Blueprint printing is a complex process that architects and engineers use to replicate their work. In Largo, businesses like LDI use modern technology and tools to develop technical drafts in a timely fashion.
What is a Blueprint?
This type of diagram is a reproduction of an original drawing. Both architecture and engineering projects in Largo and around the world typically use these. With these reproductions of original works, multiple people in the construction industry can work on jobs that make two-dimensional ideas turn into three-dimensional inventions. White lines mark indigo-colored paper with a scale model of an object. The can include measurements, notes, and instructions. Things that often require technical drawings include:
- Boats
- Houses
- Buildings
- Engines
- Mechanical machines
- Motors
Though it sounds easy, a lot more than artistic skill goes into creating these designs. Precision and attention to detail are necessary skills for drafters looking to ensure a successful construction job in Largo.
How are These Plans Created?
Blueprint printing is a complicated task. Before this process, drafters had to use their skills to hand-copy architectural and engineering plans. This meant hours of painstaking work to make sure that enough plans were available for the team members that required them. With the reproduction process, it takes less time to get the papers out and fewer hands suffered cramping and discomfort.
The procedure first begins with the production of a design. Architectural and engineering drafters start by drawing on transparent paper. Next, the original lies, weighted, on top of another sheet treated with a photosensitive chemical mix. When exposed to light, the coated sheet turns blue. The lines of the original drawing block the light from hitting the treated sheet, keeping certain areas white. The end product is a replica of a design, originally on white paper and black lines, completed on blue paper with white lines. Many sheets of the chemically-treated paper experience light treatment in the same fashion, covered with the original drawing to create replicas. In Largo and other populated areas, faster plan production means developing plans and getting work done more efficiently.
After the development of the original blueprint printing method, other ways of mass-producing technical plans came about. Some of the most well-known methods include:
- Cyanotype
- Stencil duplicating, or mimeographs
- Diazotypes
- Photostats
Each of these production types works to lower the amount of time spent creating plans, and allow the construction process to begin sooner.
How Do You Read These Diagrams?
Like the blueprint printing process itself, reading the many components of the design is not an easy task. Largo workers carrying out the manufacturing must have a clear understanding of what the end product should look like, how to make measurement conversions, and what the many characters and codes featured on a technical drawing mean. Some of the basic elements of a technical diagram are the legend and the scale.
The legend will explain what various symbols mean. On designs that involve electrical features, some symbols included in the legend might specify specific components of the build. For example, a simple circle could reference an outlet. However, a circle with a triangle in the middle represents a special type of outlet.
The scale of a model is important to recognize because it determines the size of the product you are making. If you are using a design that has a scale of 1/8” = 1’, each measurement must match this scale. If it is not followed precisely, the final product could end up the wrong size, or certain parts of the product could be incorrectly sized.
After blueprint printing, the next step should be to carefully review the plans before construction begins. This will help ensure proper manufacturing of buildings and goods in Largo.
Modern Day Versions of Blueprint Printing
Today, most print shops don’t offer traditional blueprint printing. This is because of the higher price and longer time required compared to other options. In modern times, there is more technology involved in the task of reproducing designs, and businesses like LDI help Largo customers achieve a professional and durable product. These modern architectural and engineering designs are often called “whiteprints” and, as the name implies, come on white paper.
While the process is often still called blueprint printing, the cobalt-colored light-sensitive paper is no longer used. In fact, many drafters have switched to an entirely online process. In contrast to the hand-drawn format, today’s draftsmen create their work using architectural and engineering programs on computers. This allows for the reproduction of plans by digitally downloading them to a xerographic machine, and copies happen the same way most household prints come about today.
Let LDI Handle You Model Reproductions in Largo
LDI is the leader for both plotting and printing construction drawings in Largo. At LDI, we promote the use of digitally generated bond prints, rather than traditional blueprint printing. We offer these products on bond paper, vellum, Tyvek, and mylar. With our expertise, your reproductions will look professional and last through tough construction jobs. In addition, we also offer scanning and archiving, CAD plotting, enlarging, same-day delivery and pickup, and more. For more information on our services, visit us online or call us at (727) 573-9070.
