Gifts for a drafter can be hard to come by. And with less than two weeks until Christmas, if you are anything like me, you are scrambling to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Is one of those people a drafter? One who has just about everything they need? Fear not! We have compiled a list of the top ten holiday gifts for drafters. Check them out below.
1. A good quality drafting chair
Let’s face it, drafters work long, hard hours to ensure that they are completing their drawings and making sure their work is complete. Sitting for long hours without a break can wreak havoc on your back.
Too often, I find myself deciding to do some work at my kitchen table, rather than in my office. After sitting at the table for a couple of hours, the first thing I need is an aspirin. Give your drafter the gift of comfort with a drafting chair that not only has adjustable height, but more importantly some sort of lumbar support. Chairs with lumbar support aid in promoting good posture while you are sitting at your desk for long hours.
2. Blue Light Glasses
Continuing on the theme that drafters work long, hard hours at your computer can cause digital eye strain. Digital eye strain can cause tired eyes, dry eyes, blurred vision, and even neck and back pain. With today’s technology, blue light filters can be found on your phones and your tablets. But if you are working on a computer, an easy fix to alleviate eye strain is with a pair of Blue Light Glasses. The Vision Council recommends that you take frequent breaks when working on a computer, but a pair of blue light glasses can definitely help decrease eye strain from staring a computer screen.
3. Construction Calculator
Another great gift for the holidays is a construction calculator. Unlike a normal calculator, a construction calculator can help with measurements in feet and inches. From simple conversions, right-angle triangle solutions, to how steep a slope is and more, a construction calculator is a must-have for any drafter.
4. Architectural Scale
An architectural scale is also a key tool for any drafter who is working on shop drawings that are scaled for larger areas. Architectural scales should feature multiple unit of length and proportional length increments. Even though we are living in a digital age, it does not hurt to have an architectural scale on your desk in case you are presented with some paper drawings that you need to work with. Click on the link below for one that we recommend!
5. Smart Speaker
Another amazing holiday gift to give is a smart speaker. Last week, I talked about how to boost your productivity while you’re working. Having a smart speaker will definitely help increase the amount of work you can get done throughout the day.
Need a quick calculation? Ask your smart speaker. Need to access your planner to see what you have on your agenda for the day? Ask your smart speaker. Need to set yourself a reminder to get up from your desk and take a break from time to time? Yep! A smart speaker can remind you to do that as well! Smart speakers come in a variety of styles and size. It doesn’t matter if a drafter is an IOS or Android fan, there is a smart speaker for every drafter.
6. Wireless Ear Buds
Whether you are working from home or in an office, it is easy to be distracted by your surroundings. Having a set of wireless earbuds can be very valuable. It is a great way to turn off distractions, especially when you have a deadline to meet or something important to complete. Having earbuds in while working not only can help increase productivity, it can improve concentration, as well as provide a bit of stress release during a long day of work. How about when you need to make a call? It is much easier to have a pair of earbuds in your ear rather than holding a phone against your face or even worse taking a call on speakerphone!
7. Apple/Google Gift Card
Another great gift to give that drafter in your life is an Apple or iTunes gift card. As drafters, there are several apps that we use on our smartphones and tablets to help with our day to day tasks (stay tuned for an upcoming blog about that). Having an Apple or iTunes gift card on hand is very beneficial in our line of work. Plus, it’s an easy and inexpensive gift to give.
8. Caliper Cuff links
More of a novelty item if anything else, these caliper cuff links are a fun gift for a child to give a parent or someone they know in the drafting world. They are definitely a statement piece. Although they do not actually measure, they are a good accessory to wear when meeting with prospective customers or when out to a dinner meeting.
9. Drafting Artwork
If you are like me, your office space tends to display artwork and photos about yourself. A cool item to gift a drafter is a piece of drafting artwork. Perhaps it’s a piece of artwork centralized around tools. Or maybe you find a piece of artwork of a favorite piece of architecture. You can even make it personalized and turn one of your drafter’s first shop drawing into a piece of artwork that they can proudly display in their office space so they can admire their hard work. This gift is certainly a personalized gift that they will cherish for years to come.
10. Coffee Mug
Continuing on the theme of increasing productivity from last week, a coffee mug is an inexpensive gift to give a drafter. Finding a personalized coffee mug is something that will hold sentiment to them. It will also help someone to remember to take a 5-minute coffee break from time to time. Support a local business and order a personalized coffee mug.
Holiday gift-giving can be a pain, especially when you are on the hunt for the perfect gift for a drafter. I hope that you have found this top ten list of gifts to be useful. Stayed tuned for next week’s blog where we will discuss some of the most useful apps that drafters use in their day to day work.
Superior Shop Drawings earns a small commission on qualified purchases.
After a decade of Shop Experience, he made the transition into the Office to become a Cabinet Engineer. Here he learned AutoCAD, Cutlising, and CNC Programming.
Steve uses his more than twenty years of experience to produce Millwork Shop Drawings of the highest quality.
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