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Lithium Battery Mark Size and Design: 100×100 mm, 100×70 mm, Colours and Placement

Updated 2026-09-03 · ParityLabel editorial

The Lithium Battery Mark is the most-printed dangerous goods mark in e-commerce, and also the one most often printed wrong: too small, wrong colour, hatching too thin, or a phone number that no longer needs to be there. This article lists the current specification and then the practical part — how to print it so it is still legible when the box arrives.

Key points

  • Minimum 100 × 100 mm. Reduced size 100 × 70 mm only when the package cannot carry the full size.
  • Red hatched border on white; black battery symbol with flame; UN number(s) in black below the symbol.
  • Telephone number is optional now and must be gone by 1 January 2027.
  • Must be on one face of the outer package, not on the bottom, not folded over an edge, not covered by tape.

1. Dimensions

ElementRequirement
Standard markRectangle, minimum 100 mm wide × 100 mm high
Reduced mark100 mm × 70 mm, permitted only where the package dimensions cannot accommodate the standard mark
Hatched borderRed, minimum width about 5 mm on the standard mark (scaled down proportionally on the reduced mark)
SymbolGroup of batteries, one damaged and emitting flame, black, above the UN number
UN numberUN3480, UN3481, UN3090, UN3091; a combined mark may carry more than one, e.g. UN3480 / UN3481
Telephone numberOptional; if shown, a number for additional information about the shipment

The 100 × 100 / 100 × 70 mm pair is the current specification (UN Model Regulations 22nd revised edition onward, reflected in ADR 2023, IMDG Amendment 41-22 and current IATA DGR). The previous edition used 120 × 110 mm with a 105 × 74 mm reduced size; regulators provided a transition for marks already in stock, generally aligned with the telephone-number transition ending 31 December 2026. If you still hold old-format labels, use them up before then and switch your artwork now.

2. The telephone number

The UN dropped the telephone number requirement in the 22nd revised edition. Status by mode:

Practical advice: if your shipments touch more than one mode or country, print the mark without a number from now on. A missing number is compliant everywhere from 2027 and tolerated everywhere today; a number that is out of date is a defect.

3. Placement

4. Printing it properly

Label stock

For corrugated boxes use a white synthetic (BOPP/PP) or coated paper with a permanent acrylic adhesive; kraft boxes have a low-energy, dusty surface that ordinary paper labels peel from in cold warehouses. For plastic cases, PET or PP labels with a high-tack adhesive.

Colour

The border must read as red. Thermal-transfer printers produce black only, so either pre-print the red hatching on the label stock and overprint the black symbol and UN number, or use a colour label printer. Inkjet on plain paper fades and bleeds; laminate or use a pigment ink.

Resolution

Print the mark from vector artwork (SVG or PDF) or from a raster of at least 300 DPI. A 100 mm mark at 300 DPI is about 1180 pixels wide; screenshots pasted into a document are not enough. The Lithium Battery Mark Generator exports both SVG and 300 DPI PNG, with the hatching drawn to specification.

5. Common defects inspectors flag

  1. Mark scaled down to fit a small label roll — 80 × 80 mm is not "close enough".
  2. Hatching printed as a thin red outline.
  3. Red rendered orange or pink by a low-quality colour printer.
  4. UN number missing, or a single mark used for a package that contains two UN numbers without both being shown.
  5. Mark applied to the bottom face or wrapped around a corner.

Download a compliant mark in seconds

Pick the UN number(s), choose 100 × 100 or 100 × 70 mm, leave the phone number blank, and export SVG or 300 DPI PNG. Open the tool →

References

This article is based on the following primary sources; always check the edition in force before shipping or labelling.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum size of the Lithium Battery Mark?

100 mm wide × 100 mm high. Only when the package is too small to carry that size may the mark be reduced, to no less than 100 mm × 70 mm. The older formats (120 × 110 mm and the 105 × 74 mm reduced size) come from the previous edition of the UN Model Regulations; check your carrier and the current edition of the regulation you ship under before relying on them.

Is the telephone number still required on the mark?

No. The UN Model Regulations (22nd revised edition) dropped the telephone number. Under ICAO/IATA it is optional now and must be completely removed from 1 January 2027; the IMDG Code allows marks with a number until 31 December 2026. Some carriers still ask for it operationally, but it is no longer a regulatory requirement.

What colours must the mark use?

Red hatched border, black battery symbol and text, white background. The hatching must be wide enough to be clearly visible — the regulations specify a minimum hatching width of about 5 mm on the full-size mark. Do not print the border in orange or pink because of a cheap ink; a colour that does not read as red at a glance is a non-compliant mark.

Can the mark be printed directly on the box instead of a sticker?

Yes. The mark may be printed on the package or applied as a label, as long as it is durable, legible, on a contrasting background, and not obscured by tape or other markings. For corrugated boxes a white label with red and black print is usually more reliable than printing red on brown kraft.

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