BSI or ISO standard text heights for an A1 border

I've working on an A1 border that matches our ANSI D border.

We use the following text heights:

1/16"

3/32" --- Our standard text height for most work

1/8"

5/32"

1/4"

Does anyone know what the BSI or ISO standard text heights for an A1 border would be?

I don't believe that the size of the paper is a determining factor.

I would stay away from 1/16" except for maybe plot stamps, or something like copyright text that really has nothing to do with the project. It is too small when reduced. Although, I do see a value in having a size smaller than 3/32". I've seen it as small as 9/128". My office uses 5/64" for plan text. Our plans can get quite congested and 3/32" is just too big, too often.

Also, I don't see any reason for the 5/32". What do you use it for?

An A1 is metric size but your text is in inches ? Do you mean 36x24" sheet size ? A1 is 33.11x23.38" To confuse a bit more we plot A3 majority of time but the plans are drawn on a A1 sheet.

Good catch BIGAL.

We’re in the process of developing our drafting and design standards. In the past we’ve relied entirely on the EPC/Vendor to use their own drafting standards. We have a 22”x34” ANSI D border which is being used for our US work. I’ve attached it.

I’ve been tasked with making a BSI/ISO version of this border. It’s to be an A1 sized border. The standard practice being to work and PDF in full size but the user typically prints the PDF down to an A3 (or 11”x17” in the US).

We use five different text heights on our US work. I’ve listed them below. I’m not sure what the standard mm text height is for BSI or ISO work. I’d like to know what the standard text heights would be in BSI work and what the margins would be.

1/16" --- For fine detailing annotation

3/32" --- Our standard text height for most work

1/8" --- Sub-titles

5/32" --- Titles

1/4" --- Drawing titles

Thank you for all of the help, and happy holidays.

Border.dwg

Results from a google search (BSI standard text heights) that took all of 23 seconds, including eyeball reading time. Perhaps there is more, if you would like to take over the research end.

This is from the Imperial College, London:

4.3 Text styles

The text shall be standardised to STANDARD Arial. All drawings are to have a standard text heights of 2.5mm, 3.5mm, 5.0mm and 7.0mm and a width no greater than 1 at a scale of 1:1. For example a drawing drawn at 1:100 would have a text height (in Model Space) of 250mm, and the height of the text in Paper Space would be 2.5mm. Blocks and Title blocks should be left in the text style they were made in and not changed to Standard Arial.

Hopefully this will help prevent you from having to post the same question a third time without any mention of your own research attempts.

Good one Dana only suggestion is to use Iso3098B instead of Arial this is a thin pen text style rather than Arial which has a thickness.

Good one Dana only suggestion is to use Iso3098B instead of Arial this is a thin pen text style rather than Arial which has a thickness.

Dana,

Industry practices are not always in line with a given standard. The ISA standard depictions for piping and instrumentation diagrams are more of a guideline then a standard practice. I was looking for opinions as to best practice from CAD Managers who work with/in BSI and or ISO. For example the standard border for P&ID’s is 22”x34” ANSI D however the industry commonly uses an ARCH D any CAD Manager in a US based petrochemical design firm would know that. The industry is moving to the ARCH D border to increase drawing area.

Hopefully in the office you’re more apt to inquire and help then you are to quip.

Dana,

 

Industry practices are not always in line with a given standard. The ISA standard depictions for piping and instrumentation diagrams are more of a guideline then a standard practice. I was looking for opinions as to best practice from CAD Managers who work with/in BSI and or ISO. For example the standard border for P&ID’s is 22”x34” ANSI D however the industry commonly uses an ARCH D any CAD Manager in a US based petrochemical design firm would know that. The industry is moving to the ARCH D border to increase drawing area.

Hopefully in the office you’re more apt to inquire and help then you are to quip.

I’m not sure what the standard mm text height is for BSI or ISO work. I’d like to know what the standard text heights would be in BSI work and what the margins would be.

In my office questions are asked, answers discussed and solutions found. We don't simply ignore people, and then repeat, word for word, the same question, nor do we do in in a professional forum.

My participation has ended.

Does anyone know what the BSI or ISO standard text heights for an A1 border would be?

Industry practices are not always in line with a given standard.

So, what is the question?

For us in AUS https://www.saiglobal.com/PDFTemp/Previews/OSH/As/as1000/1100/1100101.pdf

Find the standard for where your trying to prepare drawings and see how close you can get.

BIGAL,

Thank you for the link. Australian standards are a plus, as it's for an Australian based company.

stevsmith,

Thank you sir. This will help me to reach a conscious

Wperciful remember a foot is not 304 mm you should use 300mm etc a lot of stuff is a mix of imperial and metric. I would draw it all starting with a metric template. What is it your designing civil mechanical architectural ?

BIGAL,

The borders will be used for all disciplines: piping,mechanical, electrical/instrumentation, civil, structural and architectural. At present we only have/use imperial units. For this first round of metric borders (ormixed metric) perhaps the scope should be limited to drawings that are not toscale.

Just set up your sheet to true A1 size 841 x 594mm less margins and you can print on a 36x24 no probs for checking. See my very early post.

For us in AUS https://www.saiglobal.com/PDFTemp/Previews/OSH/As/as1000/1100/1100101.pdf

 

Find the standard for where your trying to prepare drawings and see how close you can get.

That standard is 24 years old now and from memory barely mentions CAD. Besides from the occasional state government body who contractually note that drawings are to be prepared in accordance with the standard I have rarely seen it requested (and as such used to the letter, particularly given it is severely lacking in some areas in my opinion).

It does give someone with little experience of drafting a starting point though.

Australian standards are a plus, as it's for an Australian based company.

The borders will be used for all disciplines: piping,mechanical, electrical/instrumentation, civil, structural and architectural.

If they are a multidisciplinary firm like that then perhaps they might already have a template they use which you could start with?

That standard is 24 years old now and from memory barely mentions CAD.

That's because it is not a CAD standard.