leo238•1mo ago

Figured out a way to keep my pencil lines from fading on damp prints after 3 years of fighting it

Switched to a 0.5mm mechanical pencil with harder lead and started using a light mist of hairspray on the paper before I draw, and now my marks actually hold up in the field, has anyone else tried this hack for blueprint visibility?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahs821mo ago

Honestly I used to think hairspray was just asking for trouble, I figured it would gum up the paper or mess with the eraser like your buddy said. But I tried it on a really humid job last month with a 0.5mm and a 2H lead and it actually kept my lines from smudging when my hands got sweaty, which was a total game changer. The key for me was spraying a VERY light coat from like a foot away and letting it dry for a full minute before I started drawing, plus I use a harder eraser that doesn't stick. Now I'm kicking myself for all those blobby faded prints I had to redo over the years.

loganhart1mo ago

My buddy at the shop tried that hairspray trick last year and it made his paper all sticky and weird, so I always stuck with just a harder lead. I use a 2H lead in my 0.5mm and press a little lighter, and it holds up fine even when I'm out in the rain drawing on site plans. The key for me was actually switching to a smoother paper too, the cheap stuff just soaks up the graphite wrong. Hairspray sounds like it could mess with your eraser though, so be careful if you need to revise stuff later.