Engineering Drawings: Line Styles

Standard engineering drawing line types

A variety of line styles graphically represent physical objects. Types of lines include the following:
Visible – are continuous lines used to depict edges directly visible from a particular angle.
Hidden – are short-dashed lines that may be used to represent edges that are not directly visible.
Center – are alternately long- and short-dashed lines that may be used to represent the axes of circular features.
Cutting plane – are thin, medium-dashed lines, or thick alternately long- and double short-dashed that may be used to define sections for section views.
Section – are thin lines in a pattern (pattern determined by the material being "cut" or "sectioned") used to indicate surfaces in section views resulting from "cutting." Section lines are commonly referred to as "cross-hatching."