BlueprintCompositions
Introduction
Blueprint
compositions
Master copy
Standards
Blueprints and technical drawings have very specific formats for composition
based on logic and industry standards. Learn blueprint terminology and
standards. Do not deviate from the established industry format.
Blueprints are copies of engineering drawings used as plans to construct or
fabricate objects and machines. One of the first processes developed to
duplicate tracings produced white lines on a blue background; hence the
name blueprint. Today, other methods are available to reproduce copies and
the final images may be brown, blue, black, grey, or maroon. Original
drawings are referred to as the master copy.
Master copies are the original engineering drawings drawn on translucent
paper, cloth, or Mylar in pencil, ink, or computer-aided drafting (CAD)
systems. Compositional elements in master copies are placed in standardized
locations and in very specific ways. Sheet sizes, margins, and the locations
of title blocks, revision blocks, drawing numbers, legends, and the associated
materials blocks are some of the elements that must be preset in the
composition.
Prescribed standards and procedures for military engineering drawings are
stated in military standards (MIL-STD) and American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) standards. The Department of Defense Index of
Specifications and Standards lists these standards and is updated yearly.
Sometimes standards are referred to as Department of Defense Standards
(DOD-STD). The MIL-STD you need most often is MIL-STD-100A.
Obtain a copy of the standards for the shop and make sure you refer to the
most current copy.
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