A printed legal guarantee notice must be at least A4. Larger formats are A3, A2 or A1. On paper you may print in colour (CMYK) or black and white; online, colour is mandatory. Nothing may be changed. The Commission’s official PDF file is already A4.
When you need to print the legal guarantee notice
You need the printed notice wherever the contract is not concluded through an online shop, above all in a physical shop. For in-store sales, the obligation comes from Art. 5(1)(e) of the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU, which requires the harmonised notice; its design is set out in Annex I of the regulation. Member States have transposed this into their national law. Who is affected and which exceptions might apply is explained under legal guarantee notice: what has applied since 27 September 2026.
What the regulation requires for print
| Point | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum size | A4 (210 × 297 mm) | Annex I, note 4 |
| Larger formats | A3, A2 or A1 | Annex I, note 4 |
| Colour in print | Colour (CMYK) or black and white | Annex I, note 4 |
| Colour online | Colour only (RGB) | Annex I, note 5 |
| Changes | None. None of the elements can be edited. | Annex I, note 1 |
| QR code | Must be scannable under normal lighting conditions with a standard mobile device. It leads to the dedicated language section on the legal guarantee of conformity on the Your Europe portal. | Annex I, note 3 |
Unlike the GARAN label, there is nothing to fill in: the legal guarantee notice is the same for every product.
The official colour values
If you print in colour, use the values from note 2. They are already set in the original files.
| Colour | Pantone | CMYK | RGB | HEX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | Reflex Blue C | 100 / 80 / 0 / 0 | 0 / 51 / 153 | #003399 |
| Yellow | Yellow C | 0 / 0 / 100 / 0 | 255 / 237 / 0 | #FFED00 |
| Black | Black 6 C | Black | 0 / 0 / 0 | #000000 |
| White | 000C | White | 255 / 255 / 255 | #FFFFFF |
Which file for which purpose
All files are available unmodified in the download in 24 languages.
| File | Use | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| PDF colour | Office printer, copy shop | A4 format, opens everywhere |
| SVG colour | Print shop, A3 to A1 | Vector in A4 format, enlarges without loss |
| SVG black and white | Single-colour printing, laser printer | Official black-and-white version, vector in A4 format |
Printing tips
- Print at 100%. In the print dialogue, choose “Actual size”, not “Fit to page”. Otherwise the printer margins shrink the notice below A4.
- Larger only in A sizes. For A3, A2 or A1, scale the SVG file proportionally. Do not crop or distort anything.
- Test the QR code. Scan the printout with your phone before hanging it up. Do not hang it behind reflective glass or film if the code can no longer be read.
- Black and white: use the black-and-white file. It is the official version for single-colour printing. Converting a colour file to greyscale produces a different graphic.
- Language. The regulation does not set a language. The obvious choice is the language in which you serve your customers. More on the language
If you sell goods with a producer guarantee of more than two years, the GARAN label is added, with its own print rules: print the GARAN label.
Frequently asked questions
How big must the printed legal guarantee notice be?
At least A4. Larger formats are A3, A2 and A1 (Annex I, note 4 of Regulation (EU) 2025/1960).
May I print the legal guarantee notice in black and white?
Yes, black and white is allowed in print, and there is an official version for it. Online, the notice must be in colour.
May I print the notice smaller, for example as a sticker at the till?
The regulation sets A4 as the minimum size for the printed version. It does not provide for a smaller version.
May I add my logo or my own text to the notice?
No. None of the elements of the harmonised notice can be edited (Annex I, note 1). Text, colours, frame and QR code stay exactly as the Commission provides them.
Where can I get the print file?
Free of charge and unmodified in the download section, in all 24 official languages as PDF and SVG.