On Tue, Apr 21, 2026 at 01:30:31PM -0400, Howard Gibson via Talk wrote:
I am old mechanical designer. I spent fifteen years on drafting boards, and I happily remember Diazo whiteprinters, often mistakenly called blueprint machines. The output was blue lines on white paper. We drafted and plotted on translucent media, typically drafting vellum or mylar. I don't mind the smell of ammonia. This is now classified as a dangerous material not allowed in offices.
The transition in my world is that we have to stop using large drawing formats like E-size (34x44"). This solves drafting board problems, not CAD/printer problems. Offices can print A-size (8.5x11") and B-size (11x17"). We need to switch from 1/8" or 3mm lettering to 2mm and 2.5mm lettering on the A-size and B-size prints, respectively.
There are still people printing E size drawings. We have printers for such things. My dad has an Epson T5475 which does E size. They make larger ones that even do 44" wide, including some that are also scanners and hence copiers like the T7770DM. So those can do F size. -- Len Sorensen