Design patent drawing requirements in the US, China and the EU

Updated 30 October 2026 · About 8 minutes · General information, not legal advice

Short answer. All three offices want the product shown completely and consistently, usually in a perspective view plus six orthographic views (front, rear, left, right, top and bottom). The details differ. The USPTO wants black-and-white drawings on sheets with set margins, surface shading to show contours, and broken lines for anything not claimed. CNIPA wants named views of at most 15 × 22 cm drawn with even solid lines (broken lines only for partial designs) and a brief description. The EUIPO accepts up to 10 static views per design since 1 July 2026, as JPEG files of at most 2 MB, with no text inside the images.

Side by side

	United States	China	European Union
Views	Enough for a complete disclosure; usually 6 orthographic views and a perspective	6 orthographic views (主视图, 后视图, 左视图, 右视图, 俯视图, 仰视图), plus a perspective (立体图) as needed	Up to 10 static views, or one 3D file (OBJ, STL) or one video (MP4)
Lines	Black, even lines; surface shading should show the contours	Even solid lines; no shading lines, centre lines or dimension lines to show the shape	Any one visual format; shading is allowed and becomes part of the design
Unclaimed parts	Broken lines	Broken lines, for partial designs only	Visual disclaimers, preferably broken lines
Photos and colour	Photos allowed but not mixed with drawings; colour needs a petition	Photos allowed; submit colour views to protect colour	Photos allowed; one visual format per design
Format	A4 or US letter sheets; margins 2.5 cm top and left, 1.5 cm right, 1.0 cm bottom	Each view at most 15 × 22 cm	JPEG, at most 2 MB per view; neutral background; one view per image
Required text	One claim: "The ornamental design for [article] as shown and described", and a figure list	Brief description (简要说明): product name, use, design points and the most representative view	Product indication; a description is optional
Official fees	US$1,300 (small US$520, micro US$260), plus the same again as issue fee	CNY 500, up to 85% off	EUR 350; EUR 125 per extra design
Term	15 years from grant	15 years from filing	5 years, renewable up to 25

United States (USPTO)

Views. The drawings must show enough views for a complete disclosure of the design (37 CFR 1.152). In practice that usually means front, rear, left, right, top and bottom views and a perspective view (MPEP 1503.02).
Shading. Surface shading should show the character and contour of the surfaces. Solid black areas are allowed only to show the colour black or a colour contrast (37 CFR 1.152).
Broken lines show environment or unclaimed parts. They may not show hidden surfaces behind opaque material (37 CFR 1.152; MPEP 1503.02).
Photos and colour. Photographs and ink drawings cannot be combined in one application. Colour drawings or photos need a granted petition (37 CFR 1.84(a)(2)).
Sheets. A4 (21.0 × 29.7 cm) or US letter (21.6 × 27.9 cm). Margins at least 2.5 cm top, 2.5 cm left, 1.5 cm right and 1.0 cm bottom (37 CFR 1.84(f) and (g)). Figures are numbered FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and so on, and sheets 1/n, 2/n (37 CFR 1.84(t) and (u)).
Text. A design application has a single claim to "the ornamental design for the article as shown, or as shown and described" (37 CFR 1.153), and a brief description of each figure.

China (CNIPA)

Views. For a three-dimensional product whose design points involve all six sides, submit all six orthographic views. If the design points involve only some sides, submit those views and a perspective view, and give the reason for the omitted views in the brief description. Add sectional, enlarged or state-change views when needed (专利审查指南, Part I, Chapter 3, 4.2).
Lines. Draw the shape with even solid lines, following the national technical-drawing standards for projection. Do not use shading lines, leader lines, broken lines, centre lines, dimension lines or dash-dot lines to express the shape.
Size. Each view is at most 15 × 22 cm.
Partial designs. Since 1 June 2021 a part of a product can be protected (Patent Law Art. 2). Show the whole product and mark the protected part, for example in solid lines with the rest in broken lines, and explain it in the brief description.
Brief description (简要说明, Patent Law Art. 27). It is required and states the product name, its use and the design points, and names the one view that best shows them. Omitted views and a request to protect colour are also stated here.
Similar designs. Up to 10 similar designs of the same product can go into one application (Patent Law Art. 31 and its Implementing Regulations).

European Union (EUIPO)

Views. Since 1 July 2026 a design can be shown in up to 10 static views (7 before). Alternatively, one dynamic file (a 3D model as OBJ or STL, up to 20 MB) or one animation (MP4, up to 20 MB) can be filed per design.
One format per design. A design cannot mix static views with a 3D file or a video. In a multiple application of up to 50 designs, each design can use its own format.
Files. Static views are JPEG files of at most 2 MB each, one view per image, on a neutral background, without text, labels or view numbers inside the image.
Disclaimers. Features excluded from protection must be shown as excluded in the views themselves; broken lines are recommended for static views.
Priority abroad. The EUIPO warns that offices outside the EU may not recognise 3D or video representations for priority claims. If you will file abroad later, file static views first.
Amendments. Filed views can now be amended, but only in immaterial details.

Mistakes that are hard to fix

Changing the drawings after filing. In the US, adding shading or new views can be new matter, which an amendment may not introduce (35 U.S.C. 132(a)). In the EU, only immaterial details can change. Decide on views, shading and disclaimers before you file.
Inconsistent views. A rib that appears in the front view but not in the side view makes the design unclear in every office.
Unexplained omissions. A missing bottom view needs a reason in China's brief description and may make a US disclosure incomplete.
Claiming too much. Every feature drawn in solid lines becomes part of the claimed design, so a competing product that leaves it out is less likely to infringe. Use broken lines or disclaimers for the parts you do not need to claim.

Doing it with DesignAround

It renders the seven standard views (perspective, front, rear, left, right, top and bottom) from your CAD model on your computer, as US sheets with optional surface shading, Chinese named views or numbered EU JPEG files.
Before you hand anything over it runs 19 automatic checks on a standard US, CN and EU line-drawing pack (7, 6 and 6): US margins, the Chinese 15 × 22 cm limit, the EU 10-view and 2 MB limits, and whether shared dimensions agree. A check that cannot be measured from the SVG, JPEG or PDF is marked for a practitioner to confirm and is not reported as passed.
A filing package adds the specification text, a forms checklist, IDS rows for US filings, similar-design variants for China and a record of the human contribution.

Line drawings made from a scanned mesh are drafts, because curved outlines are approximated by facets. Have a registered patent attorney or agent of your choice review every drawing set; they file it with the office.

Questions

Can I file photos instead of drawings?

Yes in all three offices. In the US, photos and ink drawings cannot be mixed in one application. In the EU, each design uses one visual format. Photos must show the product alone, on a plain background.

Do I always need seven views?

No. The US requires enough views for a complete disclosure; China lets you omit views with a reason in the brief description; the EU only requires that every feature you want protected is visible. Seven views is the common safe choice.

Can I use the same drawings in all three offices?

The geometry, yes; the files, usually not. US sheets with margins and figure numbers, Chinese named views within 15 × 22 cm and EU JPEG files without text are different deliverables made from the same model.

Should US drawings have shading?

Yes, where surfaces are curved or angled. 37 CFR 1.152 says surface shading should be used, and adding it after filing can be new matter.

Sources

37 CFR 1.84, 1.152 and 1.153; MPEP 1503.02; 35 U.S.C. 132.
专利审查指南 (Patent Examination Guidelines), Part I, Chapter 3, section 4.2; Patent Law of the People's Republic of China, Art. 2, 27, 31 and 42.
EUIPO, Designs representation; Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/138 (applies from 1 July 2026); GJE, EUIPO guidance on phase 2 of the EU design reform.
Official fees: USPTO fee schedule; CNIPA fee schedule; EUIPO fees since 1 May 2025.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Office rules change; check the current guidance before filing. DesignAround is software made by Shanghai Qidianyan Technology Co., Ltd.; it is not a law firm.