MISTICO DESIGN · CAD drafting guide

Choosing line styles for CAD shop drawings

Use dash length and spacing to distinguish hidden edges, axes and reference geometry in shop drawings.

Give each line a job

On a cabinet elevation, a shelf behind a closed door can use short hidden dashes. A centreline through a pair of pulls can use alternating long and short dashes. Keep those assignments consistent across the plan, elevations and details.

Compare at the printed size

Draw a sample the length of the shortest edge you expect to annotate. A centre pattern with a 21-unit repeat may read clearly on a long axis but appear continuous on a short feature. Reduce the repeat or use a shorter style if the distinction disappears.

Share the convention

Put one labelled sample of each style in the drawing legend. Assign styles by layer where possible so a revision to the layer updates the associated objects together. Include the LIN definitions when sharing your drafting setup.

Create and download custom linetypes