1.2 Photographs or coloured drawings 

The PCT makes no express provision for photographs or coloured drawings and, furthermore, according to Rule 11.13, drawings must be executed in durable, black, sufficiently dense and dark, uniformly thick and well-defined lines and strokes without colourings. Photographs and coloured drawings may, however, exceptionally be submitted where it is impossible to present in a black-and-white drawing what is to be shown. If colours are necessary to discern details, note that these details may be lost when the image is made available in black and white in the publication and via file inspection. For international applications filed electronically using ePCT or Online Filing 2.0, the original version of any drawing in colour or greyscale is also transmitted to the IB. That version is retained by the IB and made available to the public and national patent offices on PATENTSCOPE. The availability on PATENTSCOPE of the version as filed in colour or greyscale is indicated on the cover page of the international publication.

For further details on the processing of the drawings in colour and greyscale in the European phase, see EPC Guidelines A‑IX, 1.2,EPC Guidelines A‑IX 7.1,EPC Guidelines A‑XIII, 10.1.