Patent Application Drawings

Drawings are required if necessary to understand the subject matter to be patented. A drawing necessary to understand the invention cannot be introduced after the filing date.

Common mistakes found during OPAP drawing review:

  • Line quality that is too light to be reproduced
  • Missing lead lines
  • Excessive text or text that is not in English
  • Paper format
  • Incorrectly labeled figures
  • Photographs that are illegible after scanning
  • Color drawings without a petition
  • Each figure described in the brief description of the drawings must correspond to a separately-labeled drawing figure