A patent application or patent may contain drawings, which are called patent drawings. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) requires that an application for a patent should be furnished with drawings when it is necessary to promote the understanding of the patent.
The USPTO has different requirements for drawings and photographs of utility and design patent applications. The USPTO specifies the ink color, size of the sheet on which the drawing is made, the type of paper, the margins, and other details relating to the making of the drawings. The drawings must also be readily understood by readers.
The reason for these specific requirements is that the drawings are printed and published in a uniform style when the patent issues. The requirements in detail can help USPTO process the patent applications more efficiently.
[Last updated in August of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]