Paper size vs text height

[jaberwok]

Your text heights regardless of paper size should never alter and should be constant. If you are printing to a different paper size to which you have drawn then you have chosen the wrong paper size to start with. Similarly with dimensions.

You are mistaken, have you even read this thread?

In most cases, there is an intended sheet size, and such, your inteded text height should be set for that sheet size.
But as it has been mentioned many times in this thread; some clients want ones size, but be able to print it another size and still read it (like half size etc).
Or some clients' clients want to print some other odd/smaller size, which wouldn't be the original designers' concern.

So to say (paraphrasing) "the text size should never alter or you've chosen the wrong size paper" would be an inaccurate, short sighted statement.

Ted, the first sentence in Neil's post is ambiguous but the second sentence clarifies his meaning. I think you have misinterpreted the first sentence.
If you take it as "Your text heights, regardless of intended paper size, should never alter ...", I think you agree and so do I.
3.5mm text should be 3.5mm text whether on an A4 or an A0 border; plotting to a different size destroys any design logic.

[tedg]

Ted, the first sentence in Neil's post is ambiguous but the second sentence clarifies his meaning. I think you have misinterpreted the first sentence.
If you take it as "Your text heights, regardless of intended paper size, should never alter ...", I think you agree and so do I.
3.5mm text should be 3.5mm text whether on an A4 or an A0 border; plotting to a different size destroys any design logic.

Fair enough, apologies to Neal.
You're right, I was taking that first sentence as being non-flexable with plotting drawings. Meaning if you ever intend on printing a different size, you should set up a new sheet and text height for that size (which would mean making the text bigger if you intend to plot smaller size etc). The "you've chosen the wrong size paper" statement got me.

[daxjd]

I guess you are doing everything right, some food for taught!

The customer is the boss, and their request can be met in many ways.

[1] Save drawing in customer/client name.

[2] Save test on a special layer.

[3] Go to property and change test to a different size e.g. paper size 24" x 36" scale 1/8" = 1' :Text size of 120" on drawing will yield 5/8" when printed.

[4] In an office environment, we view our drawings in most cases on the computer so we have a way to zoom in or out, the customer do not have this option.

[5] Here are some other sizes [6" = 1/16"] [9"= 3/32"] [12" = 1/8" [18" = 3/16"] [24"=1/4"] 30"= 5/16"[36"=3/8" [48"=1/2" [120"=5/8".

Hope it helps.

jim.

[Wanderer]

[4] In an office environment, we view our drawings in most cases on the computer so we have a way to zoom in or out, the customer do not have this option.

That consideration is precisely why I, as a client, never dictate text height in my cad/bim standards in our contracts... because we do 99% of our drawing referencing electronically. If we have to print it out, it's always 1-off prints, very catered to a specific user.
One of our plumbers hated big drawings, so, I'd turn off most of the text and print it out letter-sized. An HVAC guy was super blind, so he'd have one of his guys print out a drawing as big as he could get it.
We don't always print out with the titleblocks visible, instead, turning on a plot stamp to show the drawing path for the project details
(eg Server://facilities/NorthSide/Building/1990_DrJones/Mechanical/M102.dwg).

[edtrimmer1982]

Plotters are cheap now, there shouldn't be any reason why a construction trailer wouldn't have a plotter.

The text height should be consistent across all sheet sizes when plotted from paperspace at 1:1. If the end user wants to print it at a scale other than 1:1, then the end user would have to accept the consequences of doing so.

[Quadratec]

This is an interesting topic and one that I've had many discussions about in the past few years. Firstly I should say that I work in Australia so my experience may not be the same in other parts of the world. Anyway I work as a freelance consultant so I have been fortunate to see many different approaches to this problem since CAD was introduced, and then subsequently the internet. Anyway normally when I am involved in this debate I ask the question "when was the last time you held a drawing that was bigger than A3"? To which the response is either never because the person answering the question has been in the industry less than 5-10 years or it was such a long time ago they can't remember. For this very reason I changed all of my CAD/drafting standards many years ago to suit only A3 sheet sizes and my title blocks identify that they are A3 sheet size. I never have a client ask for bigger sheet sizes because they all use A3 photo copiers to print out their drawings, in fact I can't remember the last time I witnessed a plotter/printer in an office that was bigger than A3 other than the local plan print shops. Moreover most construction sites and workshops do not like handling drawings that are bigger than A3, well in my neck of the world anyway.

[cadtag]

Plotters are cheap now, there shouldn't be any reason why a construction trailer wouldn't have a plotter.

The text height should be consistent across all sheet sizes when plotted from paperspace at 1:1. If the end user wants to print it at a scale other than 1:1, then the end user would have to accept the consequences of doing so.

huhm... $8K USD is not cheap, then factor in the space for the plotter, supplies, service, power, etc and it makes little sense for a rarely used device to be sitting in a trailer on a random jobsite. If the job is big enough, it might make sense, but generally speaking, not IMO.

>>The text height should be consistent across all sheet sizes when plotted from paperspace at 1:1

Well, if one qualifies that with the addition of the phrase "In a single job, that only utilizes a single paper size" then it's generally something I'll go along with. However, There's zero reason that a drawing intended for Ansi B layouts should use the same text heights as one intended for ArchD page sizes. A text size that is appropriate at ArchD is nonsensical at Ansi A or Ansi B pages. And really, in today's environment, using the AnsiB as the default size makes more financial sense than the large formats.

[neil.mount342992]

I do think this thread has become far too complicated. I have had one text and one dimension style for the last 10 years at least. I use this style regardless of what paper size i am using. From being a draughtsman originally on the drawing board we were instructed from the outset to print around 2.5 to 3mm high. This has been an adopted principle into CAD in which i have never ever given it a second thought. I always always print to the designated printer and at full scale. If its an A3 sheet then the text is 2.5mm high. If its an A1 sheet then the text is also 2.5mm high. I would hardly ever print an A1 drg onto A3 sheet size, as there would not really be any point. The reason why you would choose an A1 drawing sheet is because an A3 sheet would be too small to show the appropriate detail you are drawing. The principle one should adopt is to choose an appropriate drawing sheet for the detail you are drawing. The text size will never change. If you draw on an A1 sheet knowing you only have an A3 printer available then you are doing it wrong with regards to drawing detail............

[MFate]

If you are looking for a resource to reinforce your position on text heights, then check out the NCS (National CAD Standards) http://www.nationalcadstandard.org/ncs5/. I use this all the time when I get different opinions on what should or should not be used. The NCS is my single "go-to" source for CAD/drafting standards. And if you don't like what's in the NCS, then get involved to help improve them.

[dgorsman]

I guess you've never done work for different clients then. Some just hand wave away any variations, others will take their work elsewhere on *any* talkback. Client says 3mm high text using style STANDARD well that's what they get.

Why print A1 on an A3? Much easier to check, faster and to print, easier to tote around a site while wearing chemical-resistant gear at -20C. Why not just do it on an A3 at full size then? Again, we're into client requirements - their title block is for an A1 (or larger) sheet. Plus printing "down" is easier than printing "up" - printing an A3 drawing at A1 size doesn't always look so pretty.