There is a very important concept in US trademark self-registration: Filling Basis. If you search for a trademark such as Augur on the uspto (United States Trademark Office) website, you will see the following information.

There are two types of Filling Basis we care about: one is 1A: Use-in-commerce, and the other is 1B: Intent-to-use.

1A means that the trademark was already in commercial use when you applied for a trademark with the USPTO, while 1B means that the trademark is not yet in commercial use, and you plan to use it commercially in the future. Please note that if you choose 1B when applying for a trademark , you will have to fill out another application form (Statement

of Use or Amendment to Allege Use) at the USPTO later, and pay an additional $100 fee, so when registering, you must choose 1A.

Whether you choose 1A or 1B, you must provide product sample (Specimen) pictures before the trademark is registered. The difference is that if you choose 1A, you must provide sample pictures when applying for a trademark. If you choose 1B, you don’t need to provide it when applying for a trademark, but you must provide it when filling in the Statement of Use or Amendment to Allege Use.