Can I file my hand sketch as it is?

Patent offices accept hand-drawn figures if they meet the drawing rules, but most sketches do not: lines must be black, even and reproducible, with no stray marks. Redrawing the sketch as line art is the usual fix.

Does it work with whiteboard photos?

Yes, if the marker lines are clear and the photo is taken straight on. Glare on the board can hide lines, so turn off overhead lights or shoot at a slight angle and crop.

How much does it cost?

10 credits per figure. New accounts get 30 free credits on the sign-up day and 10 a day after that. Free accounts export watermarked previews.

Is a sketch harder than a photo?

Usually, because a sketch leaves more to interpretation. Clean, dark outlines give the closest result; review each figure before you use it.

Can I get several views from one sketch?

You can generate line art, perspective, exploded and section views (the last three in beta) from the same upload. Each view is a separate 10-credit figure.

Sketch to line art

Sketch to Patent Drawing

Have an idea on paper but no CAD model? Upload a photo of your sketch and get clean patent line art: straight lines straightened, curves smoothed, and the pencil marks, paper texture and notes left out.

Input

Hand sketch of a travel mug with a flip lid, photographed on lined paper

Start creating

10 credits per figure. Sign up free: 30 credits on day one, then 10 a day.

PatentStroke output

Black-and-white patent line drawing of the travel mug generated from the sketch

From pencil sketch to clean patent figure

Lines cleaned up
Wobbly strokes, double lines and gaps are redrawn as single, even black lines.
Paper and notes removed
Ruled lines, smudges and handwritten notes around the sketch are left out of the drawing.
No CAD needed
Works from a phone photo or scan of a pencil, pen or whiteboard sketch.
Section and exploded views
Ask for a section or exploded view (beta) from the same sketch when you need to show the inside or the parts.
Sheets and numerals
Place the figure on a USPTO sheet, add reference numerals, and export vector PDF, 300 DPI PNG or SVG.
Your idea stays private
Sketches are not stored and never used for training. Results are private to your account.

Getting the best result from a sketch

Sketches leave more to interpretation than photos, so the clearer the sketch, the closer the drawing.

Draw dark, closed outlines; go over faint pencil with a pen.
Show one view per sketch, and draw hidden parts only if they should appear.
Photograph the page straight on, in good light, with the sketch filling the frame.
Keep notes and arrows away from the drawing, or crop them out before uploading.

How it works

Sign up, open the generator and choose Sketch as the input.
Upload a JPG, PNG or WebP of the sketch, up to 10 MB.
Pick the view and generate. Each figure costs 10 credits; a failed run is refunded.
Review the drawing against your sketch, then add it to a sheet set and export.

Check the drawing against your sketch

When a sketch is loose, the model has to fill gaps: it may add a feature that looks plausible, such as a ring or a seam, or drop a line it could not read. Compare every figure with your sketch before filing, and generate again with a cleaner sketch if a detail is wrong.

Your application must describe and show the invention as you made it. The drawing is a starting point you review, not a substitute for that review.