Safety Sign Colors and Shapes

Color helps identify a safety message, but it needs the shape, pictogram, and sometimes wording to make the meaning clear.

The ISO sign families

Red does not always mean the same thing

A red prohibition circle tells someone not to do something. A red fire-equipment square identifies equipment. A red-bordered GHS diamond communicates a classified chemical hazard. Look at the whole sign before deciding what it means. Filter the visual guide by shape and color.

Keep the system in context

ANSI and OSHA sign conventions use color with wording and sign format. They should not be treated as a simple color-for-color translation of the ISO families. For example, a blue circular mandatory-action sign is not the same format as a blue informational panel.

Screen values are not manufacturing specifications

The hex values in this library describe digital color references. The appearance on a monitor does not establish the color of a printed or illuminated sign. Substrate, inks, lighting, reflectivity, and production tolerances affect the result. A nearby RAL name or a sampled pixel is not proof that a sign meets a standard's color requirements.

For production, identify the applicable standard and obtain suitable specifications and conformity information from the supplier. Keep the symbol's shape and contrast as well as its color intact.

Make the message work without color alone

Readers may encounter poor light, dirt, fading, or color-vision differences. Use the intended shape and pictogram and any required text. Do not distinguish two safety instructions by recoloring the same icon.

Download the appropriate artwork format and use our reference sheets for study, while keeping production signage subject to its own requirements.