About Technical Illustrators

Technical Illustrators provide graphic examples of technical information. These illustrations help understand instructions that would otherwise be confusing. Technical illustrations are very much a part of our life, and we use them all our lives, from the first time we see a part of a larger item identified for us. This could be anything from the cutting instructions of a paper doll to a diagram showing the parts of a toy car.

The Facts

Technical Illustrators work with Engineers and Technical Writers, as well as many other professionals, to help to clearly illustrate otherwise confusing information. The illustrations could be as simple as a diagram showing the instruction to "Put tab A into slot B," or as complex as a diagram for the wiring on a spacecraft.

Benefits

Professionals working with Technical Illustrators find that having their words translated into clearly rendered graphics assists in determining where information is faulty or not clear. Diagrams that are hand-drawn by engineers and other professionals are rendered by a Technical Illustrator, usually using a computer and specific programs for the purpose, and, after checking and rechecking by editors, professionals, and others with an interest in the finished product, can now be published with detailed instructions.

Time Frame

Learning to be a Technical Illustrator is not a quick process. It takes schooling and practice to become a professional Technical Illustrator. Many companies will not hire such a person without a Bachelor's degree, which includes many hours of work using computers and technical, engineering, and illustration programs. A Bachelor's degree in Technical Illustration will take approximately four years to earn, with extra time involved for specialization (for instance, electrical circuit illustration, mechanical diagram illustration, etc.).

The time it takes to complete an illustration, once assigned to a Technical Illustrator, depends on the size and complexity of the illustration, plus the time of the editing and approval process.

Type

Technical Illustrators often specialize in specific fields. Common fields include architecture, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, theory, cartography (maps), computer hardware architecture and structure, plumbing, space industries, building every-day items like furniture, appliances, home hardware - the list is endless.

History of

Almost everything that has been built by man has, at some time, been drawn as a plan for building. These would all be technical illustrations of their time. The engineers responsible for the building of the pyramids used plans to define the structure, inner structure, manpower required, carving and movement of the stone blocks, just to name a few of the steps needed. Those plans were technical illustrations of their time, as the hundreds of books of illustrations of components involved in (for example) the construction of the Space Station are used in ours.