Many inventors are confused and overwhelmed about what it takes to patent their invention. That’s why it helps to break down the patent application process into a series of steps, and one of the major steps of the patent filing is to include your patent drawings. It’s important to remember that you’ll be required to submit detailed sketches and drawings of your invention before you are issued a patent.
This may intimidate some inventors, especially those who are not artistic, but there are some simple ways to make patent drawings simply and quickly.
There are essentially three main ways for you to make patent drawings. The first way is to do the patent drawings yourself. You can start off with lightly drawn sketches remembering that the sketches don’t have to be absolutely perfect, especially for your first drafts. Once your light sketch provides a suitable outline, you can then darken the lines that are most appropriate for your patent drawing’s final draft.
A quick way to make the patent drawing yourself is to take a photograph of your invention, and then trace the photograph onto a paper. You can then submit the tracings on the paper as your patent drawing.
A second and very fast method is to just photograph the invention, and then simply use the photograph itself as your patent drawing. This is sometimes permissible and can save you plenty of time, particularly if you have already built the invention.
The third method of making a patent drawing is to use computer aided design. You will need software that allows you to create computer aided design, or CAD. Many of the latest CAD programs have plenty of robust features included such as zoom and rotation functions, and most of them allow for three dimensional designs. You’ll need to purchase the software first, and then familiarize yourself with how to use the program effectively, which may take some time. Nonetheless, the output of these programs can be very neat and detailed.
