Give Your IP Team a Competitive Advantage with Faster, Efficient Drawing Workflow

Figure Preparation Is a Bottleneck — and an Opportunity

In many patent teams, drawings are the silent bottleneck.

• A figure needs a revision, but only the drafter has the source file
• An attorney spots an issue, but the tool isn’t accessible
• An assistant needs to label a figure, but formatting takes too long

These small delays multiply. They slow filings, eat up attorney time, and add unnecessary back-and-forth.

But the same tasks — when handled with a streamlined, shared workflow — become fast, accurate, and collaborative.

What a Modern Drawing Workflow Looks Like

A competitive IP team doesn’t rely on disconnected tools and specialist-only formats. Instead, they:

• Use a shared, editable format (like Visio) that attorneys, paralegals, and drafters can all access
• Work with custom tools that eliminate formatting effort (e.g., reference number + lead line combos)
• Reuse templates and figure parts across applications
• Make small changes in-house without full redraws
• Collaborate directly on drawing files — not via markup and screenshots

This isn’t about doing everything internally. It’s about keeping critical parts of the process in your hands.

Why It Matters for Team Performance

🚀 Faster Turnaround

• No delays waiting on minor edits
• Figures can be sketched, labeled, and reviewed in one environment
• Attorneys and staff can respond quickly to inventor feedback or office actions

🎯 Greater Accuracy

• Standard tools and shapes reduce inconsistency across filings
• Revisions are made in the original file — no transcription errors
• Attorneys maintain control over how visual elements support claims

📉 Lower Cost, Higher Output

• Assistants can handle routine annotation tasks
• Attorneys can apply strategic changes without looping in drafters
• Outside drafting hours are reduced or used more effectively

What the Most Efficient Teams Do Differently

They invest in a simple, repeatable drawing workflow and make it part of the prosecution process—not an afterthought.

That includes:

• Learning a drawing tool that’s simple enough to train but powerful enough to deliver
• Using a consistent method for figure layout, labeling, and annotation
• Keeping figure prep transparent, editable, and reversible — even years later
• Giving team members shared tools and language for drawing tasks

The result isn’t just speed — it’s clarity, control, and confidence in every filing.

It’s Not About Drawing — It’s About Team Capability

Efficient figure workflows don’t replace drafting teams — they free legal professionals to contribute meaningfully to the process.

Whether it’s:

• Sketching a new flowchart during claim drafting
• Annotating an image from the inventor
• Editing a rejected figure in an office action reply

The ability to do this work efficiently, in-house, and without delays is a competitive edge.