PDF Creation For EFS-Web
PDF Creation For EFS-Web
PDF Creation For EFS-Web
EFS-Web is the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) new easy-to-use,
web-based patent application and document submission solution. EFS-Web utilizes
standard web-based screens and prompts to enable you to submit a portable docu-
ment format (PDF) document directly to the USPTO within minutes. Submitting PDF
documents requires the use of a PDF Writer and compliance with some basic file
structures, as described here.
Because PDF is an open file format, it’s important to keep in mind a few things about the
characteristics of the PDF files that can be accepted by EFS-Web.
* United States Patent and Trademark Office Commissioner for Patents P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
PDF Creation for EFS-Web
The filename can consist of [ A-Z, a-z, 0-9, _ , -, . ] excluding the brackets and commas. No
spaces are allowed in the actual PDF file name, but spaces are permitted in file path. The
name can be up to 100 characters long including .pdf
Fonts
All fonts used in the PDF must be embedded in the document. Embedding allows the
fonts used in the creation of a document to travel with that document, ensuring that
USPTO sees documents exactly as the author intended them to be seen.
Text Color
EFS-Web best handles PDF documents with black text. Text of other colors may not
convert to image properly, resulting in unreadable or invisible text.
Images
EFS-Web supports the use of black and white, color or grayscale images within the PDF
document. You may submit color drawings for design applications. For best resolution,
images should be scanned at a minimum resolution of 300 DPI in any one of the following
formats: TIFF, PNG, GIF, BMP.
Some image file formats, such as TIFF, permit the use of multiple layers. EFS-Web requires
that images with multiple layers be “flattened” before embedding them into the PDF
document. In addition, before an image is flattened, all layers should be marked as “visible”
to ensure the complete image is visible to the examiner.
Ideally, no compression will be used during the creation process. (Some PDF creation
software may automatically reduce the resolution of images during the creation process,
which can degrade the quality of the image).
It’s also important to note that EFS-Web does not support the use of “Alternate Images”
(a feature within PDF that allows for one image to be rendered on screen and a different
image to be rendered for printing).
* United States Patent and Trademark Office Commissioner for Patents P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
PDF Creation for EFS-Web
PDF Layers
While PDF documents can store information on different layers that is generated from
various applications, EFS-Web accepts only flattened PDF files. By flattening documents
prior to submission, you ensure that the complete document is available to the examiner.
“Invisible” layers will be lost because USPTO automatically flattens the file.
Object Content
EFS-Web supports PDF documents that contain text and images and does not support
other “objects” such as multimedia (e.g., sound, video, animations, slideshows),
3-dimensional models (e.g., CAD drawings), file attachments, multi-page objects (e.g.,
Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, multi-page TIFF images), and commenting/reviewing features
(highlighting, annotations, comments, notes, and the like).
Because the file being submitted must be a complete file – just like paper applications
– there must be no dependencies on external files or resources of any type in order to ren-
der the attached image.
PDF Security
Password protected and encrypted PDF documents cannot be processed due to conflicts
with EFS-Web’s embedded security functionality.
Embedded Code/Viruses
The PDF document must be free of executables, worms, viruses, or any type of potentially
malicious content. Files with potential malicious content will be deleted in order to
preserve the integrity of the system for all filers.
Support
Technical support is available through USPTO’s Electronic Business Center (EBC) at
866-217-9197 from 6 a.m. to 12 Midnight Eastern Time, Monday – Friday.
Training
Training and an EFS-Web QuickStart Guide are provided on the USPTO EFS-Web page.
Contact Us Today
USPTO is committed to assisting the intellectual property community in moving towards
electronic submission of all patent applications and documents. For more information on
EFS-Web, visit our website at www.USPTO.gov.
* United States Patent and Trademark Office Commissioner for Patents P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450