Drafting Symbols - Symbols

Oct 14, 2026

Symbols provide a shared drafting language only when created according to accepted standards and conventions. The material explains and illustrates common symbol sets used in technical drawings, covering standard dimensioning symbols, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) symbols, and specialized architectural, piping, and electrical symbols. It details how to maintain consistent sizing, and how to construct GD&T symbols and feature control frames for accurate communication of tolerances.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Drafting Symbols

Standard Dimensioning Symbols

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Symbols

Creating GD&T Symbols as Text

Common Architectural Symbols

Common Electrical Symbols

AutoCAD and Its Applications Advanced Reference Material Drafting Symbols Symbols provide a “common language” for drafters all over the world. However, symbols can be meaningful only if they are created according to the relevant standards or conventions. This document describes and illustrates common dimensioning, GD&T, architectural, piping, and electrical symbols. Standard Dimensioning Symbols The size of dimensioning symbols varies with text size, but it should be consistent with the height of the text. In the following illustration, h = text height. | Standard Dimensioning Symbols | | --- | |

Diameter Radius

Spherical Spherical Controlled Places

| Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co. , Inc. Drafting Symbols 1 May not be reproduced or posted to a publicly accessible website. Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Symbols You can either create your own library of GD&T symbols, or use one of AutoCAD’s GD&T fonts to insert the symbols as text. The following tables show how to construct the symbols. | GD&T Symbol Creation | | | | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Datum target symbol without area size | | Target area size
(when used)

Datum Target

number Datum target symbol
with area size

60°

Movable Datum Target | | | Form
Profile
Location
Orientation
Runout | | | | Straightness
Flatness
Circularity
Cylindricity Profile of a line
Profile of a surface
Position
Concentricity
Symmetry
Parallelism
Perpendicularity
Angularity | | | Datum Target Symbol Symbol | | | | | | | | | | | | 90°

Target point | | | Target line | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Circular runout Total runout | | | | | | Target area | | | | | | | | Target Point and Target Area | | | | | Geometric Characteristic Symbols | | | | | | | | MMC, maximum material condition or
MMB, maximum material boundary | | RFS, regardless of feature size (no symbol,

RFS is assumed unless otherwise specified)

Material Condition Symbols | | | | | LMC, least material condition or
LMB, least material boundary | | | | GD&T Symbol Creation | | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | |

Free State | |
Tangent Plane |

1.5 h
Projected Tolerance Zone | | | | | 2X 0.4H
| | | | | | | | Independency Unequally
Disposed | | | | 0.8 h |
| | | |

30°

Profile
1.5 h
Statistical Tolerance | | | | | | Between | | | | | | | | |

With a dimension
| | | |
Combined with

conventional tolerance | | | | | | In the feature control frame Statistical Tolerancing Methods | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Feature Control Frame with
Straightness Geometric Characteristic Symbol h = lettering height | | | | | | | | | | GD&T Symbol Creation | | --- | |
Feature Control Frame with Flatness Geometric Characteristic Symbol

1.5 h h 2 h

Feature Control Frame with Circularity Geometric Characteristic Symbol

Feature Control Frame with Cylindricity Geometric Characteristic Symbol

Feature Control Frame with Profile of a Line Geometric Characteristic Symbol and a Datum Reference
h = lettering height | | GD&T Symbol Creation | | --- | | 2 h
h
h
Feature Control Frame with Profile

of a Surface Geometric Characteristic Symbol and a Datum Reference
0.6 h

1.5 h h 2 h

Feature Control Frame with Parallelism Geometric Characteristic Symbol and a Datum Reference

Feature Control Frame with Perpendicularity Geometric Characteristic Symbol and a Datum Reference

Feature Control Frame with An

FAQs

Why are drafting symbols considered a “common language”?

Drafting symbols work as a common language only when they follow relevant standards or conventions so different drafters can interpret them consistently.

How should the size of dimensioning symbols relate to the drawing text?

The size varies with the text size, but it should remain consistent with the height of the text.

How can GD&T symbols be created in AutoCAD?

A drafter can either build a custom GD&T symbol library or use AutoCAD’s GD&T fonts and insert the symbols as text.

Oct 14, 2026

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