Preparing Your Engineering Drawings for Scanning (Mistakes to Avoid)

By: USA Imaging, Inc.

Large-format documents like blueprints, engineering drawings, site plans, and architectural layouts require special care before scanning. Proper preparation ensures accurate digital images and a smooth workflow.

Before scanning, remove all staples, tears, sticky notes, paperclips, and taped sections. Flatten rolled drawings if possible — tightly rolled documents cause distortions or shadows during scanning. Mark “Do Not Scan” on any blank separators or redundant sheets.

Another mistake is scanning drawings out of order. Always label sets clearly to keep disciplines, versions, and revisions organized. This prevents misalignment and helps teams locate updated drawings easily.

A well-prepared set of drawings speeds up the scanning process, improves image quality, and ensures a clean digital archive your engineering team can rely on.