Proper justification for drawing notes

[jschwed]

Hi,

Back in Drawing 101, if the leader for a drawing note was taken from the left side of a note, it would be located at the top line of text and the text would be left justified. Conversely, if the leader was taken from the right side of a note, the leader would start at the last line of text and the note would be right justified. Is that still the case? Some of our new employees are just left justifying everything and it looks sloppy. Has the standard changed? Is there a publication someone can point me to addressing this very basic, but contentious, topic.

Thanks

[dgorsman]

First right-of-way: client standards
Second right-of-way: company standards
Employees only get a say by getting the standards modified.

[Richard.Kent]

I have always left justified text in notes, right justifying notes is harder to read and goes against the way we write the English language. Take a look at your posting, it is left justified, imagine reading it right justified, it would be much harder to read. Same logic applies to notes on a drawing. Back in Drafting 101 IE: hand drafting, right justifying text was beyond easy or normal and left justifying carried over into CAD, and I think for good reasons, as I touched on above. The two drafting text books I have here always show notes left justified, with the leader coming off the first line for left justified and off the last line for right justified.

[jaberwok]

I have always left justified text in notes, right justifying notes is harder to read and goes against the way we write the English language. Take a look at your posting, it is left justified, imagine reading it right justified, it would be much harder to read. Same logic applies to notes on a drawing. Back in Drafting 101 IE: hand drafting, right justifying text was beyond easy or normal and left justifying carried over into CAD, and I think for good reasons, as I touched on above. The two drafting text books I have here always show notes left justified, with the leader coming off the first line for left justified and off the last line for right justified.

Exactly as Richard said. ^^^

[jpaulsen]

My drafting book shows the same thing Richard described. Obviously when we where hand lettering it would be very difficult to right justify so it wasn't done that way. Now we use computers; hardly any one hand letters any more. The rules change in IMO.

This is one of those personal preference things and in these cases I opt for whatever is fastest. I have been reading right justified text for 20 years now and I can read it just fine and so can the contractors that build from my plans. I agree certain labels look better when left justified but it is worth the time to change what the software does automatically? And how far are you going to go? Move the leader to the last line? Enclose the text in a a box? The list labeling options goes on and on.

Better Efficiency = More Profit