How to store drawings and plans

Whether it’s for your business or at home, drawings, paintings, blueprints and other architectural plans need somewhere to be stored. While it’s easy to roll up large papers and rest canvases against a piece of furniture, it’s not a safe or sustainable way to store artwork and important documents.

What you need is a dedicated storage space in which you can keep drawings and plans safely – such as drawing hangers and racks. Keep reading to find out more about them and their benefits.

What is a drawing plan hanger?

A drawing plan hanger, put simply, is a horizontal bar that holds a sheet of paper. You can secure your drawing to the plan hanger so that it is suspended from it, making it easy to access and less likely to be damaged or creased.

You can find these hangers in a wide range of different sizes to suit any paper that you work with, from A0 through to A3.

What are the benefits of a drawing plan hanger?

One of the main benefits of using a drawing plan hanger is that it saves space. Leaving papers lying horizontally on desks (or even floors) consumes a lot of precious space that could be used for other purposes. A drawing plan hanger securely stores all your papers in a vertical and easy to access way, saving you lots of space while reducing the chances of damage to your work.

And that’s another benefit, keeping your work safe. Drawing hangers and racks help to keep your papers in perfect condition while they are stored, and for businesses that have many papers at the same time, this can be invaluable.

Drawing hangers and racks are extremely convenient for instant access to project-based work without requiring the use of punched drawing tapes.

What are the different types of drawing plan hangers?

All drawing plan hangers work on the same principle – they securely hold pieces of paper between two aluminium plates for easy storage and instant access. There are, however, different types which include:

• Trolley drawing plan hangers for mobile storage.
• Wall-mounted drawing plan hangers that are space-saving.
• Steel cabinet drawing plan hangers for maximum protection.
• Drawing racks that have space for folders and binders, too.

You can also find that standard drawing hangers and racks may be available with a one-sided suspension to allow wall racks to be used to fan out the pages, or a two-sided suspension that gives you more flexible hanging options.

What should I look for when choosing a drawing plan hanger?

Model

Just as described above, there are many different types and models of drawing plan hangers that all work on the same basic concept. Choosing the right one for your type of work is critical.

Some models use hooks or stanchions, which necessitate punching holes in your work or using plan strips. More modern types use clips that reduce the chance of damage when putting your drawing on or taking it off the mount.

Size

It’s important to choose a hanger that fits the type of paper you work with. Drawing hangers that specify the dimensions of paper will only work with that specific size. If you regularly work with different sizes, some hanger models are able to store various sized sheets in one go.

Capacity

This depends on how many projects you or your business work on at the same time. The larger this number, the more capacity you will need. Most drawing hangers can hold between 100 and 500 sheets spread out over individual hangers, each holding 10-50 sheets. A great feature of some models is that you can remove one hanger and take it with you to a meeting or to work on at home, without having to take the whole hanger.

Author Bio: First Mats started life as safety matting specialists, but have since expanded to become a complete industrial and commercial supplies company. The focus of First Mats is to provide safety-focused products that improve the wellbeing of staff through quality approved products, backed up by extensive knowledge. www.firstmats.co.uk