1 Hand-out In TLE 7 Mechanical Drafting k-12 Curriculum

Alphabet of Lines
A drawing is made up of different lines. Each line represents something. A
surface, a hidden surface, an extension of a surface, a center of a hole, or a line with
dimension represents different meaning. In order to make the drawing easier to read
and understand, each kind of line is drawn with a different line weights. Read and
understand the following lines.
Visible Line - Thick lines that represents the
visible edges or outline of the object; also
known as the object line.
Dark, heavy lines.
Show the outline and shape of an
object.
Define features you can see in a
particular view.
Hidden line Medium thick line composed
of short dashes about 2-3 millimeters long
with space between dashes about 1-2
millimeters wide; it represents the surface or
edges that cannot be seen.
Light, narrow, short, dashed lines.
Shows the outline of a feature that
cannot be seen in a particular view.
Center line A thin line consisting of two
long dashes and short dash drawn
alternately with a gap of at least 2
millimeters in between; it represents the
axis or center of symmetrical shapes.
Thin line consisting of long and short
dashes.
Shows the center of holes, slots,
paths of rotation and symmetrical
objects
Section line A thin lines to show the
surface that has been cut; they are spaced
evenly at 45 degrees with the horizontal to
make shaded effect.
Thin line usually drawn at 45 degree
angle.
Indicates the material that has been
cut through in a sectional view.
Extension line/Dimension line A thin line
that extends from the object in order to show
dimension limits.
Thin lines.
Show the length, width, and height of
the features of an object.
Terminated with arrowheads at the
end.

2 Hand-out In TLE 7 Mechanical Drafting k-12 Curriculum

Long-break line A medium thick line

consisting of broken and straight lines drawn
alternately. This is also known as the limiting
line. This limits the length of an elongated
object without changing the size of its view.
Used to show that the middle section
of an object has been removed so it
can be drawn on a smaller piece of
paper.

Short-break line A thick line drawn in

freehand to show details that a part has
been cut- off or broken out.
Thick way line.
Used to break the edge or surface of
a part for clarity of a hidden surface.

Leader line A short inclined thin line with

an arrow head at the end and short
horizontal line on the other end.
Phantom line A thin line that shows
positions of part of an object that moves
drawn by two short dashes and one long
dash.
Thin lines made up of long dashes
alternating with pairs of short dashes.
To show alternate position of moving
parts.
To show the relationship of parts that
fit together.
Cutting-plane line Thick lines used to
indicate an imaginary cut through an object
along the line. Made up of two long dashes
broken in one end with an arrowhead and
two short dashes drawn in between the long
dashes.
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.
Prepared by:
REYMAR JUN P. SILFAVAN
BTTE IV-A (Drafting)