Drafting Table

A drafting table is an essential piece of equipment for any artist or designer. It provides a large, flat surface on which to work, and can be adjusted to the perfect angle for drawing or painting. A good drafting table will also have a built-in light box, which makes it easy to trace images or patterns.If you’re serious about pursuing a career in art or design, a drafting table is an essential piece of equipment. It’s not only convenient, but it can also help you produce your best work. So if you’re ready to take your creative endeavors to the next level, invest in a high-quality drafting table today.

A drawing board, also known as a drawing table, drafting table or architect’s table, is a desk with various uses. It can be used for sketching on paper, reading large documents or creating technical illustrations. Commonly found in pre-industrial and early industrial studies or private libraries, it provided a useful addition to the pedestal desk.

Drawing tables gradually became more utilitarian, made of steel and plastic instead of fine wood and brass, as draftsmanship gradually evolved into a specialized trade during the Industrial Revolution.

In recent years, as computer aided drafting and design (CADD or CAD) has been increasingly implemented, the drawing board’s use has decreased. On a drawing board, draftsmen and engineers typically produce and revise drawings using ink or pencil. Additionally, several drawing instruments – such as the set square, protractor and compass – are used to create parallel, perpendicular or oblique lines; while a French curve and stencil are also employed to draw circles, arcs and other curves as well as symbols.

For several centuries, mechanical desks were mostly drawing tables, which is why a drawing table is also sometimes called a mechanical desk. In contrast to gadgety mechanical desks of the second half of the 18th century, drawing tables were usually constructed with notches, ratchets, and perhaps a few simple gears, or levers or cogs for elevating and inclining the work surface.

Often a drawing table could appear to be a writing or pedestal desk when the working surface was set at the horizontal, and its height adjusted to 29 inches. The key feature that denoted it as a drawing board was usually an edge on one of its sides which stopped items from sliding when given an angle. This same lip also doubled up for holding writing materials. When the work surface was extended to its full height, it could then be used as a standing desk.

Drawing tables from the 18th and 19th centuries have been reproduced and are still being produced in a variety of period styles.