Req 6 — Lettering Your Opinion

This requirement brings together two skills: the Gothic lettering you practiced in Requirement 1b and the understanding of CAD benefits you developed in Requirements 2 through 5. You will hand-letter a short essay — in proper Gothic lettering, without templates — on the formatted sheet you prepared at the start of the badge.

Planning Your Written Piece

Before you start lettering on your final sheet, plan your content carefully. You need to address three things:

1. Pick an industry — aerospace, electronics, manufacturing, architectural, or another industry that interests you
2. Name the most important CAD benefit for that industry — not a generic benefit, but one that matters specifically in your chosen field
3. Support your opinion with examples from your own experience in Requirements 2 through 5

CAD Benefits by Industry

Here are some industry-specific angles to consider. Think about which one resonates with your experience:

Aerospace — In aerospace, every gram matters and tolerances are measured in thousandths of an inch. CAD allows engineers to simulate stress, airflow, and weight before a single part is manufactured. The ability to digitally test a wing design before building it saves billions of dollars and, more importantly, lives.

Electronics — Modern circuit boards pack thousands of components into spaces smaller than a playing card. CAD software can automatically check for electrical conflicts, route traces between components, and generate manufacturing files that go directly to circuit board fabrication machines. Hand-drawing a smartphone’s circuit board would be physically impossible.

Manufacturing — CAD models can be sent directly to CNC machines, 3D printers, and laser cutters. This CAD-to-machine pipeline eliminates the step where a machinist interprets a drawing — the machine reads the digital file and cuts exactly what was designed.

Architectural — Building Information Modeling (BIM) goes beyond flat drawings to create a complete digital twin of a building. Architects, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, and electrical engineers all work on the same model. If an HVAC duct conflicts with a structural beam, the software detects the clash before construction begins.

Lettering Execution

Now that you know what you want to say, it is time to letter it on your formatted sheet. Here is how to approach this project:

Step 1: Draft Your Text on Scratch Paper

Write out your explanation in regular handwriting first. Aim for 3-5 sentences — enough to state your opinion, identify the industry, and support your reasoning with your own experience. Count the words so you can estimate how much space you need.

Step 2: Plan the Layout

On a separate piece of scrap paper, figure out:

• How many lines of text you will need
• What letter height to use (1/8 inch is standard for body text; 3/16 or 1/4 inch for a title)
• How the text will be centered or aligned on the sheet
• Where to place a title (e.g., “CAD IN AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING”)

Step 3: Draw Guidelines

On your formatted sheet, lightly draw horizontal guidelines with a hard pencil (4H or 6H). Space them according to your chosen letter height. These guidelines ensure uniform lettering.

Step 4: Letter the Final Text

Using either vertical or slant Gothic lettering (the same style you used for your title blocks), carefully letter your explanation. Take your time. If you make a mistake, carefully erase and re-letter — clean corrections are expected.

Sample Structure (Not Sample Content)

Here is how you might structure your explanation — but use your own words and your own experience:

Title line (larger lettering): Name of the industry and topic

Body (standard lettering): State which CAD benefit you consider most important for this industry. Explain why it matters in that specific industry. Reference something from your own manual vs. CAD experience that illustrates the benefit. Conclude with a sentence about why this benefit matters for the future.

Your lettering project is the last drawing deliverable for this badge. Next, you will explore how drafting works in the real world — either by visiting a workplace or researching the trade.