KIPO Patent Drawing Requirements: Standards for Korean Patent Filings

KIPO patent drawing requirements set formal, technical, and formatting rules for all Korea patent figures submitted with Korean patent, utility model, and design applications, to ensure consistency, clarity, and fast examination for Korean filing drawings.

Step-by-Step Guidance to Meet KIPO Drawing Standards

Following KIPO drawing standards reduces the risk of office actions, cuts down on examination delays, and ensures your invention is clearly communicated to examiners. Use the following numbered workflow to prepare compliant drawings for your application:

1. Match paper size to KIPO’s required A4 format, with 2.5cm top and left margins, 1.5cm bottom and right margins, and no text or drawing elements inside margin areas.
2. Use only black, indelible, solid lines of consistent thickness (minimum 0.2mm) for all Korea patent figures, with no shading or color unless explicitly approved for specific use cases like chemical compound illustrations. Broken lines are only permitted to indicate unclaimed movable or hidden parts.
3. Label all components with Arabic numerals, where the same numeral refers to the same part across all drawings. Place labels outside the main drawing area, connected by thin, straight lead lines that do not cross or obscure other drawing elements.
4. Include figure captions below each drawing, numbered sequentially in Arabic numerals (e.g., "Fig. 1", "Fig. 2") with no decorative formatting or extra descriptive text beyond the figure number.
5. Omit all non-technical content, including brand names, logos, promotional language, or unnecessary decorative features, unless they are a core claimed element of your invention.
6. Submit drawings in a vector or high-resolution raster format (minimum 300 DPI) for digital filings, with no blurring, pixelation, or smudges that obscure structural or functional details of your invention.

Concrete Example of a Compliant KIPO Drawing

For context, consider a utility model application for a foldable portable phone stand submitted to KIPO. Your Korean filing drawings would include three separate figures: Fig. 1 showing the stand in its open, in-use position, Fig. 2 showing it in its folded, closed storage position, and Fig. 3 showing a cross-sectional view of the locking hinge mechanism. All lines are 0.3mm thick solid black, margins follow A4 specifications, each part (base, hinge, phone rest, non-slip pad) is labeled with the same numeral across all three figures, and no brand logos are present on the stand base even if the commercial version includes branding. Each figure has a clear, centered caption below it, and all lead lines connecting labels to parts do not cross other lines or obscure key structural details.

Common Mistakes to Avoid With Korean Filing Drawings

Even small deviations from KIPO drawing standards can trigger office actions that delay your application review by 2 to 4 weeks. Avoid these frequent errors:

• Using color or grayscale shading to indicate texture or material: KIPO only allows solid black lines, with stippling (small, evenly spaced dots) permitted only if necessary to distinguish parts without obscuring details. Shading of any other type will require correction.
• Mismatched part numbers across drawings: If you label the hinge of your invention "3" in Fig. 1 and "5" in Fig. 2, examiners will reject the drawings as unclear, forcing you to resubmit corrected versions.
• Including unnecessary background elements: Drawings should only show the claimed invention, not context like a desk under a phone stand or a hand holding the device, unless that context is a core part of your claimed invention.
• Submitting low-resolution scans of physical drawings: Digital filings require 300 DPI minimum resolution, and blurry or pixelated lines will be rejected as unreadable. Tools like PatentDraw can generate initial drafts of Korea patent figures that align with core formatting rules, cutting down on manual drafting time, but all AI output is a working draft and requires human technical and professional review to confirm full compliance before submission.

Frequently asked questions

Can I submit color drawings with my KIPO patent application?

KIPO only accepts color drawings in extremely limited cases, such as when color is a core claimed feature of a design patent or a chemical compound illustration. All other applications require black and white line drawings only. If you do request permission to submit color drawings, you must include a written justification with your application and submit three identical copies of the color drawings.

What is the maximum number of Korea patent figures I can submit with my application?

KIPO does not set a strict maximum number of drawings for utility model or invention patent applications, as long as all figures are necessary to explain the claimed invention. For design patents, you are required to submit 6 standard views (front, back, left, right, top, bottom) plus any perspective or cross-sectional views needed to show the full design. Excessively redundant drawings may be flagged for removal during examination.

Do KIPO drawing standards differ for design patents vs. utility patents?

Core formatting rules (margin size, line thickness, labeling requirements) are identical for all KIPO patent applications. The only key difference is that design patent drawings must show the full ornamental design of the product, with no broken lines used for claimed features, while utility patents may use broken lines to indicate unclaimed surrounding context. Always confirm the specific rules for your application type before filing.