ISO 81714-1:2010

Overview

ISO 81714-1:2010 - "Design of graphical symbols for use in the technical documentation of products - Part 1: Basic rules" is an international standard (joint ISO/IEC work) that establishes fundamental rules for creating graphical symbols used in product technical documentation. The second edition (2010) updates the first (1999) and defines principles intended to ensure symbols are simple, reproducible and unambiguous for use on paper and in data processing.

Key Topics and Requirements

ISO 81714-1 defines basic technical requirements and terminology for graphical-symbol design, including:

• Graphic representation & design procedure: rules for defining what a symbol represents and checks for rotation, mirroring and scaling (Clause 5).
• Design principles: guidance on shape, perceptibility, and association with meaning - symbols should be simple and easily learned (Clause 6.1).
• Operational state: how movable parts or states are depicted (at-rest / non-active conventions) (Clause 6.2).
• Classes of symbols: distinction between class 1 (basic information) and class 2 (supplementary information) (Clause 6.3).
• Combination & assemblies: how to combine symbols to form composite or complex-assembly symbols, including use of outlines, supplementary signs, abbreviations or brief text (Clause 6.4).
• Graphic construction rules: grid/module concepts, line widths, arcs, minimum spaces, hatched/filled areas, connect nodes and terminal lines, reference point, text assignment, sizes and symbol identifiers (Clauses 6.5–6.16).
• Variants & modification: rules for symbol variants, orientation, mirroring and proportion changes (Clauses 7–8).
• Normative references: interfaces to ISO 129‑1 (dimensions), ISO 6428 (microcopying), ISO/IEC character sets and ISO 80000‑2 (mathematical signs).

Applications and Who Uses It

ISO 81714-1 is essential for professionals creating or managing technical documentation and symbol libraries:

• Technical writers and illustrators producing product manuals, schematics, piping & instrumentation diagrams (P&ID), electrical and hydraulic diagrams.
• Engineers (mechanical, electrical, process) who specify or read symbols in design documentation.
• CAD administrators and developers of symbol libraries (used in CAD/CAE and electronic documentation).
• Standards organizations and technical publishers ensuring consistent symbol usage across documents and languages.

Practical benefits include improved readability, cross‑language clarity, consistent symbol families and easier interchange of diagrams between tools and organizations.

Related Standards

• IEC/ISO 81714-2 - specification for graphical symbols in a computer‑sensible form and library interchange.
• IEC/ISO 81714-3 - classification of connect nodes, networks and encoding.
• ISO 129-1, ISO 6428, ISO 80000-2 and relevant ISO/IEC character-set standards for supporting requirements.

Keywords: ISO 81714-1, graphical symbols, technical documentation, symbol design, symbol family, connect node, terminal line, reference point, IEC, standards.