The two most important preferences derived from the requirements are the extent of the drawing as an end product and the level of detail in the depiction. It is therefore important that the drawing sheet format and pen attributes are appropriately set.

The orientation of the format should be set in such a way that the later drawings fill the full format of the drawing sheet.

For example, landscape format is usually the most suitable for exploded drawings in a spare parts catalog. For illustrations that are to accompany instructions, the format and therefore also the orientation are determined by the page space the illustrations are to occupy alongside the instructions.

The size of the drawing sheet should be selected so that the drawing does not need to be scaled when it is used at a later stage. For example, if a drawing has to be reduced in size significantly, lines can end up running together when printed. A drawing created in a format that is too large will also be scaled down too much in online documentation, making the image difficult to see on screen.

As a result, it is usually best to set the drawing size 1:1 in relation to the size the drawing will be in its eventual application.

Irrespective of whether a drawing is to be scaled down for its final application, you should experiment with how detailed a part is to be illustrated. It is not always the case that the greater the detail, i.e. the greater the number of lines, the better the depiction will be. There are limits to the reproduction of pen attributes on both printouts and onscreen displays (e.g. width, style, and color setting). You should also carry out tests if you want to draw on a larger scale and then reduce the size e.g. when exporting the drawing. Examine the result. Take careful note of the width of the pens, particularly when drawings are to be highly detailed.