Basic Line Types &
Name according to application
Thickness Thick Thin 1. Dimension line
2. Extension line
Visible line
Style 3. Leader line
Continuous Hidden line
Dash
Chain Center line
1. Visible line represent features that can be seen in the current view.
2. Dimension line
Extension line indicate the sizes and location of features.
Leader line
3. Hidden line represent features that cannot be seen in the current view.
4. Center line represents symmetry, path of motion, centers of circles,
axis of axisymmetrical parts.
Main Line Types
Viewing Planes Visible Lines Hidden Lines
Break Lines Center Lines
Phantom Lines Dimension Lines
Lines
Section Lines Extension Lines
Cutting Planes Leader Lines
Visible/Object Lines
• Dark, heavy lines.
• Used to represent the outline or contour of the object
being drawn.
• Define features you can see in a particular view.
Hidden Lines
• Light, narrow, short, dashed lines.
• Shows the outline of a feature that can not be seen in
a particular view.
Hidden Lines (Technique)
Section Lines
• Thin line usually drawn at a 45 degree angle.
• Indicates the material that has been cut through in a
sectional view.
Section
Line
Center Lines
• Thin line consisting of alternating long and short
dashes.
• Used to represent the center of round or cylindrical
features, or the symmetry of a feature.
Dimension Lines
• Thin lines capped on the ends with arrowheads and
broken along their length to provide a space for the
dimension numeral.
• They indicate length, diameter etc
Extension Lines
• Thin lines used to establish the extent of a dimension.
• Can also be used to show extension of a surface to a
theoretical intersection as shown in (b).
• Begin 1.5mm from the object and extend to 3mm
beyond the last dimension.
• They should not cross dimension lines.
Leader Lines
• Thin lines used to connect a specific note to a feature.
• Also used to direct dimensions, symbols, item number and
part numbers on a drawing.
• Commonly drawn at 45, 30 and 60 degrees.
• Has a short shoulder (3-6mm) at one end beginning at the
center of the vertical height of text, and a standard
dimension arrowhead at the other end touching the feature.
• Leader lines should not cross
each other.
• Leader lines should not be
excessively long.
• Leader lines should not be
vertical or horizontal.
• Leader lines should not be
parallel to dimension lines,
extension lines or section lines.
Cutting Plane Lines
• Thick broken line that is terminated with short 90
degree arrowheads.
• Shows where a part is mentally cut in half to better
see the interior detail.
Cutting Plane Lines (Example)
Break Lines
• Used to break out sections for clarity or for shortening
a part.
• Three types of break lines with different line weights:
a) Short Breaks.
b) Long Breaks.
c) Cylindrical Breaks.
Phantom Lines
• Thin lines made up of long dashes alternating with
pairs of short dashes.
• Three purposes in drawings
a) To show the alternate position of moving parts.
b) To show the relationship of parts that fit together.
c) To show repeated detail.
Phantom Lines (Examples)
Grades of Pencils used in Lines
Example 1
Example 2
Lettering in Engineering Drawing
Lettering is used to provide easy to read and understand
information to supplement a drawing in the form of notes
Lettering is an essential element in both traditional drawing
and Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawing
Thus, it must be written with:
Legibility – shape & space between letters and words.
Uniformity – size & line thickness.
Types of Lettering
The two types of lettering are:
1. Double Stroke Lettering.
2. Single Stroke Lettering.
1. Double Stroke Lettering
In Double Stroke Lettering the line width is greater than that of
Single Stroke Lettering.
Double Stroke Lettering is further divided into:
a) Double Stroke Vertical Gothic Lettering.
b) Double Stroke Inclined Gothic Lettering.
A stencil is mostly used when hand drawing double stroked letters.
2. Single Stroke Lettering
Thickness in single stroke lettering is obtained by a single stroke of
pencil or ink pen.
It is further divided into:
(a) Single Stroke Vertical Gothic Lettering.
(b) Single Stroke Inclined Gothic Lettering.
Single stroke vertical letters Single stroke inclined letters
Conventions for Lettering
• Use all CAPITAL LETTERS.
• Use even pressure to draw precise, clean lines.
• Use one stroke per line.
• Horizontal Stroke are drawn left to right.
• Vertical Strokes are drawn downward.
• Curved strokes are drawn top to bottom in one continuous stroke on
each side.
• Use kerning to eliminate excessive space between letters. –
[kerning refers to adjusting the space between characters, especially by
placing two characters closer together than normal. Kerning makes certain
combinations of letters, such as WA, MW, TA, and VA, look better.]
Conventions for Lettering (cont.)
• Use The Single-stroke, Gothic Style of Lettering.
• Always Skip A Space Between Rows Of Letters.
• Always Use Very Light Guide Lines.
• Fractions Are Lettered Twice The Height Of Normal Letters.
• Fraction Bars Are Always Drawn Horizontal.
• Use a Medium (B, HB, F or H) Lead For Normal Lettering.
• Use a Hard (2H To 4H) Lead For Drawing Guide Lines.
• Notes should be double spaced.
Application of Lettering
Lettering in Engineering Drawings is used in writing
Title Blocks which play a crucial role in drawings, they
are used to record all of the important information
necessary for the working drawings. A HB Pencil is used.
What does the Title Block contain?
• Title of the drawing. • Symbol denoting the method of
• Drawing Number. projection.
• Scale. • Initials of staff who designed, checked
• Name of the firm. & approved.
Other uses of lettering include Dimensions and Notes
on the engineering drawing.
Guidelines in Lettering (including Height)
Recommended Size (height, h) of
Letters/Numerals
h -(height of capital letters)
c1 -(height of lower-case letters) Main Title 5mm, 7mm, 10mm
c2 -(tail of lower-case letters)
c3 -(stem of lower-case letters) Sub-Title 3.5mm, 5mm
b1 -(spacing between baselines)
b2 -(spacing between baselines) Dimensions, Notes
2.5mm, 3.5mm, 5mm
etc.
c2
c2
h
Order of Strokes
Stroking is done based on the slope of each letter and
the strokes vary with order and direction.
Spacing
Uniformity in spacing of letters is a matter of equalizing
spaces by eye.
• The background area between letters, not the distance between them,
should be approximately equal.
• Words are spaced well apart, but letters within words should be
spaced closely.
L INE S
LET T ERS
• For either upper case or lower-case lettering, make the spaces
between words approximately equal to a capital O.
LINES AND LETTERINGS
• Avoid spacing letters too far apart and words too close together.
Space between letters
• Spacing between characters, is normally (2/10)h.
• Spacing between words, is normally (6/10)h.
where h is the cap height.
Lettering Uniformity
• Important to produce good drawings.
• Uniform in style, size, inclination, weight and space.
• Carelessness might result in mistakes.
ENGINEERING DRAWINGS
Examples of Common Mistakes
in Lettering
Lettering style not uniform LEtTErING
Lettering height not uniform
LE TTERING
Lettering inclination not uniform LETTERING
Lettering thickness not uniform LETTERING
Lettering space not uniform LET T E R ING