As previously mentioned by others, the text entities are most likely Mounting Height Call-outs (the "+00" Call-outs), and Device Specific Call-outs (the "GFI" Call-outs).
I do not include "A.F.F" (Above Finished Floor) or "A.F.G." (Above Finished Grade) at the Outlet Call-outs themselves; instead, the measurement references are addressed in the Symbols Legend, where descriptive text entries cover the attribute attached to a given Symbol.
For the convenience of the persons reading the Plans, Symbol Legends are inserted to each Plan Sheet, not just on a single Notes Sheet.
Not sure about other Draftspersons, but I began the above practice back in the old "Hand Drawings / Hard Printings" Days of Drafting. Mostly it was to achieve a better text fit, but it also saved some time (and pain, too!).
Drafting now - via CAD, the text Blocks just look more uniform to me.
Misc. text entities (where the text is not an Attribute attached to a Block) is simply a copied selection of single-line text, placed around the Drawing where needed.
I do not miss Hand drafting at all! Can perform some Engineering, and most Design, while performing Drafting tasks via CAD; whereas in a Non-CAD environment, 100% Design and Engineering was done prior to any Hard Copy Drafting work!
Changes were just as much work back then (Days of Hard Copy Drafting) as are currently (via CAD Applications).
The main difference is, when using a CAD Package, there is no torn / worn out Media to deal with, from erasing heavy lines on Translucent Bond / Vellum!
As to the Hard Printed Sheets;
I have seen / dealt with a few actual "Blue Prints".
"Blue Prints" meaning the Background is tinted "Blue", and the information (Lines, Text, etc.) are typically "White" (whatever color the Media is).
Some were from old Buildings I had been involved with, however a majority of the Blue Print Documents were Railroad Track Control Circuits. These Engineering Drawings typically covered around 4 separate Block Sections, plus the Crossing Gates / Lights in that Block Territory.
The covered Territory per Document ranged from 5 to 20 Miles.
Media was 18" to 20" Wide; 40lb White Draft Bond, with a common length of 10 Feet per Document Roll.
As to "Blue Line" Drawings (White Media with "Blue" Printed Lines and Text - commonly used pre 1995), it has been a long time since I have seen - or smelled - a Blue Line Plan Set!
For me, everything has been "Black Line" Copies since around circa 1995'ish...
Back in the day, I would take my finished Hand Drafted "Black Line" Sheets to the Reprographics Office, and have several Sets of Blue Line Copies made for Distribution &/or submitting to Plan Check.
Kind of miss that faint Ammonia smell! Became very use to the Ammonia Aroma back in Junior High School Drafting Class; as I was assigned to the Work Station immediately beside the Blue Line Printer.
Print Jobs are completely different now, than the ways I had obtained Hard Copies in the past.
Don't even Print In-House anymore! My ARCH-D sized Wide-Format Inkjet Printer sits idle, and has sat idle for more than 5 Years!
Even the huge "Three-Roll Capable, Wide-Format Laser Printer" at the Office, is now sitting idle; being used as a Proofing Table and oversized Drink Cozy, instead of Printing out Hard Copies!
This was an expensive - but well worth the $$$ Printer! Has (3) Media Decks, each capable of accepting Roll Media up to 36" wide x 500' length; and very fast, crisp output.
Could Print out 3 Sets of 6 ARCH E1 Sheets (30"x42") in less than 10 Minutes, whereas the common HP / Calcomp Pen Plotter would take over 20 Minutes per set - and the typical Wide-Format Inkjet Printer takes close to 5 Minutes per Sheet!
Current Print Jobs are performed by sending "PDF Plot Files" to a Reprographics Firm, who Print, Bind (staple + border), and deliver the Printed Documents; and they do this for much less than I can In-House!
When a set of Drawings are completed in a CAD Environment, they get "Plotted" to a "PDF PLOTTER" (or exported to a PDF PLOTTER).
This results in a "Printed" File of the Document, saved as a PDF File (PDF = "Portable Document Format" - typically read from Adobe Acrobat Reader).
The PDF Plot Files are sent to the Reprographics Firm via E-mail.
Sorry to ramble on, thought it may be interesting to mention the way Printed Plan Documents have changed in my short amount of time being "In The Biz"!
-- Scott (EE)
