How to Prepare the CE Label?

The small "CE" letters affixed to a product at the end of the process are actually an official marking bound by fairly strict rules. Many manufacturers print this marking on their product using their own logo font, at a guessed scale, or a random image downloaded from the internet — a practice that's problematic both visually and legally. In this article we cover the official dimensions and proportions of the CE marking, its correct position on the product, when to add the notified body number, and the technical details to watch during the labeling process.

The Technical and Visual Rules of the CE Marking

The general appearance, use and proportions of the CE marking are clearly defined by a graphic template in the annex to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008. This template is a grid system showing the height, width and spacing proportions of the "C" and "E" letters relative to each other. Thanks to this grid, no matter what size the marking is enlarged or reduced to, it always keeps the same proportions. The manufacturer's job is to use a vector CE marking file based on this official grid template, and never to alter the letter shapes based on its own interpretation.

Minimum Size and Proportion Rules

As a general rule, the vertical height of the CE marking cannot be smaller than 5 millimeters. This minimum size is set to keep the marking noticeable from a distance and legible. Because legislation for certain specific product groups may set a different minimum size, it's worth separately checking the relevant provision in the directive that applies to your product. Any scaling of the marking must always be proportional; the letters' proportions relative to each other must never be distorted under any circumstances. Freehand-drawn "CE" text, or text with distorted proportions or a different typeface, does not count as an official CE marking.

Material, Color and Permanence

The legislation does not impose a strict color requirement for the CE marking, but the marking must be visible, legible and permanent throughout the product's service life. This is why manufacturers usually apply the marking using embossing, engraving, laser marking or durable printing techniques. A labeling method that is easily erasable, prone to wear, or that can become invisible during the product's normal use should not be chosen. For products used outdoors, choosing materials with UV and moisture resistance prevents the marking from becoming illegible over time.

The Correct Position on the Product

The CE marking is, wherever possible, affixed directly to the product itself. If the product's physical structure or size does not allow this, the marking can be placed on the packaging and/or documents provided with the product (such as the user manual); however, this exception is not automatic and must be explicitly provided for in the relevant directive's text. The marking must be in a position on the product that is easily visible, not obstructed, and not removable; positioning it so that it ends up under other labels, accessories or packaging layers is a mistake.

Adding the Notified Body Number

If an independent notified body was involved in the production quality assurance stage of the product's conformity assessment, that body's four-digit identification number is added immediately next to the CE marking. This number shows which independent body audited the production process, and does not appear on products proceeding under the self-declaration model. You can find more detail on the role of a notified body and when it is required in our article What Is a Notified Body? Common mistakes include the number being written incorrectly, continuing to use an outdated body number, or adding the number when it isn't required.

Use Alongside Other Markings

Other conformity markings, quality logos or origin markings can also appear on a product together with the CE marking. However, these additional markings must not obscure the CE marking's visibility, legibility or meaning, and must not be confused with it. In particular, using markings that visually resemble the CE marking but have no official validity (such as imitation symbols with different letter spacing) both misleads the consumer and puts the manufacturer in a difficult position during inspections.

Integrating the Labeling Step Into the Manufacturing Process

CE marking should be built in as a natural part of the quality control process, not as a separate, final step of production planning. Before moving to mass production, it should be physically verified — on a sample — that the marking is applied at the correct size, in the correct position and legibly; this verification should be recorded in the production instructions and quality control forms. Particularly for companies using external suppliers or contract manufacturers, communicating the marking instructions to the supplier supported by technical drawings and sample photos prevents differences of interpretation on the production line.

Labeling Techniques for Different Manufacturing Methods

The labeling method varies depending on the product's material and manufacturing technique. For metal-bodied products, laser marking or dot-peen marking is preferred for permanence, while for plastic injection parts, embossing/engraving worked into the mold is commonly used. For fabric or flexible-material products, a sewn-in label or heat-transfer printing can be applied. Where an electronic device's body-printed circuit board doesn't have enough space, the marking can be moved to the outer casing or the packaging. Each method's own durability and legibility profile needs to be assessed against the product's service life and environmental conditions.

Relevant Directives and Standards

The general rules for using the CE marking, independent of product group, are set out in Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 and Decision No 768/2008/EC. In addition, the specific directive applied to your product (for example, the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU, or the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU) may set out additional requirements for CE marking in its own provisions; the application of the marking should therefore be assessed not only against the general regulation, but also based on the product-specific directive.

How Is the CE Marking Checked During Inspections?

Market surveillance authorities examine the CE marking during an inspection not just at the "is it there or not" level, but also for its proportion, size, position, and, where relevant, the accuracy of the notified body number. Inspectors can often detect proportion deviations by comparing the marking against a template or with a digital measurement tool. The marking's physical permanence on the product is also part of the inspection; how durably the marking has been applied can be tested by scratching or lightly abrading the surface. This level of rigor requires manufacturers to treat marking not as a superficial graphic design task, but as a step requiring engineering verification.

Step by Step

1. Determine all directives/regulations applied to your product and their specific provisions on CE marking.
2. Clarify whether self-declaration or a notified body-involved model applies.
3. Obtain a vector CE marking file based on the official grid template; never alter the letter shapes based on your own interpretation.
4. Choose a permanent labeling method (printing, engraving, laser marking) suited to your product's surface, material and use conditions.
5. Scale the marking to meet the minimum size requirement, enlarging or reducing it without distorting its proportions.
6. Place the marking in a position on the product that is visible, not obscured and not removable.
7. Add the notified body's identification number immediately next to the CE marking, at the same level of visibility, if required.
8. Never affix the marking to the product before the EU Declaration of Conformity is signed.
9. Physically test the marking's legibility and permanence on a sample before moving to mass production.

The CE Marking on Packaging and Shipping Documents

Some manufacturers only ever think about the CE marking in relation to the product itself; but how and when the marking should be used on the packaging, shipping labels and commercial documents shipped together with the product is also a topic that needs separate consideration. If the marking is present on the product itself, it does not need to be repeated on the packaging — but if the product is to be used without ever being separated from its packaging (for example, medical products requiring sterilization), the packaging may also be expected to conform to marking rules. Printing the CE marking on temporary shipping packaging, on the other hand, is not correct practice, because it can create the false impression that the marking is associated with the shipping box rather than the product itself. Clarifying such borderline cases should be done by referring to the relevant provisions of the directive that applies to your product.

Most Common Mistakes

• Designing the CE marking with your own typeface or distorted proportions.
• Using the marking below the minimum size requirement.
• Affixing the marking to the product before the conformity assessment is complete.
• Adding the notified body number when not required, or not adding it when required.
• Positioning the marking so it ends up beneath other labels or accessories.
• Choosing a printing method that wears, fades or becomes illegible over time.
• Confusing the CE marking with a visually similar but unofficial symbol.

Frequently Asked Questions

Managing the CE Marking Alongside Brand Design

During product development, graphic design and industrial design teams plan all the visual elements on the product body (logo, model name, serial number field, warning icons and the CE marking) together. A common problem here is that branding work tries to fit the CE marking to its own typographic language while disregarding the marking's official grid template — for example, requesting the letters be redrawn so the marking appears in the same font family as the company logo. Such intervention turns the marking into a graphic element that has lost its official validity. This is why it's recommended that the compliance team carry out a final check before graphic design approval, when the CE marking is added to the design file, confirming that the official template has been used unaltered. Maintaining the same rigor for imagery used in product packaging and marketing materials prevents inconsistency between brand materials and the physical product.

Conclusion

Although the CE marking looks small, it is on its own an official legal symbol and cannot be designed arbitrarily. A CE marking prepared with the correct grid template, the correct size, the correct position, and where necessary the correct notified body number, is the visible proof of all the engineering and documentation work behind the process. Skipping these details can make even an otherwise complete CE process questionable during an inspection.