TS EN ISO/IEC 81714-1

TS EN ISO/IEC 81714-1 is a standard on the basic rules for designing graphical symbols used in product technical documentation. It addresses the way symbols are conceived so that they remain consistent, understandable, and functionally stable across different products and documents. As Part 1 of a multi-part series, it provides the foundational principles for a broader framework of graphical symbol design.

Why graphical-symbol design matters

In technical documentation, graphical symbols do more than shorten text: they communicate function, relationship, and instruction at a glance. That makes legibility, distinctiveness, and consistency across drawing media important design concerns. A basic-rules standard such as ISO/IEC 81714-1 is intended to support systematic symbol creation from a technical communication perspective, not merely an aesthetic one.

Where this part fits in product documentation

The subject of this standard is the general design discipline for symbols used in manuals, schematics, and related product documents. In general technical terms, such rules focus on the form of a symbol, the degree of simplification, visual coherence, and the need to avoid confusion with other symbols. This helps a symbol family remain reliable when used across product categories or different technical publications. At the same time, this listing indicates a basic-rules part only; it should not be read as a standalone catalogue of individual symbols.

• Basic principles for designing graphical symbols used in product technical documentation
• The need for consistency, clarity, and distinctiveness in technical graphics
• A foundational part of the wider ISO/IEC symbol-design framework
• Aids the same information function to remain stable across different documents