BluePrint Mailing Boxes & Bags

A blueprint is a paper-based reproduction of any technical drawing that an architect or engineer would use, and the paper is coated with a special solution that allows someone to make copies of the original. The blueprinting process starts with a black-ink sketch that’s made on a clear plastic or some type of translucent tracing paper, which is laid on top of a sheet of blueprint paper before it’s exposed to ultraviolet radiation. When the light hits the paper, it starts to turn blue (hence the name “blueprint”). Once it has been exposed to the UV light, the chemicals are washed off the paper. And what’s left is a white drawing against a blue background.

You want to store blueprints and other large documents in a way that will allow you to find them quickly, and there are several storage options — each one with their own advantages and drawbacks. As you come up with a blueprint storage solution, you should ask the following questions:

• How many do you need to store?
• How many do you expect to store?
• How frequently do you use them?
• Will they be stored permanently?
• Are the documents important or expensive to reproduce?
• Do the documents need to be flat or rolled?

A rolled solution will be the cheapest, but it will take time to roll and unroll them. Plan racks and hanging clamps will be the easiest and most convenient way to store blueprints, while flat-file cabinets will give you the most protection.

Blueprint mailer bags and boxes are great for protecting your documents as they’re sent through the mail. Just roll them up, tape the tube cap, put on a shipping label, and ship it through any mail or shipping carrier. Because these blueprint tubes and storage boxes have a sturdy design, they can be reused. That’s why the blueprint mailing solutions we offer at Engineering Supply will give you the most return on your investment. Feel free to look at what we have in our store, so you can find the perfect solution for mailing blueprints and other large documents.

Finding blueprints for a building isn’t always a simple matter. Not all documents are in digital format, and some of them may not even exist (which is especially true for older structures). The original blueprint may be in a box, inside a storage unit, or in the basement of a county clerk’s office. But because we live in a digital age, physical blueprints are no longer the standard. Newer designs are typically done with CAD or some other 3D modeling technology.