49 CFR Appendix A to Part 172: Appendix A to Part 172—Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation Color Tolerance Charts and Tables

The following are Munsell notations and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates which describe the Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation Label and Placard Color Tolerance Charts in tables 1 and 2, and the CIE coordinates for the color tolerances specified in table 3. Central colors and tolerances described in table 2 approximate those described in table 1 while allowing for differences in production methods and materials used to manufacture labels and placards surfaced with printing inks. Primarily, the color charts based on table 1 are for label or placard colors applied as opaque coatings such as paint, enamel or plastic, whereas color charts based on table 2 are intended for use with labels and placards surfaced only with inks.

For labels printed directly on packaging surfaces, table 3 may be used, although compliance with either table 1 or table 2 is sufficient. However, if visual reference indicates that the colors of labels printed directly on package surfaces are outside the table 1 or 2 tolerances, a spectrophotometer or other instrumentation may be required to insure compliance with table 3.

Table 1—Specifications for Color Tolerance Charts for Use With Labels and Placards Surfaced With Paint, Lacquer, Enamel, Plastic, Other Opaque Coatings, or Ink 1

Color Munsell notations CIE data for source C

Y x y

Red:

Central color 7.5R 4.0/14 12.00 .5959 .3269

Orange 8.5R 4.0/14 12.00 .6037 .3389

Purple and vivid 6.5R 4.0/14 12.00 .5869 .3184

Grayish 7.5R 4.0/12 12.00 .5603 .3321

Vivid 7.5R 4.0/16 12.00 .6260 .3192

Light 7.5R 4.5/14 15.57 .5775 .3320

Dark 7. 5R 3.5/14 09.00 .6226 .3141

Orange:

Central color 5.OYR 6.0/15 30.05 .5510 .4214

Yellow and Grayish 6.25YR 6.0/15 30.05 .5452 .4329

Red and vivid 3.75YR 6.0/15 30.05 .5552 .4091

Grayish 5.OYR 6.0/13 30.05 .5311 .4154

Vivid 5.OYR 6.0/16 30.05 .5597 .4239

Light 5.OYR 6.5/15 36.20 .5427 .4206

Dark 5.OYR 5.5/15 24.58 .5606 .4218

Yellow:

Central color 5.OY 8.0/12 59.10 .4562 .4788

Green 6.5Y 8.0/12 59.10 .4498 .4865

Orange and vivid 3.5Y 8.0/12 59.10 .4632 .4669

Grayish 5.OY 8.0/10 59.10 .4376 .4601

Vivid 5.OY 8.0/14 59.10 .4699 .4920

Light 5.OY 8.5/12 68.40 .4508 .4754

Dark 5.OY 7.5/12 50.68 .4620 .4823

Green:

Central color 7.5G 4.0/9 12.00 .2111 .4121

Bluish 0.5BG 4.0/9 12.00 .1974 .3809

Green-yellow 5.0G 4.0/9 12.00 .2237 .4399

Grayish A 7.5G 4.0/7 12.00 .2350 .3922

Grayish B 2 7.5G 4.0/6 12.00 .2467 .3822

Vivid 7.5G 4.0/11 12.00 .1848 .4319

Light 7.5G 4.5/9 15.57 .2204 .4060

Dark 7.5G 3.5/9 09.00 .2027 .4163

Blue:

Central color 2.5PB 3.5/10 09.00 .1691 .1744

Purple 4.5PB 3.5/10 09.00 .1796 .1711

Green and vivid 10.0B 3.5/10 09.00 .1557 .1815

Grayish 2.5PB 3.5/8 09.00 .1888 .1964

Vivid 2.5PB 3.5/12 09.00 .1516 .1547

Light 2.5PB 4.0/10 12.00 .1805 .1888

Dark 2.5PB 3.0/10 06.55 .1576 .1600

Purple:

Central color 10.0P 4.5/10 15.57 .3307 .2245

Reddish purple 2.5RP 4.5/10 15.57 .3584 .2377

Blue purple 7.5P 4.5/10 15.57 .3068 .2145

Reddish gray 10.0P 4.5/8 15.57 .3280 .2391

Gray 2 10.0P 4.5/6.5 15.57 .3254 .2519

Vivid 10.0P 4.5/12 15.57 .3333 .2101

Light 10.0P 5.0/10 19.77 .3308 .2328

Dark 10.0P 4.0/10 12.00 .3306 .2162

1 Maximum chroma is not limited.

2 For the colors green and purple, the minimum saturation (chroma) limits for porcelain enamel on metal are lower than for most other surface coatings. Therefore, the minimum chroma limits of these two colors as displayed on the Charts for comparison to porcelain enamel on metal is low, as shown for green (grayish B) and purple (gray).

Note: CIE = Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage.

Table 2—Specifications for Color Tolerance Charts for Use With Labels and Placards Surfaced With Ink

Color/series Munsell notation CIE data for source C

Y x y

Red:

Central series:

Central color 6.8R 4.47/12.8 15.34 .5510 .3286

Grayish 7.2R 4.72/12.2 17.37 .5368 .3348

Purple 6.4R 4.49/12.7 15.52 .5442 .3258

Purple and vivid 6.1R 4.33/13.1 14.25 .5529 .3209

Vivid 6.7R 4.29/13.2 13.99 .5617 .3253

Orange 7.3R 4.47/12.8 15.34 .5572 .3331

Orange and grayish 7.65R 4.70/12.4 17.20 .5438 .3382

Light series:

Light 7.0R 4.72/13.2 17.32 .5511 .3322

Light and orange 7.4R 4.96/12.6 19.38 .5365 .3382

Light and purple 6.6R 4.79/12.9 17.94 .5397 .3289

Dark series:

Dark A 6.7R 4.19/12.5 13.30 .5566 .3265

Dark B 7.0R 4.25/12.35 13.72 .5522 .3294

Dark and purple 7.5R 4.23/12.4 13.58 .5577 .3329

Orange:

Central series:

Central color 5.0YR 6.10/12.15 31.27 .5193 .4117

Yellow and grayish A 5.8YR 6.22/11.7 32.69 .5114 .4155

Yellow and grayish B 6.1YR 6.26/11.85 33.20 .5109 .4190

Vivid 5.1YR 6.07/12.3 30.86 .5226 .4134

Red and vivid A 3.9YR 5.87/12.75 28.53 .5318 .4038

Red and vivid B 3.6YR 5.91/12.6 29.05 .5291 .4021

Grayish 4.9YR 6.10/11.9 31.22 .5170 .4089

Light series:

Light and vivid A 5.8YR 6.78/12.7 39.94 .5120 .4177

Light and yellow 6.0YR 6.80/12.8 40.20 .5135 .4198

Light and vivid B 4.9YR 6.60/12.9 37.47 .5216 .4126

Dark series:

Dark and yellow 5.8YR 5.98/11.0 29.87 .5052 .4132

Dark A 5.1YR 5.80/11.1 27.80 .5127 .4094

Dark B 5.0YR 5.80/11.0 27.67 .5109 .4068

Yellow:

Central series:

Central color 4.3Y 7.87/10.3 56.81 .4445 .4589

Vivid A 4.5Y 7.82/10.8 55.92 .4503 .4658

Vivid B 3.3Y 7.72/11.35 54.24 .4612 .4624

Vivid and orange 3.2Y 7.72/10.8 54.25 .4576 .4572

Grayish A 4.1Y 7.95/9.7 58.18 .4380 .4516

Grayish B 5.1Y 8.06/9.05 60.12 .4272 .4508

Green-yellow 5.2Y 7.97/9.9 58.53 .4356 .4605

Light series:

Light 5.4Y 8.59/10.5 70.19 .4351 .4628

Light and green-yellow 5.4Y 8.56/11.2 69.59 .4414 .4692

Light and vivid 4.4Y 8.45/11.4 67.42 .4490 .4662

Dark series:

Dark and green-yellow 4.4Y 7.57/9.7 51.82 .4423 .4562

Dark and orange A 3.4Y 7.39/10.4 48.86 .4584 .4590

Dark and orange B 3.5Y 7.41/10.0 49.20 .4517 .4544

Green:

Central series:

Central color 9.75G 4.26/7.75 13.80 .2214 .3791

Grayish 10G 4.46/7.5 15.25 .2263 .3742

Blue A 1.4BG 4.20/7.4 13.36 .2151 .3625

Blue B 1.0BG 4.09/7.75 12.60 .2109 .3685

Vivid 8.4G 4.09/8.05 12.59 .2183 .3954

Vivid green-yellow 7.0G 4.23/8.0 13.54 .2292 .4045

Green-yellow 7.85G 4.46/7.7 15.23 .2313 .3914

Light series:

Light and vivid 9.5G 4.45/8.8 15.21 .2141 .3863

Light and blue 0.2BG 4.31/8.8 14.12 .2069 .3814

Light and green-yellow 8.3G 4.29/9.05 14.01 .2119 .4006

Dark series:

Dark and green-yellow 7.1G 4.08/7.1 12.55 .2354 .3972

Dark and grayish 9.5G 4.11/6.9 12.70 .2282 .3764

Dark 8.5G 3.97/7.2 11.78 .2269 .3874

Blue:

Central series:

Central color 3.5PB 3.94/9.7 11.58 .1885 .1911

Green and grayish A 2.0PB 4.35/8.7 14.41 .1962 .2099

Green and grayish B 1.7PB 4.22/9.0 13.50 .1898 .2053

Vivid 2.9PB 3.81/9.7 10.78 .1814 .1852

Purple and vivid A 4.7PB 3.53/10.0 9.15 .1817 .1727

Purple and vivid B 5.0PB 3.71/9.9 10.20 .1888 .1788

Grayish 3.75PB 4.03/9.1 12.17 .1943 .1961

Light series:

Light and green A 1.7PB 4.32/9.2 14.22 .1904 .2056

Light and green B 1.5PB 4.11/9.6 12.72 .1815 .1971

Light and vivid 3.2PB 3.95/10.05 11.70 .1831 .1868

Dark series:

Dark and grayish 3.9PB 4.01/8.7 12.04 .1982 .1992

Dark and purple A 4.8PB 3.67/9.3 9.95 .1918 .1831

Dark and purple B 5.2PB 3.80/9.05 10.76 .1985 .1885

Purple:

Central series:

Central color 9.5P 4.71/11.3 17.25 .3274 .2165

Red 1.0RP 5.31/10.8 22.70 .3404 .2354

Red and vivid A 1.4RP 5.00/11.9 19.78 .3500 .2274

Red and vivid B 0.2RP 4.39/12.5 14.70 .3365 .2059

Vivid 8.0P 4.04/12.0 12.23 .3098 .1916

Blue 7.0P 4.39/10.8 14.71 .3007 .2037

Grayish 8.8P 5.00/10.3 19.73 .3191 .2251

Light series:

Light and red A 0.85RP 5.56/11.1 25.18 .3387 .2356

Light and red B 1.1RP 5.27/12.3 22.27 .3460 .2276

Light and vivid 9.2P 4.94/11.95 19.24 .3247 .2163

Dark series:

Dark and grayish 9.6P 4.70/10.9 17.19 .3283 .2204

Dark and vivid 8.4P 4.05/11.6 12.35 .3144 .1970

Dark and blue 7.5P 4.32/10.5 14.19 .3059 .2078

Table 3—Specification for Colors for Use With Labels Printed on Packagings Surfaces

CIE data for source C Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Purple

x .424 .460 .417 .228 .200 .377

y .306 .370 .392 .354 .175 .205

x .571 .543 .490 .310 .255 .377

y .306 .400 .442 .354 .250 .284

x .424 .445 .390 .228 .177 .342

y .350 .395 .430 .403 .194 .205

x .571 .504 .440 .310 .230 .342

y .350 .430 .492 .403 .267 .284

Y (high) 23.0 41.6 72.6 20.6 15.9 21.2

Y (low) 7.7 19.5 29.1 7.4 6.5 8.2