Patent Illustration Requirements – The Major Do’s and Don’ts

Patent illustration requirements are the set of rules set forth by patent offices of respective jurisdictions. Creating patent illustrations is not a cakewalk, as these requirements are very peculiar. Illustrations although not necessary, make your patent application more catchy and invention more understandable. But skipping on any of the requirements would take your invention far from the award of patent grant. Thus, be very prudent at the time of drafting patent illustrations as per the patent office rules.

Further, in the article, you will find the benefits of following patent illustration requirements. Along with this, you will find some of the chief patent illustration requirements set forth by the USPTO. There are also separate guidelines of PCT for patent illustrations at the time of filing international applications.

Why Patent Illustration Requirements are Important?

Rules and regulations are there in every official work so that things flow according to a standardized process. The same goes for Patent Illustrations. There are certain rules and requirements of patent offices to create patent illustrations. Following those rules prove fruitful for both the inventor and the authorities who examine the applications. Some major benefits include:

It gives an idea of what to and what not to include in the illustrations. In essence, it sets limits to what suffices a patent illustration.
Patent illustration requirements are different for different jurisdictions. Also, it gives an indication of the jurisdiction for which you want to process the patent application.
It gives an indication to the patent attorney to make the invention step by step.
It provides a standardized and presentable look to the illustrations acceptable in every jurisdiction.

Do refer to the general rules for patent illustrations before filing the patent application for your invention.

Patent Illustration Requirements of USPTO

Here, you will find the USPTO rules and guidelines mentioned in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. You need to thoroughly abide by the guidelines so that your application gets accepted at the patent office. Moreover, this also will increase your chances of getting the patent grant.

Pertaining to the importance of following patent illustration requirements, let’s now learn the major rules of USPTO for Patent Illustrations.

Use of Ink: use black and white or Indian ink only for drawing and shading purposes. File a petition if you require producing colored drawings and photographs with a specified fee given in 37 C.F.R. 1.17(h). The dimensions of drawings and photographs vary a bit; therefore, consider either submitting photographs or drawings.
Identification indicators: mention the invention and inventor’s name, and application above each drawing.
Paper make and dimensions: consider using A-4 size white paper with dimensions of 11 inches by 8.5 inches. Moreover, the paper is non-shiny, flexible, free of folds and strong/durable.
Margins: the dimensions for margin are 1 inch on top, 3/8^th on the right and 5/8 inch on the bottom.
Shading: perform line and stipple shading. Know when it is best to perform shading for patent illustrations.
Numbering of pages: number each and every in Arabic numeral and keep the pages in order. The minimum height of numbers is 0.12 inch (0.32 cm). For lettering of illustrations prefer the Latin style, and Greek, when customary.
Views of illustrations: add top, bottom, and side views showing the illustration from different perspectives.
Patent drawings Instruments: make legitimate use of drafting instruments and tools for clarity and accuracy of patent drawings.

Don’ts of Patent Illustration

There are limitations to what a patent illustration may comprise of. Here are some of the factors that you should avoid while preparing a patent illustration.

Do not overlap the drawings;
Avoid holes and creases in the paper;
Also, do not introduce erasures and cuttings in the illustrations;
Avoid using solid black shading. It is acceptable only in the cases when you want to show colored area and bar graphs;
Make legitimate use of sheets without wasting space.

Moreover, these are some of the major patent illustration requirements of the USPTO mentioned in Manual of Patent Examining Procedure § 1.84

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If abiding by all the patent illustration requirements seems a daunting task, let the experts help you. Also, we, Patent Illustration Express have a team of skilled professionals providing with the best of patent illustrations for your inventions. For us, customer satisfaction is of top-most priority. Thus, we offer quick turn-around-time and unlimited iterations. Moreover, you can find our illustration samples by making a little inquiry.