Blueprints and Construction Drawings: A Universal Language 11
Drafting templates allow the drafter to consistently recreate recurring objects in a drawing without
continuously having to reproduce them from scratch. This is particularly useful when using common
symbols: for example, in the context of stagecraft, a lighting designer will typically draw from the United
States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) standard library of lighting-fixture symbols to indicate
the position of a common fixture across multiple positions. Templates can usually be purchased from
various vendors, usually customized to a specific task, but it is also not uncommon for a drafter or de-
signer to create customized templates.
This basic drafting system requires an accurate table, and careful attention should be given to the
positioning of the tools. A common error is to allow the triangles to push the top of the t-square down
slightly, thereby throwing off all the angles. Even tasks as simple as drawing two angled lines meeting
at a point require a number of moves of the t-square and triangles. In general, drafting often proves to
be a time-consuming process.
A solution to these problems was the introduction of the so-called mechanical drafting machine, an
application of the pantograph that allowed the drafter to make an accurate right angle at any point on the
page quite quickly. These machines often included the ability to change the angle, thereby removing the
need for the use of triangles as well.
In addition to the complete mastery of the mechanics of drawing lines, circles, and text onto paper
(with respect to the detailing of physical objects), the drafting effort requires a proficient understanding
of geometry, trigonometry, spatial comprehension, and above all a high standard of precision and accu-
racy as well as close attention to detail.
Figure 2.1 A drafter using a typical drawing board, t-square, and other instruments (after Muller, Edward J., et
al.: Architectural Drawing and Light Construction, 5th ed., Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1999).