When it comes to rendering illustrations for your patent application, hiring a patent drawing illustrator should be your plan. The USPTO has a lot of guidelines and regulations for the drawings and it is crucial to get them right. This is why you should turn to a patent drawing illustrator. But how will you know if the illustrator you’re hiring is an experienced one? A lot of entities are into the illustration business. These include individuals who are just starting out and also some big companies which have been in the industry for years. The primary difference comes in terms of costs, quality of product and professionalism. You need to consider these aspects when you hire a professional. Let’s talk about this in greater detail below so that you can make the best value for your money.
Related Article: How does a patent illustrator add value to your patent application?
Top Qualities of a Patent Drawing Illustrator
1. Knowledge about Latest Rules and Regulations
The USPTO has a set of drawing rules which you need to follow for all your illustrations that go with a patent application. Hence, you must ensure that you follow these guidelines like the Bible. Right from the dimensions of the sheet you produce the illustration on to nomenclature that you need to use.
A good patent drawing illustrator will ensure that all your drawings are up to the mark and are following these guidelines. Consequently, the illustrator needs to be up-to-date with the latest technical specifications. You can check that by requesting samples from the illustrator so that you can judge their work.
2. Specialization and Versatility
A good patent illustrator often specializes in one field to ensure the quality of products. They might offer illustration services only for specific types of patent applications.
For example, an independent illustrator might just cover utility patent applications. That way, you have an assurance that this entity focuses only on one service. Hence, it will be of better quality in comparison to others who claim to offer a huge variety of services. But this is not necessarily true. You should always check the quality of work the illustrator has done in the past before making a call.
On the other hand, an entire team of professionals working together can prove to be versatile. Having multiple people with varying specializations boosts the company’s image and promises to offer a better quality of service.
Check out some of our sample patent drawings here.
3. Computer and Hand-made drawings
You may have certain preferences about the choice of tools the illustrator uses while creating a drawing. Sometimes, inventors want the drawings to be hand-made because of their belief in the authenticity of such drawings. There is nothing wrong with hand-made drawings, as long as they serve the purpose of describing the invention completely.
The benefit that comes with a computerized drawing is that you can make changes easily and duplicate drawings easily. This reduces the time and resource consumption from the illustrator’s end. It also offers higher precision because a computer is likely to be more accurate in contrast to a human. But this is dependent on the skill of the patent drawing illustrator and his/her experience. Ideally, an illustrator should be proficient in both methods and should have skills in a wide variety of drawing software applications. This helps with his/her credibility and understanding of drawings.
Related Article: Hiring Good Patent Illustrators Vs. Do it yourself (DIY) with Patent Drawing Software
4. Vision and Technical Understanding
This has to be perhaps the most important characteristic in a patent drawing illustrator. The inventor will try to give a complete description of the invention so that the illustrator can render an accurate illustration. However, the illustrator needs to be receptive and should have the vision to understand the invention as well. In case there is a lack of communication or understanding between the inventor and the illustrator then the results may not be optimum. A good illustrator will ensure that he/she understands the intricacies of the invention and replicates it on the drawing sheet.
5. Turnaround time vs Quality
A good patent drawing illustrator should keep striking the right balance between the turnaround time and quality. Sometimes, clients require the illustrator to meet tight deadlines. However, to meet them, the illustrator shouldn’t compromise on the quality of the work he is providing. The entire process turns out to be a waste of time if the quality of the drawing is not optimum.
Convinced to hire an illustration service? – Professional Patent Illustrators
You may have a brilliant invention, deserving of a patent. But by now you already know how important it is to hire the right professional. Professional Patent Illustrators boast 10+ years of experience in delivering top quality patent illustrations. Moreover, we specialize in Utility patents and design patents, with thorough knowledge of the latest guidelines and norms. Our turnaround time is incredibly fast and we guarantee any number of iterations until we satisfy your needs.
Check out Professional Patent Illustrators to avail our services.
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