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How on earth do you organize trace paper

backbay

How the hell do you organize trace paper!?  Its just everywhere in the office because we have half a dozen projects in schematic design, and it drives me nuts!  Has anyone figured out a way to store/organize this stuff?  Its all different sizes and blows away when you walk by, and I'm going crazy.  I need everything in labeled binders and folders nicely organized on a shelf, and I can't for the life of me figured out how to stop suffocating in a pit of trace paper, and put some order to the chaos.  Somebody help.

 
Mar 22, 13 6:21 pm
citizen

Trim to a standard size or two... which means keeping your sketching within those general size boundaries (8.5x11, 11x17, etc).  Or don't trim, but fold to those standard sizes.

Mar 22, 13 7:18 pm  · 
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bowling_ball

Use a binder. Three hole punch the trace, then fold to fit the binder. Citizen's advice helps. Right now I'm working on a 24"x36" piece of trace... Having a huge scanner really helps with the archiving.

Mar 22, 13 8:22 pm  · 
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accesskb

use an artists portfolio/binder

Mar 22, 13 11:08 pm  · 
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wurdan freo

Use the round file!

Through that shit in the trash.

Welcome to 1999. 

Mar 22, 13 11:27 pm  · 
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saimgee123

I think artists portfolio/binder is best way to organize these trace papers perfectly.

Mar 23, 13 4:49 am  · 
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asocialcelebrity

Where I work, they're a bit anal.
We code the drawing, take a photo of it, print it as an 11"x17" to place in a binder (though now we're going paperless finally!),  and then roll the original trace up in a cardboard tube with the same code number. We can usually fit quite a few in each tube, so it's pretty easy to organize. Extremely tedious, but they're pretty easy to find should we need them and if the binders are organized by project half the time we don't even have to pull the drawing if the clarity of the print was good enough. It's been a lifesaver, because clutter drives me insane.

Mar 28, 13 4:38 pm  · 
1  · 
gwharton

Get a bunch of 11x17 manila folders. Use them to hold trace for a particular project or phase together. Stack on desk or in flat file as necessary.

Mar 28, 13 5:33 pm  · 
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KellyHCM

Hello!  Looking for tips to preserve sketches/drawings on trace.  Does anyone have proven techniques for: archiving in storage as well as displaying on a wall to preserve these?   Thanks!

Jan 19, 21 5:30 pm  · 
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apscoradiales

...very effective!

Jan 19, 21 5:53 pm  · 
1  · 
atelier nobody

I use a push pin.

Jan 19, 21 6:05 pm  · 
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archanonymous

burn it.

Jan 19, 21 7:27 pm  · 
2  · 
curtkram

i put pdfs in file folders so others can easily see the history of the project as well as myself.

Jan 19, 21 9:34 pm  · 
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caramelhighrise

Is there a reason to keep the hardcopies? When I have important trace paper drawings I scan and save them to a dedicated sketches/scans folder or other appropriate place, then shred or toss the original unless I want to keep it for sentimental reasons (lol yeah right). Having one copy buried in a cabinet doesn't do anyone a favor.

Jan 21, 21 8:47 pm  · 
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KellyHCM

Thanks, everyone.  We scan/file electronically as well.  I'd like to hang some trace up on our walls as part of office decor.  Have you found any glass display options (with trace sandwiched between glass) that you like?  Also, does anyone know how long trace sketches will last (yes, for sentimentality).  Thanks!

Jan 25, 21 3:20 pm  · 
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atelier nobody

How long they'll last is dependent on what medium you drew them with.

Jan 25, 21 3:34 pm  · 
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On the fence

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my 2b vs Hb pencil shavings.  

Jan 25, 21 4:05 pm  · 
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