin lines.
  Consist of an arrowhead and angled line connected to a surface.
 Arrowheads touch the object lines while the dot rests on a surface.

 Boarder Lines
 Used to outline the entire drawing.
 They are a continuous thick line on the outer rim of the paper.

What Is a 'Line'?

The famous Swiss artist Paul Klee (1879-1940) gave line its best description to date: "A line is a
dot that went for a walk." It's such a true statement and a bit of wisdom that has inspired
generations in their pursuit of art. Yet, we must get a bit more formal than that.

Line is the most basic design 'tool' on which almost every piece of art relies. A line has length,
width, tone, and texture. It may divide space, define a form, describe contour, or suggest
direction.

You can find a line in every type of art. There are, of course, line art drawings and even the most
abstract painting uses line as a foundation. Without line, shapes cannot be noted, texture cannot
be suggested, and tone cannot add depth.

Almost every mark you make is a line as long as it is not a dot, of course. A cluster of lines (or
dots) can make a shape and a series of lines (or dots) can make a pattern.

Types of Line

Artists use the word 'line' all the time and it is used in many different contexts. Yet, each builds
off the basic definition of line.

 Lineweight - Used to describe the strength of a line, or how light or dark it appears on
paper.
 Horizon Line - Controls the height of the viewer's eye. This is most apparent in
landscapes but can be applied to other subjects as well.
 Orthogonal Line - Used in perspective drawing, orthogonal are the lines that reach back
to and converge at the vanishing point.
 Implied Line - Occurs when you continue a line after a small break and that line
proceeds in the same direction.
 Contour Line - Using line to define the edge or form of an object. Quite simply, it is
used to create an outline drawing.
 Hatching and Cross-Hatching - Using a series of simple and parallel lines to imply
shade or tone changes.
 Structural and Center Lines - Used in animation to ensure figures are symmetrical and
balanced.
Orthographic projection (sometimes orthogonal projection) is a means of representing three-
dimensional objects in two dimensions. It is a form of parallel projection, in which all the
projection lines are orthogonal to the projection plane, resulting in every plane of the scene
appearing in affine transformation on the viewing surface. The obverse of an orthographic
projection is an oblique projection, which is a parallel projection in which the projection lines
are not orthogonal to the projection plane.

The term orthographic is sometimes reserved specifically for depictions of objects where the
principal axes or planes of the object are also parallel with the projection plane, but these are
better known as multiview projections. Furthermore, when the principal planes or axes of an
object in an orthographic projection are not parallel with the projection plane, but are rather tilted
to reveal multiple sides of the object, the projection is called an axonometric projection. Sub-
types of multiview projection include plans, elevations and sections. Sub-types of axonometric
projection include isometric, dimetric and trimetric projections.

Orthographic projection, common method of representing three-dimensional objects, usually by

three two-dimensional drawings in each of which the object is viewed along parallel lines that
are perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. For example, an orthographic projection of a house
typically consists of a top view, or plan, and a front view and one side view (front and side
elevations).

Pictorial Drawing

A Pictorial drawing provides a 3D image to help understand the shape of an object or to assist in
interpreting a drawing. There are 3 main ways to draw a pictorial drawing,

1. Isometric drawing

Definition – An Isometric drawing is a pictorial representation of an object in which all three

dimensions are drawn at full scale. The term isometric means “equal measurement”.

Isometric steps Isometric Cube

 Isometric drawing is the most commonly used method of pictorial drawing. Isometric
drawings are built on three lines, called isometric axes. One is drawn vertically and the other two
with the 30° set square either side of it. An Isometric drawing is a way of presenting designs in
three dimensions (3D). They can be completed using the 30/60 set square or freehand. An
Isometric drawing is one of a family of three-dimensional views called pictorial drawings. In an
isometric drawing, the object’s vertical lines are drawn vertically, and the horizontal lines in the
width and depth planes are shown at 30 degrees to the horizontal. The true dimension of the
object is used to construct the drawing. These dimension can be taken from either drawings
completed in orthographic or by measuring an object. Isometric drawings or images have
become the industry standard for parts manuals, technical proposals, patent illustrations and
maintenance publications due to their use of true length and the ability for untrained people to
understand. An isometric projection results if the plane is oriented so that it makes equal angles
with the three principal planes of the object. The representation of the object seen below is an
isometric drawing of a cube.

In this drawing the three visible faces appear as equilateral parallelograms; that is, while
all of the parallel edges of the cube are projected as parallel lines, the horizontal edges are drawn
at an angle (usually 30°) from the normal horizontal axes, and the vertical edges, which are
parallel to the principal axes, appear in their true proportions.

2. Oblique projection

Oblique projection is probably the simplest method of producing a pictorial drawing

because surfaces are directly in front of the viewer will look very similar to the front view in an
orthogonal drawing. It is a method of drawing objects in 3 dimensions and may be drawn at any
angle although 45⁰ is generally used. It is quite a simple technique compared to isometric or even
perspective drawing. However, to draw accurately in oblique projection traditional drawing
equipment is needed. Oblique projections illustrate the general 3 dimensional shape of the object.
However only faces of the object parallel to the plane of projection are shown at there true size
and shape. In fact, the oblique projection of these faces is the same as an orthographic front view.

Cavalier and Cabinet Projection

Diagram 1.1 (a) Cavalier (b) Cabinet

 There are two specific forms of Oblique drawings. (Diagram 1.1) These
are Cavalier and Cabinet projection. The difference between the two is how the depth of the
object is represented. A cavalier projection is obtained when the angle between oblique
projectors and the plane of projection is 45⁰ and the rear projections are true to size. The
resulting figure appears too thick and distorted. A cabinet projection is used to correct this
deficiency. Cabinet projection is an oblique projection where the length of the lines projecting
backwards are halved. Diagram 1.1 shows a drawing of a cube. Diagram (a) has been drawn in
Cavalier and diagram (b) is in Cabinet.

Perspective drawings

A Perspective drawing is one of the best types of drawings to use to provide a pictorial
representation of an object. They produce an image of an object in three dimensions that is very
similar to what the human eye sees. Perspective drawings can be in one point, two point or three
point perspective. One of the most common uses of perspective drawing is in architecture, where
it is used to provide a client, or the public, an image that gives a good representation of how the
project will look when it is built. One point perspective is often used to represent a room on
paper. As well as architecture, perspective drawing is often used in the furniture industry to show
clients the final appearance of a piece of furniture they might commission. (Further information
on Perspective Drawing)

OBLIQUE DRAWING In an oblique drawing the front view is drawn true size, and the
receding surfaces are drawn on an angle to give it a pictorial appearance. This form of projection
has the advantage of showing One View (the Front View) of the object without distortion.
Generally, the face with the greatest detail faces the front. This type of drawing is similar to
Isometric drawing. The only difference is two of its axes are perpendicular to each other such as
one of its planes (views) is parallel to the ground. The angle of elevation of the receding side of
an oblique drawing is normally angled at 450 from the ground line.

Types of OBLIQUE Drawing

 Cavalier Oblique – an oblique drawing where in the receding side is scaled in actual size.
 Cabinet Oblique – an oblique drawing where in the receding side is half the measurement
of the actual size. In cabinet oblique drawings, the receding lines are shortened by one-
half of their true length to compensate for distortion and to approximate more closely
what the human eye would see. It is for this reason that cabinet oblique drawings are the
most used form of oblique drawings.
 General Oblique – an oblique drawing where in the receding side is two-thirds of the
scale of the actual size
Scale Drawing

A drawing that shows a real object with accurate sizes reduced or enlarged by a certain amount
(called the scale). The scale is shown as the length in the drawing, then a colon (":"), then the
matching length on the real thing.

Scale drawings allow us to accurately represent sites, spaces, buildings and details to a smaller or
more practical size than the original.

When a drawing is described as ‘to scale’, it means that each element in that drawing is in the
same proportion, related to the real or proposed thing – it is smaller or indeed larger by a
particular percentage.

General Rules for Dimensioning

1. Dimensions should NOT be duplicated, or the same information given in two different ways.
Don’t over-define or under-define the object.
2. No unnecessary dimensions should be used – only those needed to produce or inspect the part.
3. Dimensions should be placed at finished surfaces or important center lines.
4. Dimensions should be placed so that it is not necessary for the observer to calculate, scale or
assume any measurement (except for repeated circles).
5. Dimensions should be attached to the view that best shows the shape of the feature to be
dimensioned.
6. Avoid dimensioning to hidden lines whenever possible.
7. Dimensions should not be placed on the object, unless that is the only clear option.
8. Overall dimensions should be placed the greatest distance away from the object so that
intermediate dimensions can nest closer to the object to avoid crossing extension lines.
9. A dimension should be attached to only one view (i.e., extension lines should not connect two
views).
10. Never cross dimension lines.
11. Avoid crossing extension lines when possible.
12. A center line may be extended and used as an extension line.
13. Leaders should slope at a 30, 45 or 60 degree angle.
14. Dimension numbers should be centered between arrowheads, except when using stacked
dimensions where the numbers should be staggered.
15. In general, a circle is dimensioned by its diameter; an arc by its radius.
16. Holes should be located by their center lines.
17. Holes should be located (but not necessarily dimensioned) in the view that shows the feature
as a circle. 18. Extension lines start approximately 1/16” from the object and extend 1/8” past the
last dimension. 19. The first dimension is approximately ½” from the object and each associated
dimension spaced uniformly approximately 3/8” apart.
 Preparation of Working Plans
A work plan is an outline of a set of goals and processes by which a team and/or person
can accomplish those goals, and offering the reader a better understanding of the scope of the
project. Work plans, whether used in professional or academic life, help you stay organized
while working on projects. Through work plans, you break down a process into small, achievable
tasks and identify the things you want to accomplish. Learn how to write a work plan so that you
can be prepared for upcoming projects.

Identify the purpose for your work plan. Work plans are written for various reasons.
Determine the purpose up front so you can prepare properly.[1] Keep in mind that most work
plans are for a certain period of time (i.e., 6 months or 1 year).

 In the workplace, work plans help your supervisor know what projects you will be working on
over the next several months. These often come right after an annual performance review or as
teams undertake large projects. Work plans can also be the result of strategic planning sessions
your organization holds at the beginning of a new calendar or fiscal year.
 In the academic world, work plans can help students create a schedule for a large project. They
can also help teachers plan their course material for the semester.
 For a personal project, work plans will help you delineate what you intend to do, how you intend
to do it, and by what date you intend to have it done. Personal work plans, while not strictly
necessary, will help the individual keep track of his/her goals and progress.

Write the introduction and background. For professional work plans, you may have to write
an introduction and background. These provide your supervisor or manager with the information
they need to put your work plan into context. Writing an introduction and background is often
unnecessary for an academic work plan.
 The introduction should be short and engaging. Remind your superiors why you are creating this
work plan. Introduce the specific project(s) you will be working on during this time period.
 The background should highlight the reasons you are creating this work plan. For example, recite
details or statistics from recent reports, identify problems that need to be addressed, or build off
of recommendations or feedback you received during previous work projects.

Determine your goal(s) and objectives. Goals and objectives are related in that they both point
to things you hope to accomplish through your work plan. However, remember the differences,
too; goals are general and objectives are more specific.[2]
 Goals should focus on the big picture of your project. List the desired ultimate outcome of your
work plan. Keep it broad; for example, make your goal be to complete a research paper or to
learn more about writing.
 Objectives should be specific and tangible. In other words, you should be able to check these off
your list when you accomplish them. For example, finding people to interview for your research
paper would make a good objective.
 Many work plans break down objectives into short-, middle-, and long-term objectives if they
vary significantly. For example, a company's short-term goal to increase viewership 30% in three
months may vary significantly from its long-term goal to strengthen brand visibility in social
media outlets over the next year.
 Objectives are generally written in the active voice and use action verbs with specific meanings
(e.g. "plan," "write," "increase," and "measure") instead of verbs with vaguer meanings (e.g.
"examine," "understand," "know," etc.).

Consider ordering your work plan by "SMART" objectives. SMART is an acronym used by
individuals searching for more tangible, actionable outcomes in work plans.

 Specific. What exactly are we going to do for whom? Lay out what population you are going to
serve and any specific actions you will use to help that population.
 Measurable. Is it quantifiable and can we measure it? Can you count the results? Did you
structure the work plan so that "health in South Africa would increase in 2020?" or did you
structure it so that "cases of HIV/AIDS in newborn South African babies would decrease 20% by
2020?"
 Remember that a baseline number needs to be established to quantify change. If you don't know
the incidence rate of HIV/AIDS among South African newborns, it's going to be impossible to
reliably say that you decreased incidence rates by 20%.
 Achievable. Can we get it done in the time allotted with the resources we have available? The
objective needs to be realistic given the constraints. Increasing sales by 500% is reasonable only
if you're a small company. Increasing sales by 500% if you dominate the market is near
impossible.
 In some cases, an expert or authority may need to be consulted to figure out if your work plan
objectives are achievable.
 Relevant. Will this objective have an effect on the desired goal or strategy? Although it's
probably important for overall health, does measuring the height and weight of high-
 schoolers directly lead to change in mental health procedures? Make sure your objectives and
methods have a clear, intuitive relationship.
 Time bound. When will this objective be accomplished, and/or when will we know we are
done? Specify a hard end date for the project. Stipulate which, if any, outcomes would cause
your project to come to a premature end, with all outcomes having been achieved.

List your resources. Include anything that will be necessary for you to achieve your goals and
objectives. Resources will vary, depending on the purpose of your work plan.
 At the workplace, resources can include things like financial budget, personnel, consultants,
buildings or rooms, and books. A detailed budget may appear in an appendix if your work plan is
more formal.
 In the academic arena, resources may include access to different libraries; research materials like
books, newspapers, and journals; computer and Internet access; and professors or other
individuals who can help you if you have questions.

Identify any constraints. Constraints are obstacles that may get in the way of achieving your
goals and objectives. For example, if you are working on a research paper for school, you may
find that your schedule is too crowded to allow you to research and write properly. Therefore, a
constraint would be your overwhelming schedule, and you would need to cut something out
during the semester in order to complete your work plan effectively. (Planning is needed if you
are taking more than one hard class per-semester.)

Who is accountable. Accountability is essential for a good plan. Who is responsible for
completing each task? There can be a team of people working on a task (see resources) but one
person has to be answerable to a task being completed on time.

Write your strategy. Look over your work plan and decide how you will use your resources and
overcome your constraints in order to reach your goals and objectives.

 List specific action steps. Identify what needs to happen each day or week for you to complete
your objectives.[6] Also, list steps other people on your team will need to take. Consider using
project management software or a personal calendar to keep this information organized.
 Create a schedule. Though you can create a tentative work schedule, realize that unexpected
things happen and you need to build space into your schedule to prevent falling behind.

Assembly drawing
Assembly drawings can be used to represent items that consist of more than one component.
They show how the components fit together and may include, orthogonal
plans, sections and elevations, or three-dimensional views, showing the assembled components,
or an exploded view showing the relationship between the components and how they fit together.

They may be used to show how to assemble parts of a kit such as furniture, how to assemble a
complex part of a building (an assembly), or to show the relationship between a number
of details.

The location of assemblies may be shown on general arrangement drawings, or sometimes

on detail drawings. The components that form the assembly may be shown shop drawings that
allow their fabrication.

Assembly drawings may include instructions, lists of the component parts, reference numbers,
references to detail drawings or shop drawings, and specification information. However, they
should not duplicate information provided elsewhere, as this can become contradictory and may
cause confusion. They may also include dimensions, notation and symbols. It is important that
these are consistent with industry standards so that their precise meaning is clear and can be
understood.

An assembly drawing is needed for all products or inventions that have more than one part.
These drawings list all parts and sub-assemblies that make the final product. A BOM (Bill of
Materials) on the drawing lists each part number, part name, and part quantity.

Some of these drawings provide instructions on how to assemble the product at

a manufacturing level, while others may list part numbers for consumers to re-order parts.
Instructions may include information such as how to fasten parts together, or what types of
lubricant to use.

Detail Drawing

Detail drawings provide a detailed description of the geometric form of a part of an object such
as a building, bridge, tunnel, machine, plant, and so on. They tend to be large-scale drawings that
show in detail parts that may be included in less detail on general arrangement drawings.

Detail drawings may be used to demonstrate compliance with regulations and other
requirements, to provide information about assembly and the junctions between components, to
show construction details, detailed form, and so on, that would not be possible to include on
more general drawings.
They may include dimensions, tolerances, notation, symbols and specification information, but
this should not duplicate information included in separate specifications as this can become
contradictory and may cause confusion.

They may consist of two-dimensional orthogonal projections showing

plans, sections and elevations and may be drawn to scale by hand, or prepared using Computer
Aided Design (CAD) software. However, increasingly, building information modelling (BIM) is
being used to create detailed three-dimensional representations of buildings and
their components.

Detail drawings may be confused with ‘detailed design drawings’ which might describe
the drawings produced during the detailed design stage, (sometimes referred to as 'developed
design' or 'definition'). Detailed design is the process developing the design so that it is
dimensionally correct and co-ordinated, describing all the main components of the building and
how they fit together. Not all drawings produced during this stage will necessarily be detail
drawings.

They are also distinct from the definition of ‘working drawings’ which provide dimensioned,
graphical information that can be used by a contractor to construct the works, by suppliers to
fabricate components of the works or to assemble or install components. Again, not all working
drawings will necessarily be detail drawings.
Types of Drawing

 Illustration Drawing - These are drawings that are created to represent the lay-out of a
particular document. They include all the basic details of the project concerned clearly
stating its purpose, style, size, color, character, and effect.
 Life Drawing - Drawings that result from direct or real observations are life drawings.
Life drawing, also known as still-life drawing or figure drawing, portrays all the
expressions that are viewed by the artist and captured in the picture. The human figure
forms one of the most enduring themes in life drawing that is applied to portraiture,
sculpture, medical illustration, cartooning and comic book illustration, and other fields.
 Emotive Drawing - Similar to painting, emotive drawing emphasizes the exploration and
expression of different emotions, feelings, and moods. These are generally depicted in the
form of a personality.
 Analytic Drawing - Sketches that are created for clear understanding and representation
of observations made by an artist are called analytic drawings. In simple words, analytic
drawing is undertaken to divide observations into small parts for a better perspective.
 Perspective drawing - is used by artists to create three-dimensional images on a two-
dimensional picture plane, such as paper. It represents space, distance, volume, light,
surface planes, and scale, all viewed from a particular eye-level.
 Diagrammatic Drawing - When concepts and ideas are explored and investigated, these
are documented on paper through diagrammatic drawing. Diagrams are created to depict
adjacencies and happenstance that are likely to take place in the immediate future. Thus,
diagrammatic drawings serve as active design process for the instant ideas so conceived.
 Geometric drawing - Geometric drawing is used, particularly, in construction fields that
demand specific dimensions. Measured scales, true sides, sections, and various other
descriptive views are represented through geometric drawing.

Kinds of technical lettering

The lettering, in general, is classified in two categories :-

 Gethic Lettering
 Roman Lettering.

Gethic Lettering - Lettering having all the alphabets or numerals of uniform thickness is
called Gothic Lettering.
a. Vertical Gothic Lettering
b. Italic or Inclined Gothic Lettering.
 Single Stroke Vertical Gothic Lettering
These are vertical letter having thickness of each line of alphabet or numerals etc. Same
as the single stroke of a pencil.Since Stroke means that the letter is written with one or
more stems or curves and each made with single stroke.
 Single Stroke Vertical Gothic Lettering
These are vertical letter having thickness of each line of alphabet or numerals etc. Same
as the single stroke of a pencil.Since Stroke means that the letter is written with one or
more stems or curves and each made with single stroke.

 Single Stroke Inclined Gothic Lettering

These are single stroke letter inclined at 75' to the Horizontal.

 Double Stroke Vertical Gothic Lettering

Vertical letter drawn by double Stroke of pencil with uniform thickness between these
strokes are called Double Stroke Vertical Gothic Lettering.
 Double Stroke Inclined Gothic Lettering
Double stroke gothic when inclined at an angle of 75' is called Double Stroke Inclined
Gothic Lettering.
  Lower Case Vertical Single Stroke Gothic Lettering
Lower case vertical gothic lettering is shown along with its sizes.

 Lower Case Vertical Double Stroke Gothic Lettering

 Lower Case Inclined Single Stroke Gothic Lettering

  Roman Lettering

The lettering in which all the letters are formed by thick and thin elements is called Roman
Lettering.
It may be vertical or inclined or inclined. It can be written with a chisel pointed Pencil or D-3
type Speed Ball Pen.

 Free Hand Lettering

The writing of alphabets without the use of drawing instruments and in free hand is called Free
Hand Lettering.
It may be vertical or Inclined Gothic Lettering.
  Mechanical Lettering
In Mechanical Lettering, standard uniform characters that are executed with a special pen held in
a scriber and guided by a template. Mechanical lettering does not normally require the use of
lettering guidelines. You will use mechanical lettering principally for title blocks and notes on
drawings, marginal data for special maps, briefing charts, display charts, graphs, titles on
photographs, signs, and any other time that clear, legible, standardized lettering is required. One
of the most popular types of mechanical lettering sets is the LEROY lettering set.
The Mechanical Lettering is sometimes done using special type of device called a Pantograph.
A PANTOGRAPH is basically a device consisting of four links which are pinned to each other in
a parallelogram fashion. The links can move about the hinge. The lowermost link of the
parallelogram is fixed to two rigid supports. One vertical link at one end is connected to a profile
tracer which traces the profile of the letter to be drawn and the second vertical link and the other
horizontal link are jointly connected to a pencil that draws the exact shape of the profile traced.

 Height Of Lettering
The height "h" of the capital letter is taken as the base of dimensioning.
The main requirement of lettering on engineering drawing are legibility, uniformity, ease and
rapidity in execution.
Both upright and inclined letter are suitable for general use. All letters should be capital, except
where lower case letters are accepted internationally for abbreviations.
The recommended size of lettering is as under :-

ITEM SIZE h, mm
Drawing number in Title Block and letters denoting Cutting Plane Section 10, 12
Title of Drawing 6, 8
Sub-titles and Headings 3, 4, 5, 6,
Notes, such as Legends, Schedules, Material list, Dimensioning 3, 4, 5
Alteration, Enteries and Tolerances 2, 3
Lettering Guide Lines

The light thin lines drawn to obtain uniform and correct height of letters are called Guide Lines.
Guide line should be drawn very light and thin, so that, they need not be erased after the lettering
is finished. To erase guide lines after finishing the lettering is not easily possible. Guide line for
capital and lower case lettering.

How To Draw Graph For Lettering

The letters are drawn in a graph. Before drawing the alphabets or numerals of 7:4, 5:4 or any
other ratio, a graph is needed.

 First of all take the height of the lettering and draw two parallel horizontal lines.
 Draw an inclined line at A and mark, 7 or 5 or as required number of vertical squares or
rhombii, parts of any suitable size. Join B1 with B.

 Draw parallel line to B1B from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 meeting the line AB at A1, A2, A3, A4, A5
and A6.

 From A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 draw horizontal line.

 From point B draw line at 45' to the horizontal.

 Draw the vertical line for making lines for making squares and inclined line at an angle
of 75' for making graph for inclined letters.