Multi-Office Patent Drawing Guide
Compare patent drawing requirements across USPTO, CNIPA, EPO, JPO, KIPO, and PCT/WIPO filing workflows. Use this page as the central map for office-specific rules, common mistakes, and filing-ready drafting guidance.
Paper size, minimum margins, line rules, photographs, and numbering compared side by side. Every number was re-checked against the official primary sources on 2026-07-21. Cells we could not verify as hard numbers stay qualitative — always defer to the current official text.
| Requirement | USPTO | CNIPA | EPO | JPO | KIPO | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper size | A4 21.0 × 29.7 cm / US Letter 21.6 × 27.9 cm | A4 · 21.0 × 29.7 cm | A4 · 21.0 × 29.7 cm | A4 · 21.0 × 29.7 cm | A4 · 21.0 × 29.7 cm | A4 · 21.0 × 29.7 cm |
| Minimum margins (top / left / right / bottom) | ≥ 2.5 / 2.5 / 1.5 / 1.0 cm | ≥ 2.5 / 2.5 / 1.5 / 1.5 cm | ≥ 2.5 / 2.5 / 1.5 / 1.0 cm | Framed as a drawing area, not margins: figures must fit the 170 × 255 mm area on A4 | Margins per the prescribed form (별지 제17호서식) — defer to the official text | ≥ 2.5 / 2.5 / 1.5 / 1.0 cm |
| Usable drawing area | A4 ≤ 17.0 × 26.2 cm · Letter ≤ 17.6 × 24.4 cm | Not separately specified — keep figures inside the required margins | ≤ 17.0 × 26.2 cm | ≤ 170 × 255 mm | Per the prescribed form — defer to the official text | ≤ 17.0 × 26.2 cm |
| Line and color rules | Solid black lines (India ink or equivalent); gray or color lines are not accepted by default | Uniform, clear, sufficiently dark lines; no alterations; engineering blueprints not accepted | Black, sufficiently dense, uniformly thick lines; colour/greyscale accepted for e-filings since 1 Oct 2025 (OJ EPO 2025, A49) | Black only, no coloring; solid lines ≈ 0.4 mm, leader lines ≈ 0.2 mm | Indelible dark black, uniform, sharply defined lines without coloring (per the official form text) | Durable, black, uniformly thick, well-defined lines without colorings (Rule 11.13(a)) |
| Photographs / color figures allowed? | Photos only if the sole practicable medium; color figures OK in design cases, petition required in utility cases | Usually black ink; color figures may be filed "when necessary" under the 2023 Guidelines — check the current official text | Colour and greyscale drawings accepted for electronic filings since 1 Oct 2025; must stay clear at 300 dpi | No color; photographs in lieu of drawings allowed (e.g. micrographs) | Coloring not allowed under the form text; for photographs, defer to the current official text | Rule 11.13 requires drawings without colorings; photographs only where a drawing cannot show the subject — defer to the official text |
| Reference numerals | ≥ 0.32 cm (1/8 in) high; the same part keeps the same numeral across all views | Numerals must stay consistent across the figure set; no verified height figure — defer to the official text | ≥ 0.32 cm high (Rule 46(2)); consistent throughout | Consistent reference signs per 様式第30; no verified minimum height — defer to the official text | Consistent numerals across figures; for sizing, defer to the official form | ≥ 0.32 cm high (Rule 11.13(h)); consistent throughout the application |
| Figure numbering | Consecutive Arabic numerals with the "FIG." prefix; a single view is not numbered | Figures numbered consecutively (图1, 图2 …) — defer to the official text for details | Figures numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals, independent of sheet numbering | Only 【図1】-style item names are accepted in e-filings | Figures numbered per the official form (도1, 도2 …) | Arabic numerals, consecutive and independent of sheet numbering (Rule 11.13) |
| Legal basis & official link | 37 CFR § 1.84 | 专利审查指南 (2023) · CNIPA 格式要求 | Rule 46 EPC · OJ EPO 2025, A49 | 特許法施行規則 様式第30（出願の手続） | 특허법 시행규칙 별지 제17호서식 | PCT Rule 11 (11.5 · 11.6(c) · 11.13) |
Sources: the last row links the governing text for each column. Numbers were re-checked against 37 CFR 1.84 (eCFR), PCT Rule 11 (WIPO), Rule 46 EPC, CNIPA’s official filing-format guidance, JPO’s 様式第30 filing guide, and the KIPO Enforcement Rules forms on 2026-07-21. Before filing, always confirm against the current official text.
• Prefer black-and-white line art over color, gradients, or soft shadows.
• Keep margins and drawing areas disciplined so figures remain reproducible.
• Maintain reference numeral consistency across every related view.
• For electrical, circuit, and software inventions, explain functional relationships as patent figures rather than importing raw engineering schematics or presentation slides.
• Use block diagrams for system boundaries and separate flowcharts for ordered method steps.
• Avoid crowded layouts by splitting overloaded content into additional figures.
• Treat figure sets as one system, not isolated pages with drifting styles.
1. Read the office summary that matches your next filing.
2. Open the dedicated office guide for detailed drafting rules.
3. Generate or refine your figures in PatentFig AI.
4. Recheck consistency before final export and filing submission.
PatentFig AI, "Patent Drawing Requirements by Office: USPTO vs CNIPA vs EPO vs JPO vs KIPO vs PCT", https://patentfig.ai/patent-drawing-standards, updated 2026-07-21.
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Practical questions about multi-office patent drawing compliance.