How do I print HMIS labels?

Build the label with an HMIS generator — product name, Health/Flammability/Physical Hazard ratings (0–4), and the PPE letter code — then download the print-ready PDF and print at 100% / actual size on color-capable equipment. For a handful of labels, a color laser printer with adhesive label sheets works. For volume or durability, use a color thermal-transfer label printer with synthetic label stock. Color matters: the blue/red/orange/white bars carry meaning, so never print HMIS labels in black and white.

Do HMIS labels have to be printed in color?

Effectively yes. The four HMIS bars are identified by color — blue (Health), red (Flammability), orange (Physical Hazard), and white (Personal Protection). A grayscale print destroys that at-a-glance meaning and defeats the purpose of the system. Use a color laser printer or a color-capable label printer, and confirm the orange bar prints as a true orange (not red or brown).

What label stock should HMIS labels be printed on?

For indoor, low-exposure containers, standard paper adhesive label sheets are fine. For drums, totes, and containers handled frequently or exposed to splash, use synthetic polypropylene or polyester label stock that resists water, oil, and abrasion — and laminate laser-printed labels if the stock isn't already coated. Color stability matters more than for a text-only label because the bar colors must stay accurate over time.

What size should an HMIS label be?

HMIS labels are portrait (the bars stack vertically). Common sizes: about 2 x 3 in for a single small container, 3 x 4 in for a drum or tote, and 4 x 6 in for wall or area signage. There is no OSHA-mandated size — pick one where the ratings, PPE letter, and bar colors are clearly legible at the distance workers read the container from.

Is HMIS required by OSHA?

No. HMIS is a proprietary system owned by the American Coatings Association and is not mandated by any OSHA standard. However, OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)) requires workplace/secondary containers to show the product identifier and general hazard information, and an HMIS color bar is an accepted way to meet that — as long as employees are trained on what the bars and PPE codes mean and the SDS is accessible.

Can I print HMIS labels in Spanish?

Yes. The free HMIS generator prints the bar labels in English, Spanish (SALUD, INFLAMABILIDAD, PELIGRO FÍSICO, PROTECCIÓN PERSONAL), or bilingual EN/ES. The 0–4 ratings and PPE letter codes are the same in every language. Spanish or bilingual labels help meet OSHA's expectation that workers understand hazard information in a language they read.

Can I print HMIS labels for free?

Yes. Tellus offers a free HMIS color-bar label generator that outputs a print-ready PDF — no account required. You supply the color printer and label stock. A paid Tellus account can auto-generate HMIS, GHS, and NFPA labels from your chemical inventory and print them in batch.

How to Print HMIS Labels: Color Bars, PPE Codes & Label Stock

Printing HMIS color-bar labels yourself

HMIS III color bars are one of the most common ways to communicate chemical hazards to workers on the shop floor — the stacked blue / red / orange / white bars, plus a PPE letter code, tell someone at a glance how dangerous a container is and what protection to wear. If your containers are missing them, you can print HMIS labels yourself in a couple of minutes.

This guide covers building the label, printing it in accurate color, and choosing label stock that survives a working environment.

🛠 Make one now: the free HMIS Color-Bar Label Generator lets you set the Health, Flammability, and Physical Hazard ratings and the PPE code, then download a print-ready PDF in English, Spanish, or bilingual. No account required.

Step 1 — Build the label

An HMIS III label has four elements:

Health (blue) — 0–4 rating; add an asterisk (\*) for a chronic (long-term) health hazard such as a carcinogen or sensitizer.
Flammability (red) — 0–4 rating based on flash point and boiling point.
Physical Hazard (orange) — 0–4 rating for reactivity/instability. (HMIS III renamed the old yellow "Reactivity" bar.)
Personal Protection (white) — a letter A–K mapping to a defined PPE set, or X for "ask your supervisor."

Pull the ratings from your Safety Data Sheet, and have the employer assign the PPE letter based on the task and exposure at your facility. The HMIS generator lays all four out for you. New to the system? See the difference between HMIS and NFPA 704.

Step 2 — Print in accurate color (this is the big one)

Unlike a text label, an HMIS label is meaningless in black and white — the whole system depends on the bar colors. So:

Use a color laser printer or a color-capable label printer (a color thermal-transfer model).
Check that orange prints as orange — some printers push it toward red or brown, which can be misread as the flammability bar.
Print at 100% / actual size, not "fit to page," so the label matches the size you selected.

Direct-thermal receipt-style printers (single color) can't produce a compliant HMIS label — they only print black.

Step 3 — Match label stock to the environment

Environment	Label stock
Indoor, low exposure	Paper adhesive label sheets
Drums, totes, frequent handling	Synthetic polypropylene or polyester
Splash / solvent / outdoor	Weatherproof synthetic + laminate

Color stability matters more here than for a plain label — a sun-faded HMIS bar can be misread. Replace labels whose colors have degraded.

Step 4 — Size it for the container

HMIS labels are portrait (bars stack top to bottom). Rough guidance:

Container	Size
Small single container	~2 x 3 in
Drum / tote	~3 x 4 in
Wall / area signage	~4 x 6 in

There's no OSHA-mandated size — choose one where the ratings, PPE letter, and colors are clearly legible from where workers actually read the container.

HMIS is one of three workplace label types

HMIS handles the worker, day-to-day view. You'll often also need GHS labels on primary and secondary containers (how to print GHS labels) and NFPA 704 diamonds on storage tanks for emergency responders (how to print NFPA 704 labels).

Making each one by hand, per chemical, doesn't scale. With Tellus ChemIQ, your chemical inventory generates all three — HMIS, GHS, and NFPA — automatically from each SDS and prints them in batch, so your labels never drift out of sync with what's on the shelf.

FAQ

The questions below are the ones people search when they set out to print HMIS labels. For the interactive tool and a fuller FAQ, visit the HMIS Color-Bar Label Generator.