DRAWING LEADS
Recommendations for Grades of Graphite lead
4H
Graphite Leads
Grades of graphite lead for drawing on paper
surfaces rangefrom 9H(extremely hard) to
6B (extremely soft). Givenequal hand
pressure, harder leads produce lighter and
thinner lines, whereas softer leads produce
denser, wider lines.
- - - - - - - - • This dense grade of lead is best suited for accurately
marking and layingout light construction lines.
-------~ • The thin, light lines aredifficult to read and reproduce
and should thereforenot be used for finish drawings.
• When applied with too much pressure, the dense lead
can engrave paper and board surfaces, leaving grooves
that are difficult to remove.
2H
- - - -- - --
C
olored leads
Nonphoto blueleads are used for guidelines
that will not reproduce on photocopiers.
Nonprint violet leads produce guidelines that
will not reproduce on diazo machines; the lines,
however, may print on photocopy machines.
Test prints are therefore always advisable
when using either non photo or non print leads.
Plastic leads
Specially formulated plastic polymer leads are
availablefor drawing on drafting film. Grades of
plastic lead range from EO, NO, or P (soft) to
O
E5, N5, or P5 (hard). The letters E, N, and Pare
m
anufacturer's designations; the num bers 0
t hrough 5 refer to degrees of ha rdness.
• This medium-hard lead is also used for laying out
drawings and is the densest grade of lead suitable for
finish drawings.
• 2H lines do not erase easily if drawn with a heavy hand.
Fand H
- - - - - - - - • These are general-purpose grades of lead suitable for
layouts, finishdrawings, and handlett ering.
HB
• This relatively soft grade of lead is capable of dense
linework and handlettering.
- - - - - - - - • HB lines erase and print well but tend to smear easily.
• Experience and good technique are required to control
the quality of H linework.
B
- - - - -- - -
B
- - - - - - - - • This soft gradeof lead is used for very dense linework
and handlettering.
The texture and density of adrawing surface affect how
hard or soft a pencil lead feels. The more tooth or
roughness asurface has, the harder the lead you should
use; the more dense a surface is, the softer alead feels.
DRAWING TOOLS & MATERIALS
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