Fig. 62. Drawings of a Single Dovetail Joint
All dimensions must be given, and as far as possible they should be so placed as not to interfere with the clearness of the drawing. Neat, small arrowheads and plain, clear figures add to the general appearance, just as does careful lettering in titles and all printed words.
A drawing which is made the exact size of the object represented is known as a full-sized drawing; but for large objects such a method would necessitate large and unhandy sheets of drawing paper. It is customary in such cases to make what is called a scale drawing.
A scale drawing may be half, quarter, or eighth size, and the fact is printed under the title in smaller letters, thus: ½ inch = 1 inch, or ¼ inch = 1 inch.
Other scales may be used. In map making, for example, a sixteenth of an inch may represent one, ten, or even a hundred miles. Whatever scale is used, however, the dimensions must always give the exact size of the object represented.