Need shop drawings for joinery, an interior or bespoke furniture? iMesure provides drafting on commission in AutoCAD: workshop and assembly drawings, developed elevations and preparation drawings, with dimensions and materials lists. We start from your design or our own survey. Your workshop builds from these production drawings, and your fitters use them on site. Shop drawings are part of our wider CAD drafting on commission.
What are shop drawings for bespoke furniture?
Shop drawings, also called production drawings, are the drawings used to make and install furniture or an interior. They show each part with its production dimensions, the construction, the hardware and the junctions with walls, floor and ceiling. A materials list gives board materials, thicknesses and edge finishes. iMesure draws them in AutoCAD and delivers DWG, DXF and PDF.
The drawings you receive
- Workshop drawings: elevations, sections and details for each unit, with every dimension the workshop needs.
- Assembly drawings: how the parts come together and in what order, with the position of the hardware.
- Developed elevations: the walls of a room unfolded side by side, so the layout of cabinets, fronts and openings reads on one sheet.
- Preparation drawings: the room with installation dimensions, levels and points to watch, such as a wall that is out of true or an uneven floor.
- Detail drawings: junctions with the wall, ceiling and floor, fillers, skirting boards and cover strips.
- Materials lists: every part with its dimensions, board material, thickness, edge finish and hardware.
Technical review and feasibility advice
We do not copy a design blindly. We review the design technically as we draw. Can the construction be built in the chosen material? Does the hardware suit the size and weight of the doors and drawers? Where something does not work, we give feasibility advice before production starts. On request, we also propose board materials and hardware. The choice remains yours.
Why outsource shop drawings?
Outsourcing shop drawings takes the pressure off your drawing office when the workshop is waiting for drawings. In busy periods, iMesure takes on the drafting, project by project. You supply the design and the brief, we draw, and you approve before production starts. You stay in control; we deliver the drawings.
You notice the second benefit during installation. A shop drawing based on checked dimensions allows for walls that are out of true, corners that are out of square and uneven floor levels. Fillers and scribing allowances are already on the drawing. The fitter no longer has to work them out on site, so there are fewer errors during installation. See also what we do for joiners and interior fitters.
Drafting on commission is done digitally. You send documents by email or download link and get the files back the same way. We therefore also draw for workshops well outside our survey area.
Starting point: your design or our survey
A shop drawing is only as good as the dimensions it is based on. So we start from a design that already includes the dimensions, or survey the room ourselves first.
- You supply the design. A sketch, a PDF, a DWG or a SketchUp model, with the dimensions you already have. We develop it to production dimensions.
- Site survey by our experts. If the room dimensions are missing or uncertain, our experts measure on site. Using professional Leica laser measuring instruments on a tripod, we measure walls, angles and squareness, heights, openings and angled walls. The measured points are transferred digitally and drawn up in AutoCAD, with no retyping. Read more about on-site measuring or, for kitchens, kitchen measuring.
DWG, DXF and PDF: ready for the drawing office and the workshop
- DWG: the editable, native AutoCAD format, for your drawing office. AutoCAD LT opens and edits the 2D drawings.
- DXF: the exchange format that CAM/CNC and nesting software also read, for example for the outlines of board parts.
- PDF: for reading, printing and taking to the workshop or the site.
No AutoCAD in-house? View the DWG files with the free DWG TrueView or Autodesk Viewer. We draw with a clear layer structure and dimensions in mm. If your drawing office uses its own layers, pens or template, mention it in your request.
Drawings and files, not machine programming
iMesure delivers drawings and files, and stops where the machine begins. Your CAM, CNC or nesting software reads the DXF file. We do not write postprocessors or machine programs. That step stays with your own production team. Tell us which package you use, and we will match the layers and outlines to it.
How a drafting project works
- Supply: you send what you have, such as a design, sketch, PDF, photos, an existing DWG or the dimensions you have.
- Brief and quotation: we discuss the purpose, level of detail, materials, layers or template, delivery format and timing, then send a quotation.
- Drafting in AutoCAD: shop drawings to scale, with dimensions, a layer structure, a technical review and a materials list. We ask questions along the way.
- Check and delivery: you receive DWG, DXF and PDF. We discuss any changes together.
If the room dimensions are missing, we schedule an on-site survey before drafting starts. Both processes are set out step by step on the how we work page.
Have a design ready, or does a room need surveying first? Request a quotation or email info@imesure.com.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a shop drawing and a design drawing?
A design drawing shows what a piece of furniture or an interior should look like. A shop drawing shows how it is made and installed: every part with production dimensions, the construction, the hardware and how it connects to the room. The client usually approves the design, and the workshop works from the shop drawing. iMesure produces those shop drawings on commission, in AutoCAD.
What information do you need to produce shop drawings?
We need a design or sketch with the required dimensions, the materials and hardware if these have already been decided, and the dimensions of the room. That can be a PDF, a DWG, a SketchUp model or a hand sketch with photos. If the room dimensions are missing, or you have doubts about them, our experts measure them on site with a laser measuring instrument on a tripod.
Can you supply DXF files for our CNC or nesting software?
Yes. Alongside DWG and PDF, we supply DXF, the exchange format that CAM/CNC and nesting software can also read. Tell us in your request which package you use and how you would like to receive layers and outlines. iMesure does not produce machine programs or postprocessors. We deliver drawings and files; programming the machine stays with your own production team.
Do I need AutoCAD to use the shop drawings?
No. You also receive the drawings as PDF, for reading and printing. You can view the DWG files without AutoCAD using the free DWG TrueView or Autodesk Viewer. With AutoCAD LT you can open and edit the 2D drawings. Other CAD and CAM packages can read the DXF file.
Can you take the pressure off our drawing office for a while?
Yes. You can outsource shop drawings project by project, for example during a busy period or for a job with a lot of bespoke work. You stay in control: you supply the design and the brief, we draw in AutoCAD, and you approve before production starts. Drafting on commission is handled digitally, so the distance to your workshop does not matter.
Do you also advise on materials and hardware?
Yes. While drawing up the design, we review it technically and give feasibility advice: can the construction be built, and does the hardware suit the size and weight of the doors and drawers? On request, we propose board materials and hardware. You decide what you choose and order.