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 Code of Federal Regulations (Last Updated: November 8, 2024)
 Title 49 - Transportation
 Subtitle B - Other Regulations Relating to Transportation
 Chapter I - Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
 SubChapter C - Hazardous Materials Regulations
 Part 172 - Hazardous Materials Table, Special Provisions, Hazardous Materials Communications, Emergency Response Information, Training Requirements, and Security Plans

  Appendix A to Part 172 - Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation Color Tolerance Charts and Tables  

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  • 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 Ink1

    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 B2 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
    Gray2 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

    [Amdt. 172-50, 44 FR 9757, Feb. 15, 1979; Amdt. 172-50, 44 FR 10984, Feb. 26, 1979, as amended by Amdt. 172-50, 44 FR 22467, Apr. 16, 1979; 50 FR 45731, Nov. 1, 1985; Amdt. 172-127, 59 FR 49133, Sept. 26, 1994]