rowan_wells30•2d agoProlific Poster

Question about using a different line weight for hidden details

I was helping a new hire at a firm in Tacoma last month, and she asked why we use a 0.25mm line for hidden edges instead of the standard 0.35mm. I'd always just done it because that's how I was taught. She showed me a set of prints from a project she did in school where they used a 0.18mm line, and honestly, it made the isometric views way clearer on the screen. It got me thinking about how many of our drafting habits are just passed down without question. Has anyone else tried tweaking their line weights for digital review?

3 comments

3 Comments

nguyen.angela2d ago

That "passed down without question" part is SO real. We still use 0.18mm for our screen-only shop drawings because a senior guy tried it on a big assembly model years ago. The thinner hidden lines just fall back visually, so you aren't fighting to see the solid geometry. It makes a huge difference when you're zoomed out on a cluttered layout. Old habits stick around forever unless someone asks why.

shane_hayes2d ago

Totally, we still use a specific blue for notes because a project lead in 2008 said it printed best.

drew_jones312d agoMost Upvoted

My old firm used 0.25mm for all text.