Drawing a Trademark
Written by Jason Gordon
Updated at December 17th, 2020
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A Drawing of the Mark
The USPTO requires applicants for trademark protection to submit a "clear drawing of the mark. This image is recorded in the USPTO database to put other businesses on notice of the trademark filing. The USPTO has specific requirements in place for the size and shape of drawings and paper submitted.
- Example: The mark should be drawn in the center of non-shiny white paper (8 x 11). The mark should not be larger than 3.5 x 3.5 inches.
The image may be submitted in standard character" or "stylized or special form" drawing. For standard character drawings, there USPTO Electronic Application System (TEAS) will generate a drawing of the mark for submission.
Standard Character Trademark Drawings
A standard character drawing is a mark characterized by the letters forming the mark. It does not depend upon the design or coloring of the letters. The USPTO has the following requirements for a standard character drawing:
- The letters must be drawn (typed) in Latin characters (A-Z).
- All numerals must be depicted as Arabic numbers (0-9) or Roman numerals (ex. IX).
- Only common forms of punctuation may be used in the mark.
- Include the following statement, The mark is present in standard character format without claim to any particular font, style, size or color.
The standard character mark can be in any font, italics, or bold font. It can contain both lower and uppercase letters. Refer to the USPTO website for more information on the the letter and number requirements in a standard character drawing.
Stylized or Special Form Trademark Drawings
A stylized or special form drawing depends equally upon the design, font, and color of the mark as a representation of the business or commercial activity. Submission of special form marks must, therefore, follows specific submission guidelines. If color is part of the special form, then the drawing should be submitted in the color (along with the name of the colors) that accurately depicts the intended mark. There filer should include a separate statement about the coloring of the mark and where each color should appear.
- Note: Like the standard character drawings, the special form drawing should be centered on the page and be less than 3.5 x 3.5 inches.