The electron optical properties of an electrostatic triplet quadrupole lens used as an electron beam transport device were reexamined, both analytically and by computer simulation, in order to derive limits on the choice of the design parameters of the lens. Furthermore, computer simulation of electron trajectories through a single quadrupole lens, and comparison with experimental results obtained by other authors, have led to a graphical relation between the fringing field end correction and the aspect ratio of the lens. ©1994 American Institute of Physics.