1.1: Introduction
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Blueprints (prints) are copies of mechanical or other types of technical drawings. The term blueprint reading means interpreting ideas expressed by others on drawings, whether or not the drawings are actually blueprints. Drawing or sketching is the universal language engineers, technicians, and skilled craftsmen use. Drawings need to convey all the necessary information to the person who will make or assemble the object in the drawing. Blueprints show the construction details of parts, machines, ships, aircraft, buildings, bridges, roads, etc.
Making quick, accurate sketches is a valuable advantage that helps convey technical information or ideas to others. A sketch may be of an object, an idea of something you are thinking about, or a combination. Most of us think of a sketch as a freehand drawing, which is not always true. You may sketch on graph paper to take advantage of the lined squares, or you may sketch on plain paper with or without the help of drawing aids.
There is no standard for technical sketching. Technical Sketches borrow many technics from Professional Drafting, but it is not drafting. You may draw pictorial sketches that look like the object or make an orthographic sketch showing different views, which we will cover in the following chapters.