Standard Engineering Lettering

Lettering in Engineering Drawing

Lettering is used to provide easy to read and understand
information to supplement a drawing in the form of notes
and annotations.

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. Vertical Lettering
2. Inclined Lettering

vertical letters inclined letters

 Conventions for Lettering
• Use all CAPITAL LETTERS.
• Use even pressure to draw precise, clean lines.
• Use one stroke per line.
• 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.)
• 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.
 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.

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.
Placement of text on Engineering Drawings
 Guidelines
Extremely light horizontal lines that are necessary to regulate
the height of letters.
In addition, light vertical or inclined guidelines are used to keep
the letters uniformly vertical or inclined.
Guidelines are absolutely essential for good lettering.

• After lettering has been completed, the guidelines are not erased.
 Spacing
Should be UNIFORM
• .

L IN E S
LET T ERS

LINES AND LETTERINGS

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

 References
French, T. E., (1918). A MANUAL OF ENGINEERING
DRAWING FOR STUDENTS AND DRAFTSMEN. London: Hill
Publishing Co., Ltd.
Engineering Drawing Fundamentals: Introduction to
Engineering Drawing. Retrieved from
http://pioneer.netserv.chula.ac.th/~kjirapon/lecture-
note.html.
Madsen D. A., Madsen D. P., (2011). ENGINEERING
DRAWING & DESIGN, Fifth Edition. New York: Cengage
Learning.
Reddy K. V., (2008). TEXTBOOK OF ENGINEERING DRAWING.
Hyderabad: BS Publications.
THE END