The Title tab has three categories: Title, Purpose, and Field of Invention.

Title

The Title includes a horizontal field with the words "New Patent." If you have already started a patent application, of course, the earlier title is displayed. You can replace "New Patent" or your earlier title with the title of your present patent application.

The title of your patent application should be descriptive, but relatively short - no more than 500 characters. A good guideline is to keep the title to 10 words or less. The title not only appears on your application itself, but you will enter it on certain formal papers that you submit to the PTO. You will note that upon printing, your title will appear on the application in upper case letters and it will be underlined. This is in accordance with PTO requirements.

Avoid words or phrases that are trademarks and also avoid non-quantifiable words like better, improved, enhanced, superior; you get the idea.  The title is preferably two to seven words and should never exceed USPTO specifications, currently 500 characters.  Avoid describing the purpose of the invention. You'll provide that in the next field.  Think of the title of an invention like the title of a book.

Examples of titles for our running example are:

Pencil Holder, or

Container for Holding Writing Implements, or

Non-tipping Pen and Pencil Holder

Purpose

Once you have typed your new title, move your pointing device (e.g., mouse) or tab down to the "Purpose" field. Complete the sentence that begins, "A [your title] for." This function or purpose will appear in your claims when you reach that section so it is important that you do not enter "A [your title] for" in the field, but merely complete the sentence. Try to keep this purpose short. For example, you could complete the sentence to read "A pencil holder for holding pens and pencils in an upright position."

The purpose should be a succinct statement of the function of your invention: what does it do?  Enter a phrase, starting with the gerund form of a verb, which completes the single sentence.  For example you can start your phrase with reducing, preventing, smoothing, printing, facilitating, etc.  The purpose you enter here will eventually be used as the preamble in your claims section.

Field of Invention

Next, the "Field of Invention" is a one-sentence summary of your subject matter. This subheading is intended to provide readers of your application (and eventually of your patent) with a short description of the subject matter of your invention. The best practice is to limit this statement to one sentence. Replace the first ellipsis with the most general area of your invention and then get more specific after the phrase "more particularly to." For example, in the Field of Invention you might include the following statement:

"The present invention relates to pencil holders and, more particularly, to a pencil holder that is resistant to tipping over."

The "Field of Invention" is used by the USPTO to classify your invention and direct your application to the appropriate patent examiner.