# Erasing shield

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasing_shield
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{{short description|Hand tool for controlling erasure of marks from paper}}
thumb|An early 20th-century stainless steel eraser shield.
An '''erasing shield''', '''eraser shield''', or '''erasure shield'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of ERASER SHIELD |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eraser%20shield |website=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-Webster, Incorporated |access-date=2023-04-06 |language=en}}</ref> is a thin template or mask used to control the effects of an [eraser](/source/eraser), typically on paper media used by an artist, [calligrapher](/source/calligrapher), [drafter](/source/drafter), or [typist](/source/Copy_typist).<ref name="Hesson"/><ref name="Courtice">{{cite web |last1=Courtice |first1=Becca |title=Little-Known Lettering Tool: Eraser Shield |url=https://www.thehappyevercrafter.com/blog/little-known-lettering-tool-eraser-shield/ |website=The Happy Ever Crafter |access-date=2023-04-13 |date=27 April 2021}}</ref> The tool is made of a thin, flexible material such as transparent plastic, or [stainless steel](/source/stainless_steel) [shim stock](/source/Shim_(spacer)) for durability.<ref name="Hesson"/> A number of narrow, straight or curved apertures have been [punched out](/source/Punching) of the shield, similar to a drafting template or drawing [stencil](/source/stencil). The openings allow the eraser to work in a controlled fashion, while protecting masked areas of the paper from being erased or smeared.<ref name="Hesson">{{cite web |last1=Hesson |first1=Robert |title=Erasers, Erasing Shields, and Brushes for Drawing - Construction Drawings |url=https://www.northernarchitecture.us/construction-drawings/erasers-erasing-shields-and-brushes.html |website=Northern Architecture |access-date=2023-04-13 |language=en |date=28 March 2023}}</ref><ref name="Courtice"/><ref name="ToolNotes"/>

Erasing shields can also be used to draw evenly-spaced [dashed line](/source/dashed_line)s, or as a simple stencil.<ref name="ToolNotes">{{cite web |title=Eraser Shield |url=http://toolnotes.com/home/engineering-graphics/drawing-instruments/eraser-shield/ |website=ToolNotes |access-date=2023-04-06}}</ref><ref name="Courtice"/>

Erasing shields were common accessories used with a [typewriter](/source/typewriter) to ease the correction of mistakes, especially on [carbon copies](/source/carbon_copies), which were prone to smearing if not erased carefully. Typewriters are less used today, but artists continue to use erasing shields when working directly on erasable paper media, such as [pencil drawing](/source/pencil_drawing)s, [charcoal drawings](/source/Charcoal_(art)), or [pastel](/source/pastel)s.<ref name="Courtice"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Typewriter|state=collapsed}}

Category:Typing
Category:Drawing aids
Category:Calligraphy

{{Tech-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Erasing shield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasing_shield) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasing_shield?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.