erasing shield

{{short description|Hand tool for controlling erasure of marks from paper}}

File:Erasing Shield Stainless Steel.jpg

An erasing shield, eraser shield, or erasure shield{{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}} is a thin template or mask used to control the effects of an eraser, typically on paper media used by an artist, calligrapher, drafter, or typist.{{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}} The tool is made of a thin, flexible material such as transparent plastic, or stainless steel shim stock for durability. A number of narrow, straight or curved apertures have been punched out of the shield, similar to a drafting template or drawing stencil. The openings allow the eraser to work in a controlled fashion, while protecting masked areas of the paper from being erased or smeared.{{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}}

Erasing shields can also be used to draw evenly-spaced dashed lines, or as a simple stencil.{{cite web |title=Eraser Shield |url=http://toolnotes.com/home/engineering-graphics/drawing-instruments/eraser-shield/ |website=ToolNotes |access-date=2023-04-06}}

Erasing shields were common accessories used with a typewriter to ease the correction of mistakes, especially on 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 drawings, charcoal drawings, or pastels.