tear sheet
10 years ago No Comments

(pronounced TAYR sheet)

This term originally emerged in the pre-photocopy era because one would actually have to tear a sheet out of a book, magazine, or reference guide if he or she wanted to save, display, or refer to it later. But what were people tearing out” Essentially, anything that had been published: a photo, article, business report, etc. In the design industry, the term is currently used to refer to a page from a catalogue (bound and perforated or loose in a 3-ring binder) that can be easily removed and presented to a client for explanation and/or approval, provided to a contractor for clarification, or filed internally for reference in a project folder. A tear sheet – let’s say for a chair or a kitchen appliance – might contain a combination of photos or detailed drawings, dimensions, finish choices, pricing, and other relevant specification information. Since the world is going digital, many tear sheets can now be downloaded (usually as a .pdf file) and / or printed from manufacturers’ websites.