How do I print an NFPA 704 label?

Use an NFPA 704 generator to set the health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) ratings 0–4 plus any special hazard symbol, choose a diamond size, and download the print-ready PDF. Print at 100% / actual size so the diamond prints at true physical scale. For outdoor tanks and drums, print on weatherproof vinyl or polyester label stock and laminate; for indoor placards, cardstock in a sign holder works.

What size does an NFPA 704 label need to be?

NFPA 704 sizes the diamond to the distance it must be read from. Approximate guidance: 3–4 in for up to 40 ft, 6 in for 41–85 ft, 9 in for 86–135 ft, and 12–15 in or larger for 150 ft and beyond, with character (number) height scaling up accordingly. Pick based on the farthest point a responder might read it from — the fence line, the road, or the storage-area entrance. Your local fire code or AHJ may specify a minimum.

What material should an NFPA 704 placard be printed on?

For outdoor tanks, drums, and building exteriors, print on weatherproof self-adhesive vinyl or polyester and laminate to resist UV fading, rain, and chemical splash — the blue, red, yellow, and white must stay accurate over time. For indoor rooms and cabinets, printed cardstock in a rigid sign holder is acceptable. Rigid aluminum or plastic placards are common for permanent exterior installations.

Do the NFPA 704 colors have to be exact?

The colors are part of the standard and carry meaning: blue = health, red = flammability, yellow = reactivity, white = special hazards. Use a color printer and color-accurate stock so responders can identify each quadrant instantly. A faded or miscolored diamond can mislead emergency responders, so replace labels that have degraded from UV or weather.

Where am I required to post NFPA 704 diamonds?

NFPA 704 is a voluntary standard, but many state and local fire codes adopt it by reference and make it mandatory. Diamonds are most commonly required on stationary chemical storage tanks, drum storage areas, building entrances where hazardous materials are present, and significant chemical storage rooms. Check with your local fire marshal or Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for exact requirements.

Can NFPA 704 labels replace GHS labels?

No. NFPA 704 is for emergency responders arriving at a scene; GHS/OSHA HazCom labels are for workers handling the chemical. OSHA does allow NFPA 704 as workplace (secondary container) labeling if your training covers what the numbers and symbols mean, but NFPA does not satisfy primary/shipped container labeling, which requires the full GHS format. Many facilities post both.

Can I print NFPA 704 labels for free?

Yes. Tellus offers a free NFPA 704 diamond generator that outputs a print-ready PDF with the standard color quadrants and 0–4 ratings — no account required. You supply the printer and label stock. A paid Tellus account can auto-generate NFPA, GHS, and HMIS labels from your chemical inventory and print them in batch.

How to Print NFPA 704 Labels for Chemical Storage

Printing NFPA 704 diamonds yourself

The four-color diamond on a chemical tank tells a firefighter what's inside before they go in. If a tank, drum yard, or building entrance in your facility is missing one — or the old placard has faded to pastel — you can print a fresh NFPA 704 label yourself in a few minutes.

This guide walks through creating the diamond, sizing it correctly for the viewing distance, and choosing label stock that survives outdoors.

🛠 Make one now: the free NFPA 704 Diamond Generator lets you set the health / flammability / reactivity ratings and special hazard, then download a print-ready PDF. No account required. New to the diamond? Start with NFPA 704 Diamond Explained.

Step 1 — Get the ratings right

Each colored quadrant carries a 0–4 rating (higher = more hazardous):

Blue (left) — Health
Red (top) — Flammability
Yellow (right) — Reactivity / instability
White (bottom) — Special hazards (symbols, not numbers): W with a slash = reacts with water, OX = oxidizer, SA = simple asphyxiant

Where do the ratings come from? In order of preference:

The Safety Data Sheet — when the manufacturer includes an NFPA rating, it's usually in Section 16 (Other Information). Note: NFPA ratings aren't required on a GHS-format SDS, so many omit them.
The NFPA Fire Protection Guide on Hazardous Materials — NFPA's reference book of ratings for thousands of chemicals.
Derive them from physical/toxicological data using the official criteria (health from LD50/LC50, flammability from flash point and boiling point, instability from reactivity data).

The facility posting the diamond is accountable to the AHJ at inspection — document which source you used.

Step 2 — Size the diamond to the viewing distance

Unlike a GHS label, an NFPA 704 placard is meant to be read from a distance by an approaching responder. NFPA 704 ties the diamond size (and the height of the numbers) to that distance:

Viewing distance	Approx. diamond size	Number height
Up to 40 ft	3–4 in	~1 in
41–85 ft	6 in	~2 in
86–135 ft	9 in	~3 in
136–150 ft	11 in	~4 in
151–200 ft	15 in	~6 in
201 ft and beyond	20–24 in	8–10 in

Pick based on the farthest point a responder might need to read it from — often the perimeter fence, the access road, or the entrance to the storage area. The generator offers 4 in (drum/container), 8 in (room/wall), and 12 in (large signage) presets; size up for long sightlines.

Step 3 — Choose weatherproof label stock

NFPA diamonds usually live outdoors, so durability matters more than for an indoor GHS bottle label:

Outdoor tanks, drums, building exteriors — print on weatherproof self-adhesive vinyl or polyester and laminate, or use a rigid aluminum/plastic placard. It must resist UV fading, rain, and chemical splash.
Indoor rooms, cabinets, doorways — printed cardstock in a rigid sign holder is fine.
Color accuracy is not optional — the blue/red/yellow/white are meaningful. Use a color printer and color-stable media. Replace any diamond that has faded, because a washed-out quadrant can mislead responders.

Step 4 — Print and post

Print at 100% / actual size. The generator's PDF page equals the physical diamond size, so "fit to page" would rescale it — turn that off.
Verify the colors and numbers against your source before committing to a batch.
Mount it where responders look first — tank shoulders, the entrance to a drum yard, the door of a storage room, and exterior walls facing the approach route. Follow any placement rules from your AHJ.

NFPA is one label — you probably need three

NFPA 704 handles the emergency-responder view. Your workers still need GHS labels on the individual containers (how to print GHS labels), and many facilities also use HMIS color bars for workplace hazard communication.

Making each one by hand, per chemical, doesn't scale. With Tellus ChemIQ, your chemical inventory generates all three — NFPA, GHS, and HMIS — automatically from each SDS, and prints them in batch. Update an SDS and the affected labels are ready to reprint, so your storage-area placards and container labels never drift out of sync with what's actually on the shelf.

FAQ

Below are the questions people search most when printing NFPA 704 labels. For the interactive tool and a fuller FAQ, visit the NFPA 704 Diamond Generator.