drawing documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term "blueprint" has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan.

A blueprint had several advantages over other types of drawings; the contact printing method allowed an unlimited number of prints to be made without degradation and assured highly accurate dimensions on the copies. The resulting prints were resistant to fading, marking, and alteration. Additionally, the blueprint process was significantly less expensive than a silver-based photographic process.

Revision control was done in contrasting color on the blueprints, for example red markup of a blueprint copy by the engineer, then yellow markup on the copy by the draftsman who implemented the changes on the original drawing, then brown markup by the checker, on a check-print (a brown-line) or sepias. Finally, the architect or engineer, draftsman, checker and supervisor would sign the original drawing, thus making it a legal document. This final, approved drawing would become the original from which new blueprints were made.

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Do's and don't when hiring a contractor

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