3. Printing and legibility requirements

Every label for a product must be printed on, or securely attached to, the outside of the container or pack of the product. Leaflets or booklets that are not placed inside the carton should be attached to the container in plastic pockets or other suitable secure holding methods. The minimum mandatory information that is required can be found in section 2.1. Primary pack – main panel (Table 2.2) and section 2.2. Primary pack – ancillary panels (Table 2.3 reduced labels).

A minimum print size of 2 mm or greater should be used unless label space is limited. Larger print sizes are more readable by users and other persons dealing with the chemical. This facilitates the clear communication of warnings and instructions and contributes to the safe handling and use of the chemical.

If label space is limited (for example, on very small immediate containers), a minimum letter height of 1.5 mm (6 point type) may be used on the ancillary panel. This means that letters:

• with ascenders or descenders, such as b, f, g, h, l, t, are to be a minimum of 1.5 mm in height
• without ascenders or descenders, such as a, e, i, o, u, m, r, are to be a minimum of 1 mm in height.

This minimum print size should only be used on the ancillary panel where space is limited.

Typefaces chosen for labels need to be clear and simple. Complicated or decorative fonts can be difficult to read and should be avoided. Bodies of text should not be in all capitals or italics unless specifically required. Closely-spaced, condensed or widely-spaced lettering should be avoided. Bold text can be used for emphasis, in addition to where it is required. Where bold text is used, registration holders must ensure the type does not become so thick that it reduces the white spaces within characters.

Printing must be clear and crisp, and free from blurring or other distortion. Printing must be sufficiently durable so as not to fade, run, smudge or otherwise lose legibility during reasonable handling and storage for at least the stated shelf life of the products.

The colour of the printed letters must be distinctly contrasted to the background colours – use light-coloured text on dark background and dark text on a light background. Well-contrasted colours with widely differing hues and an appreciable difference in value should be used; avoid using strongly saturated colour pairs for text and background.

There must be a luminance contrast of at least 30% between letters and background (Australian Standard AS1428.1:2021, particularly Appendix D, provides further details on luminance contrast).

Text printed directly over pictorial or multi-coloured backgrounds may be difficult to read and should be avoided. A plain screen, preferably white, may be used beneath the letters to improve legibility in these situations.

Colour blindness affects a significant number of people in the community – between 5% to 10% of males and around 0.5% of females – who may have difficulty with the colours green, yellow, orange and red. This should be taken into account when choosing label colours for critical information. In particular, avoid red print on a green background or the reverse. Do not use red, green, brown, grey and purple next to each other or on top of each other.