Afteken

Afteken is a Dutch term with the verb aftekenen and the noun aftekening. Its primary meaning is to reproduce the outline or details of a model, drawing, or pattern on another surface by tracing. The resulting copy is called an aftekening.

In drawing and education, aftekenen refers to copying a model to study proportion, line quality, and composition. In technical drawing, pattern making, sewing, woodworking, and manufacturing, aftekenen is used to reproduce shapes accurately, often with tracing paper, carbon paper, or a light box. This technique enables multiple copies or the transfer of a design onto materials such as paper, fabric, wood, or metal before cutting or engraving.

Common methods include tracing with a pencil over the source, using carbon paper to transfer lines, or freehand tracing after establishing an initial projection. The term can also appear in a broader administrative sense, meaning to mark or check off items as completed, though this usage is highly context dependent and less formal than the artistic sense.

Etymology: afteken derives from tekenen (to draw) with the prefix af-, indicating transfer or reproduction.

See also: tekening, patroon, kopiëren, patroon overnemen.