Begin with the title block. The title block is the first piece of information you’ll see in construction site plans.
Study the plan legend. The legend is your key to decoding and understanding basic symbols in the drawings.
Find the blueprint’s scale and orientation. All blueprint drawings are drawn to scale.
Look for notes from the architect.
Why is blueprint reading important?
The Importance of Reading Blueprints. Viewing an architect’s perspective of the project, a detailed elevation, or simply flipping through the drawings begins the print reading process. Absorbing the image of the project in its entirety provides a sense of completeness. Interpreting the information follows visualization.
How to read building blueprints?
Look over the lines. Although it can seem overwhelming when taken in all at once,lines are the language of blueprints.
Identify all the object lines. Object lines – or visible lines – are drawn the thickest of all on a blueprint.
Identify the hidden lines.
Read the dimension lines.
Find all center lines.
Find the phantom lines.
Identify extension lines.
How to read a manufacturing blueprint?
Think Big-To-Small. Get A Good Handle On The Biggest,Broadest,Most Overall Details First Before Diving Into The Details.
Know That Drawings Aren’t Perfectly Coordinated. Architectural Drawings Will Show SOME Information Related To The Structure,But Not All.
Use The Latest Version! Construction Drawings Get Updated All The Time. Refer To The “Revisions&Changes” Table On Each Drawing.
Make Sure Drawings Are Stamped. If They Aren’t Stamped,They’re Not Legitimate For Construction,For All Intents&Purposes.
Orient Yourself First. Look At The Drawing Title,Compass&Perspective To Properly Visualize Where The Drawing Is Seen From.
Refer Only To Structural Drawings For Actual Component Size,Type&Assembly. Before Building Anything In Reality,ALWAYS Refer To The Drawings Put Together&Stamped By A Professional Engineer.