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Territorial Trace

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First, let’s make one thing clear: while it is labeled as “trace paper” don’t call it that. It is simply called “trace.” No apologies to “onion skin”, “bumwad” or any other monikers.

Trace.

A while back, I told everyone that if they smashed their roll of trace, it wouldn’t roll away from them when they were working. While that’s definitely a great tip, I kind of wish I hadn’t shared it with the world. Now half of the rolls in the office are smashed and it’s not as easy to know which roll of trace is mine whenever it goes missing. I can’t be bothered to mark the roll so I know … that’s not the point. They are ALL my rolls of trace.

architect's trace paper trick

We have quite a few people who sketch in my office so rolls of trace can be found just about anywhere you look … but that doesn’t matter to me when I reach for MY roll of trace only to find that it’s gone missing – probably a result of me leaving it somewhere rather than someone else stealing it.

Trace Paper

I know people the people in my office pretty well since I sit next to them for 10 hours a day, and I’d probably know them a whole lot better if I didn’t talk so much more than anyone else. Even as I sit here at my desk writing this, I can simply look over the top of my screen and I can see all but one of the people that work here … and I can see 6 rolls of trace. Two of these rolls are on my desk, one is on Landon’s desk, but he sits right next to me so I am going to say that that’s my roll of trace as well. (sorry Landon) Three rolls of trace are on my desk and I want the other three rolls that I can see on my desk as well. Particularly if it’s a newer roll. Yes, those are better.

You can take my pens, I have a million of them and it’s unlikely you could ever find them all. You can even take my scales – I have like 30 of those, and with the exception of the one I took from my Dad, the very first one I ever owned, I hold zero attachment to any of them.

I’d prefer you not take my scissors – I have the kind that is specifically made for left-handed people. Ever since they started making the handles more ergonomic, it is actually painful to use scissors made for your right-hand in your left hand. I know left-handed people all over the world know exactly what I’m talking about. Right-handed people probably didn’t even realize this was an issue because they think everything is about them. Even then, I’ll make due … I’ll grab my X-Acto knife.

But don’t mess with my trace. I want all the trace.

Good looking out –

Bob signature FAIA

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  • Davyd

    I always used to call the rolls of yellow trace in my office in Australia ‘lunchwrap’. Much to colleagues’ consternation.

  • Simon

    Too funny…my desk is affectionately known as the place supplies go to die and I am infamous for going to someone’s desk, using their pen to sketch something, and then stealing the pen. I’ve tried to change but I just can’t. When supplies go missing in our office, including trace, people come to my desk to retrieve them.

    However, I can still see 5 rolls on my desk as I type – so I must be winning.

  • Ariki

    “all your trace are belong to bob”

    To regenerate a classic meme.

  • It wasn’t me who took your white trace. My yellow bumwad is on my desk.

  • AlmostJane

    Very enjoyable post to read. So… I guess you architects are all about your trace, huh? I can relate. As an occasionally-professional calligrapher, I am ALL about my pens. And not just the colloquial “nib” pens. I will tolerate ZERO messing with my Rapidographs, my pigment liners, my Pilot drawings pens or my Faber-Castell watercolor pencils. You can use, borrow & even steal many of my inks. But hands off the pens. Or bloody stumps may be drawn back. Have a good week! Peace.

    • Bloody stumps? Yikes … that sounds serious.

      As I understand it, some pens (the sot with nibs) actually get won down in a way that is specific to the user. This alone makes it important to not use someone else’s pens – you could actually damage them. At least this is what I tell people.

  • AlmostJane

    Very enjoyable post to read. I guess you architects are all about your trace, huh? I can relate. As an occasionally-professional calligrapher, I am ALL about my pens. And not just the “nib” pens. I don’t want any messing with my pigment liners, my Rapidographs, my Pilot drawing pens or my Faber-Castell watercolor pencils either. Bloody stumps will be drawn back. Have a good week. Peace.

  • Diego Bortolato

    Roll-Centric…. there’s a couple here… underused… they’re mine!

    • If they are pointing in the direction of my desk, even from as far away as Italy, I feel like I have the right to claim them for myself.

  • Kerry Hogue

    I used yellow trace in college. it was all about price point. it was a lot less expensive than white trace, and I had to pinch every where I could.

    • I used yellow in college as well – and I loved it (we called it “canary”). I too placed “eating” above white trace when I was in school.

      #priorities

  • Lincoln F. Sternn, USAF (ret.)

    Any thoughts on white or yellow trace? Personally, I never understood yellow trace, but my profs in school seemed to prefer it.

    • The people I know who prefer the yellow do so because they use a lot of colored pencil – which looks great on the yellow paper. I prefer white for the simple reason that I get better quality copies made and I don’t use much color in my sketches.

      • This is correct from my point of view. However, my first introduction to trace was yellow, so…there’s that.

  • aMa Architecture Inc

    Your last paragraph, thank you.

  • A Maller: PARALLAX

    These are some of my favorite topics, about our profession (or other professions as well, i suppose). The idiosyncrasies people display in their daily mannerisms are always so interesting, to me. Personally (while the tip is awesome about the trace not rolling away), i actually get irritated if i go to roll it on the desk, and it doesnt roll evenly. So i need mine to not be squashed. But… A Binder Clip on the end of it stops it from rolling.

    Ironically, the “Pen” thing is a huge deal to me. And its not because the pens i use are super nice, either. (I think they are, but thats another story). For years, i could get Pilot Precise V7 (7 mm) in any story in Blue. Now, you get get the 7’s in black, or get the v5 (5mm) in blue in stores… But i dont want the 5, i want the 7. So i buy them in bulk off websites. True story. So i do keep track of my pens, and i do lose it when they go missing.

    Working in Support for architects and engineers, i wont even get in to how opinionated i get when i have to go to someones desk and i find their keyboards or mice to be substandard, ill functioning, or not oriented in a manner thats going to help them move efficiently.

    • In this profession everybody has their issues with what is important. I too like my pens but I have so many of them I can just grab another if I can’t find the one I was just using. I think it drives my wife a little crazy because I have pens stashed everywhere – they are in every drawer around my house, in my car, suit pockets, luggage, etc.

      What are your thoughts on mice that still have a cord? When I see those I think I am working with a caveman.

      • A Maller: PARALLAX

        So true (about the pens that are everywhere). My wife has learned two things: 1. Always check my pockets before putting my pants in the laundry. 2. Dont let ME do the laundry, because i will forget to take the pens out, AND forget to check the pockets. Ive ruined enough clothes that i think im banned from the laundry room.

        I go one farther, on my issues with peoples mice: The cords DO drive me absolutely crazy (especially if the slack of the cord is bound up on the table or the monitor stand, so it tugs at the mouse… ugh…), but moreso than that does peoples choices (and companies choices?) about what mice to use. Its something thats in our hands for multiple hours a day, and its the vessel connecting us to the work product. I cant stand and wont tolerate cheap crappy mice. I know which brand and model number i prefer (personally), but i dont judge as long as whatever they have WORKS well. The standard issue Dell/HP mouse that ships with the computer? Ive actually thrown them out at peoples desks, and found other mice for them to use.

        Oh, then there is this: Why do peoples mice get SMALLER when they use a laptop? Did your HAND get smaller? Unless your hands are tiny, you need to have a full sized mouse. If i need tweezers to pick it up, ill scream.

        (BTW, right after reading this post of yours, i turned around to check on my rolls of trace….. 🙂 )

        • Fabrik8

          Mice meant for travel are smaller. I hate them, and use a standard size mouse, but that’s the reason they’re smaller. My work laptop is a mobile workstation, so that’s not exactly small or light either, so a small mouse would make even less logical sense.

          • A Maller: PARALLAX

            I get WHY they are made smaller… But i feel like its a completely backwards design philosophy: When i travel, my HAND doesn’t get smaller. So the little midget mouse that can only fit under two fingers, is nonsensical. I carry a larger than standard mouse (Logitech MX Master), and even that easily fits in any backpack i’ve traveled with as carry on. My mobile workstation is a bit beefy (but not gamer beefy: Its a Dell 15 inch), but i cant get on board with the trendy folding/collapsing/tiny-hands-mouse, travel or no. I would (literally) rather use a track pad.

  • Benny

    When it goes missing, where does it go, where else would you leave it? We had a lecturer insist we use Detail paper instead of Trace and at A1 size. This combination only came in packs of 200 sheets at $100+. So years later there’s still some left and if anyone so much as goes near where the roll is kept I find myself watching them despite the obvious – why would anyone want it?

    • When it goes missing, it simply ends up on someone else’s desk, either from me walking it over there or someone grabbing a role off my desk rather than walking to the back and getting their own roll.

      I know some people LOVE detail paper … I wasn’t one of them. I also couldn’t justify the expense over the long run considering how quickly I run through a roll of trace.

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The complimentary advice provided on ‘Life of an Architect’ is based on an abbreviated examination of the minimal facts given, not the typical extensive (and sometimes exhaustive) analysis I conduct when working with my clients. Therefore, anything you read on this site is not a substitute for actually working with me. Following my casual advice is at your own peril … if you want my undivided attention, I would recommend hiring me. Cheers.

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