About
About Annotra
Patent drawings are an essential part of the patent process, but preparing them for submission has traditionally meant spending countless hours performing repetitive, manual work. Whether you're adding reference numbers, adjusting leader lines, formatting figure numbers, or preparing multiple pages for publication, the process has long relied on general-purpose design software that was never built for patent professionals.
Annotra was created to change that.
Founded by Michael Williams, a professional patent illustrator and the founder of American Patent Drawings, Annotra was born from years of working with patent attorneys, patent agents, inventors, and law firms across the United States. After preparing thousands of patent drawings and experiencing the same repetitive challenges day after day, Michael saw an opportunity to build a purpose-built solution designed specifically for the patent industry.
Instead of forcing patent professionals to adapt generic illustration software to a highly specialized workflow, Annotra was designed from the ground up around the way patent drawings are actually prepared. Every feature, from bulk reference numbering and intelligent leader lines to multi-page management and publication-ready exports, was created to eliminate repetitive tasks and dramatically reduce the time required to annotate patent figures.
Today, Annotra is used by patent professionals at every stage of the innovation process. Patent attorneys and agents use it to efficiently prepare application figures before filing. Patent illustrators rely on it to streamline production while maintaining complete control over every annotation. Inventors benefit from an intuitive workspace that allows them to organize and communicate their inventions more clearly before working with a patent professional.
Unlike traditional illustration software, Annotra focuses exclusively on patent figure annotation. There are no unnecessary design tools to learn, no complex illustration workflows to navigate, and no features that don't serve the patent process. Every tool exists for one purpose: helping patent professionals produce accurate, publication-ready drawings faster and with greater consistency.
As both the founder of American Patent Drawings and the creator of Annotra, Michael continues to work closely with patent practitioners and illustrators to guide the software's development. New features are driven by real-world feedback from the professionals who use Annotra every day, ensuring the platform continues to evolve alongside the needs of the patent community.
Our mission
At its core, Annotra has a simple mission: to give patent professionals their time back. By replacing hours of repetitive annotation work with intelligent, purpose-built tools, Annotra allows users to focus less on tedious production and more on protecting innovation.
Built by a Patent Illustrator. Refined by Patent Professionals.
Annotra wasn't developed by a large software company looking for a new market. It was built by someone who has spent years creating patent drawings for attorneys, agents, inventors, and law firms. Every workflow, shortcut, and feature reflects real-world experience and a commitment to making patent figure preparation faster, simpler, and more accurate for everyone involved in the patent process.
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