Title block: what it is, where it sits and what each field means
A title block is the boxed area in the lower right corner of an engineering drawing that identifies the drawing and its revision. This guide covers each field, the scope of ISO 7200 and ASME Y14.1, the revision block and the common mistakes.
What a title block is
WisTech Open’s blueprint reading text describes the title block as a standardized section in the lower right corner of the print. It typically holds the title, the drawing number, the revision, the scale, the dates, the material and the name of the drafter or designer.
The same text calls it a reference point for identifying and organizing drawings, ensuring accuracy and tracking revisions. Each person who handles the drawing reads a different part of it. Purchasing reads the number and the revision. The machinist reads the material, the units and the general tolerances. The inspector reads the revision and the tolerances to know what to accept.
Where it sits on the sheet
WisTech Open places the title block in the lower right corner, and the record of changes in the upper right, where the revision block sits. NASA Goddard’s drawing standards manual draws its sample title block and revision block in the same two corners.
The fixed place is the point. ASME’s description of Y14.1 says that uniform location of format features on drawing forms gives definite advantages in readability, handling, filing and reproduction.
The fields, and why each one is there
Here is an example title block, with the revision block above it. The numbers match the notes below, which say what each field holds and who relies on it. The field names follow WisTech Open’s list of common title block features.
DIMENSIONS IN MM
X.X ±0.5
X.XX ±0.25
ANGLES ±1°
CHECKED MT 2026-09-16
APPROVED RS 2026-09-18
A few fields reward a closer look. The scale shows the drawing size first and the part size second, so 1:2 is half size, as WisTech Open’s text explains. A projection symbol tells the reader where each view sits. RMIT University’s notes on drawing views explain that third-angle projection draws the view from the left on the left. First-angle projection draws it on the right.
NASA Goddard’s manual sets a rule for the checked box: the checker’s name has to be independent of every other name on the drawing.
What ISO 7200 and ASME Y14.1 cover
ISO describes ISO 7200:2004 as specifying the data fields used in the title blocks and headers of technical product documents. Its purpose is to make documents easier to exchange and compatible, by defining field names, their contents and their length in characters. It covers manual and computer-based work, for all kinds of documents and products.
Two standards cover the sheet around the block. ISO 5457 specifies the size and layout of preprinted drawing sheets, including sheets produced by computer. ASME describes Y14.1 as defining sheet sizes and formats for engineering drawings, in metric and decimal inch. ASME adds that revision information and dates should be located and expressed uniformly on all engineering drawings.
These public pages describe each standard’s scope, not its field list. To match a customer’s requirement, check your title block against the standard and edition the customer names.
The revision block
When a drawing changes, the revision letter in the title block changes, and the revision block records the change. WisTech Open puts the changes in the upper right of the sheet. The matching revision letter, often in a triangle, sits at the place on the drawing where the change was made.
NASA Goddard’s sample revision block has five columns: symbol, zone, description, date and approval. The zone column points the reader to the area of the sheet that changed.
ASME describes Y14.35 as defining the practices for revising drawings and associated documents, with methods for identifying and recording revisions. One convention to check: WisTech Open notes that a new drawing can show a dash in the revision box, while some companies release it as revision A. A drawing at revision A can be the first issue or the first change.
Common title block mistakes
These are the title block problems that send the wrong part to the floor or stall a quote.
- A revision that does not match the revision block. The letter in the title block and the latest row of the revision block have to agree. When they differ, ask which one is current before you quote or cut metal.
- A tolerance note in the wrong units. An inch tolerance block on a metric drawing changes every dimension that has no tolerance of its own. Read the units line first.
- A withdrawn standard in the notes. ISO lists ISO 2768-2 and ISO 1302:2002 as withdrawn. A note that cites either one needs a question to the customer. What are tolerances covers general tolerance notes in more detail.
- Measuring the print. The scale box says how the drawing relates to the part, and NTS means a view is not to scale. Work from the dimensions, not from a ruler on paper.
- Drawing number and part number mixed up. WisTech Open defines the drawing number as the filing and tracking number, and the part number as the identity of a specific part. Quote against the number the customer orders by.
- Blank fields. A missing material, finish or projection becomes a phone call or a guess. Fill every field that applies to the part.
The symbols on the face of the drawing deserve the same care. Engineering drawing symbols covers each one, from the diameter sign to the weld symbol.
Getting a title block onto your drawings
For a ready sheet, the title block template draws ISO and ANSI sheets with most of the fields above. It exports each sheet as DXF, SVG and PDF.
When a drawing goes out with every quote, the title block can fill itself in from the order. The guide to the general arrangement drawing explains what that drawing shows. Turning your Excel builder into a CPQ app generates it in your own title block, for a named person to approve.