TS EN ISO/IEC 81714-1

TS EN ISO/IEC 81714-1 is the standard that addresses how graphical symbols should be designed for use in product technical documentation and sets out the basic rules for that design work. In manuals, drawings, diagrams and similar documentation, graphical symbols help convey information quickly and consistently, reducing dependence on text alone. The focus of this standard is the visual language of symbols: making them clear, interpretable and consistent across technical products and documents.

A basic framework for graphical symbol design

In general technical terms, graphical symbols represent a function, state, connection or warning through a visual mark rather than a sentence. In technical documentation, a well-designed symbol supports faster understanding, reduces language dependence and helps users recognise the same meaning across different documents. For that reason, simplicity, legibility and clear distinction from similar symbols are key design concerns.

This part of the series is focused on basic rules, so it provides a general framework for how symbols are interpreted, arranged and kept consistent within a technical documentation system. The Part 1 designation indicates that it is the starting part of a broader symbol-design series. Its subject is not a list of individual product commands, but the common principles that guide symbol creation and use.

Why this standard matters in documentation practice

• Supports consistent presentation of symbols in product documentation.
• Helps reduce ambiguity across different documents and media.
• Strengthens language-neutral communication and visual clarity in technical information.
• Provides a common graphical approach for drawings, manuals and schematic documentation.

This record is listed as a withdrawn standard, so it represents a historical edition rather than a current active requirement. Even so, the topic remains highly relevant in technical documentation, where the same core principles still underpin symbol use in user interfaces, service literature and engineering drawings.