Appreciation post: I keep seeing drafters in our office use 0.7mm leads for detail work and it drives me nuts

It makes the lines too thick and fuzzy, especially on smaller scale stuff like the MEP details for that big hospital job we did. I switched to 0.3mm for everything except title blocks about six months ago and my prints are way cleaner. Does anyone else think the standard 0.5mm is just a bad middle ground?

3 comments

3 Comments

angelamurphy9d ago

Honestly, the lead thickness is one thing, but what paper are they even using? Cheap bond paper will make any fine line look like garbage. Are these drafters still printing on that recycled stuff management bought in bulk, or are they using proper vellum?

faithpatel9d ago

Wait, do you ever have issues with the 0.3mm leads breaking all the time? I tried switching a while back but got so annoyed with the constant snapping, especially when I'm rushing. Maybe my clutch mechanism is too tight or something.

nora_webb519d ago

Actually, it's usually the opposite problem! If your lead keeps breaking, the clutch might be too loose and letting too much slide out at once. Try turning the grip a tiny bit tighter so less lead extends, it needs less sticking out for thin leads. That should give you way more control and fewer snaps.