The EPO Goes Over the Rainbow: Colour Drawings Now Welcome

Starting from yesterday, 1 October 2025, applicants are be able to submit colour and greyscale drawings at the European Patent Office (EPO). This applies to Euro-direct, Euro-PCT, divisional applications, and amendments, if they are filed electronically.

This long-awaited change marks a significant departure from the EPO’s traditional black-and-white-only regime and is part of its broader Strategic Plan 2028, aimed at modernising and digitising the patent process.

A Technicolour Shift in Patent Practice

Under the President’s Decision of 7 July 2025, the EPO now accept and publish drawings in colour and greyscale, so long as they meet specific technical standards (e.g. 300 dpi resolution, durable and well-defined lines).

This update can be particularly useful for software inventions involving:

• Scientific data visualisation
• Graphical user interfaces
• CAD designs and schematics

Applicants can now submit mixed sets of drawings, combining colour, greyscale, and black-and-white images, offering greater flexibility in how inventions are visually represented.

Practical Guidance for Applicants

While this is a welcome change, there are a few important caveats:

• Avoid referencing colours in the description, claims, or abstract. For example, don’t describe a component as “yellow” or “beige,” as colour perception may vary and is not always objectively identifiable.
• For Euro-PCT applications, colour drawings will be accepted only if they are available on PATENTSCOPE and explicitly mentioned in the international publication. Otherwise, the EPO will default to black-and-white versions.
• International (PCT) applications remain, for now at least, subject to WIPO’s black-and-white publication standards.

How Does the EPO Compare Globally?

While offices such as KIPO (Korea) also accept colour drawings , other major patent offices have yet to follow suit:

• USPTO (USA), CNIPA (China), and JPO (Japan) still impose strict limitations or outright bans.
• UKIPO continues to require black-and-white line drawings.

Final Thoughts

The EPO has officially gone “over the rainbow,” allowing for greater flexibility in how inventions are represented in European patent filings. For applicants and attorneys alike, this change offers new opportunities to enhance clarity and innovation in visual disclosures. It remains to be seen if other patent offices will soon follow.

 If you need support with filing a European, PCT, or UK patent application, our team at ip21 is here to help. Get in touch with us to ensure your application is clear, compliant, and strategically positioned for success.

Written by Lauren Mills for ip21 Ltd

October 2025