Technical drawing is a process in which a person creates a detailed illustration of an item. Perhaps the most well-known type of technical drawing is a blueprint, which shows the exact dimensions of a building or other planned construction project. A number of different careers require workers with technical drawing skills. Most professionals that create technical drawings use Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) software to produce technical drawings

Drafters

Drafters work in a variety of professions. A drafter may create technical drawings from ideas or simply clarify or make detailed drawings of parts of larger technical drawings. For example, a civil engineer may create a technical drawing for a highway bridge. From that drawing, a drafter may then create more specific technical drawings for various parts of the design for the construction crew building a part of the bridge. In this case, the engineer who designed the bridge may review and approve the drafter’s drawing. Drafters may work for engineers, architects or various manufacturing industries.

Carpenters

For many smaller residential and commercial building projects, a carpenter may design the project without the use of another professional. For example, few homeowners will hire an architect to design a one-room addition for a home. The carpenter will create the technical drawing of the project for the homeowner’s approval and as a way to estimate the needed materials for the project. A construction crew may also use the carpenter’s technical drawing during construction of the less-complex parts of the project if the carpenter is not present to supervise.

Architects

Architects design homes, buildings and related structures. An architect often focuses on the aesthetics and usability of a project while engineers focus more on the structural soundness of a project; however, there is a lot of overlap between these two professions. Architects create technical drawings to plan where objects will go in a structure to show the client and to direct those responsible for the project’s construction. Architects may also create technical drawings of landscaping and related structures involved with a building project.

Engineers

Engineers work in a number of specialized fields. For example, civil engineers may design buildings and bridges while mechanical engineers design tools, machines and related items. Engineers create technical drawings for a number of purposes. Advanced computer programs use these technical drawings to test the strength of a project’s design. Many engineering projects require the approval of plan designs by government oversight agencies that require technical drawings of the project for review. Engineers may also create technical drawings when making application for patents of newly created products.