Showerthought: I used to think grid paper was just for nerds

Swore by blank paper for years until I had to lay out a complex floor plan for a client in Phoenix last month. One try on grid paper and my lines were spot on, no rescaling headaches. Anyone else have a drafting tool they ignored at first?

3 comments

3 Comments

knight.felix13h ago

Gotta disagree hard here. @vera_johnson9 is right that grid paper can become a lazy habit if you rely on it too much. I used it for one project and the lines actually distracted me from focusing on the actual proportions of the space. Plus it makes you look like a total amateur if you hand a client a grid drawing instead of something clean on vellum or plain bond. Freehand sketching with a sharp pencil and a T-square forces you to think through every measurement instead of letting the grid baby you into sloppy work.

sandra_bennett5919h ago

Honestly I was the same way about grid paper. Used to think it was for math geeks or people who couldn't draw freehand. Then I had to map out a backyard garden layout last spring and blank paper was a total disaster. Everything came out crooked and I had to redo it three times. Grabbed a grid pad out of desperation and it was like a light switch flipped. My lines matched up, I could eyeball measurements without a ruler every two seconds. Now I keep a stack in my truck and feel dumb for being snobby about it all those years.

vera_johnson918h agoOG Member

Nah, I still think it's a crutch for people who never learned to use a ruler.