Paper size vs text height

[BeKirra]

I have been taught to use proper text sizes when I am in school and now I have many years experience in drafting.
In most of cases we now issue electronic drawings to clients/contractors/whoever.
The problem is that some of the people printed the drawings in a small size (e.g. print A0 to A3 even A4)
Then complain by saying "I can't read your notes on your drawings because the text sizes is too small."
When these kind of feedback hits to my office, same of my colleagues replied "OK, we'll make text sizes larger".
The point is why we need a drafting standard? In other words, why we use different drawing paper sizes?

Could anyone please recommend any resources on the net about the drafting standrad especially about proper using paper sheet size?
I'd like to explain to my colleagues that we have to work with drawing standard.
Your helps are much appreciated.

[tedg]

I have been taught to use proper text sizes when I am in school and now I have many years experience in drafting.
In most of cases we now issue electronic drawings to clients/contractors/whoever.
The problem is that some of the people printed the drawings in a small size (e.g. print A0 to A3 even A4)
Then complain by saying "I can't read your notes on your drawings because the text sizes is too small."
When these kind of feedback hits to my office, same of my colleagues replied "OK, we'll make text sizes larger".
The point is why we need a drafting standard? In other words, why we use different drawing paper sizes?

Could anyone please recommend any resources on the net about the drafting standrad especially about proper using paper sheet size?
I'd like to explain to my colleagues that we have to work with drawing standard.
Your helps are much appreciated.

I don't know where I would send you on the interwebz for more information on the topic, but I understand your concern.

It depends on your industry and company standards.
What is the intended output size of your drawings?
Are you expecting them to always be printed at a reduced size?

We've dealt with this lots of times before,
Example: say your company/industry standard sheet size is ANSI D (22"x34") which can be printed half size at 11"x17".
If you have a standard text height of 1/8" (.125"), when it's reduced to half size, it can still be read.

In this example the company expects to have full size drawings at 22"x34" and expects them to be printed half size too, everyone is happy.


However, if your company and/or clients ALWAYS intend on printing a certain size (even if it's small), you should gear your layouts, scales and text heights to that.

Just some stuff to think about.



Fun Fact:
NPS (National Park Service) standards uses a minimum of .15" text height so they can reduce the drawings and still read them.

[cadtag]

And FDOT only uses AnsiB (11"x17") for highway plans, so acceptable text height is 0.08 in.

If there's a national standard for you locale, that would be the place to start looking. If not, look at ISO standards, or ritish Standards. in the US, the National CAD Standards are the best resource.

Most, if not all, of the publicly documented standards (as opposed to company proprietary) will utilize a text size that is still readable at a half-size reproduction. going from A0 to A4 is jumping way beyond that, so is really not consistent with standard processes. If you client needs A4 output, you'll be best served IMO by creating the drawings at that size originally, rather than trying to shrink an A0 to A4..

[jaberwok]

Me too.
If you always print/plot at a reduced size, you should use that size drawing border (or, maybe, one size larger) and size text and everything else to suit that border.

[BeKirra]

Me too.
If you always print/plot at a reduced size, you should use that size drawing border (or, maybe, one size larger) and size text and everything else to suit that border.

Me too too.

1st of all, thanks to your comments.
And this is happening in our office.
As the result,
1) the drawing scales is useless on readers' point of view because this kind of changes.
- they don't need to use ruler, scale ruler any more.
2) it will be impossible to fit all details on one single A3 or A4 drawing comparing to using A0 paper.
2) the large sizes (A0, A1 & A2) of paper may not be used in the future.

Am I right?

[jaberwok]

Me too too.

1st of all, thanks to your comments.
And this is happening in our office.
As the result,
1) the drawing scales is useless on readers' point of view because this kind of changes.
- they don't need to use ruler, scale ruler any more.
2) it will be impossible to fit all details on one single A3 or A4 drawing comparing to using A0 paper.
2) the large sizes (A0, A1 & A2) of paper may not be used in the future.

Am I right?

Yes!
I've been to many companies that use A1 as a maximum (A1 plotters are cheaper than A0 ones) and quite a few that use A2 max..
Scale rules are useless on reduced size plots unless you have a 0.707:1 scale rule - I've never seen one but I guess they may exist.
Using an A1 border you can usually get away with A3 plots but certainly not A4.

[cadtag]

Me too too.

1st of all, thanks to your comments.
And this is happening in our office.
As the result,
1) the drawing scales is useless on readers' point of view because this kind of changes.
- they don't need to use ruler, scale ruler any more.
2) it will be impossible to fit all details on one single A3 or A4 drawing comparing to using A0 paper.
2) the large sizes (A0, A1 & A2) of paper may not be used in the future.

Am I right?

re 1) -- is that a bad thing? my standard disclaimer specified that drawings are not to be scaled. If a distance, direction, or location matters, it needs to be indicated with dimensions, coordinates, station/offset.

re 2) -- while it's possible that large format drawings will disappear, I think it unlikely. Not everything can fit on a smartphone screen, nor can everything be drawn on an A4 (or Ansi A/Letter) format. At least through my grandchildren's lifetime, I expect large format to still be a necessity for many drawings. (Note that's despite my economic preference for Ansi B /Tabloid sheet sizes....)

Like everything in CAD , planning and decision making up front save time and effort at the back end. Work with your team and clients at the start of the job and decide what size is required.

[vtmiii]

our text is based on the scale of the drawing regardless of the sheet size. in other words if the scale of the drawing 1/4" scale and the paper size 22x34 the text height in model space will be 4" high, that way if we have to submit a revise drawing at on 8x11 it will remain the same size text. I have programed a toolbar for my company that sets the text size and text font for the scales that we use

[cadtag]

and when you print that 22x34 to 11x17 because the owner wants a half-size to carry around, that text is half of what it was.

Now if you work at a native Ansi B, and still use your 4" text, the two sheets won't look the same.

[rkmcswain]

We generally set up sheets for 22x34, so they can be printed 1/2 size at 11x17.
Our text sizes generally range from 0.06" to 0.10"
You can read all of that at half size, IF the lineweights are scaled down appropriately (which our reprographics software does)

I know what you're saying, there is no way to read 0.03" text, but you can make it out with a magnifying glass! --- and we only use the half size sets at a visual go-by, they are never issued for construction that size

Anyway, that's not the point..... we do have one client that expects deliverables on 11x17 *and* wants text at 0.12". This just means we put less model on each sheet in order to leave room for this giant text.

Sorry, I don't know of any standards regarding this, other than to say we meet the standards that our client and/or the regulating agencies require - and that varies per project for us.