keeping up with the times

Hey, folks! It's time to chat about something that might not be as exciting as your latest candle blend, but it’s pretty important, labels. The new EU rules on CLP (Classification, Labelling, and Packaging) mean a bit of a makeover for your product labels, especially when it comes to font size and hazard symbols. And here’s where it may affect you most: colored backgrounds are out. It’s all about crisp, clear, easy-to-read warnings on a plain white background.

Update on New CLP Labeling Regulations

The EU’s updated CLP regulation, passed in April 2024, introduces important changes for labeling chemical products, which impact industries like home fragrance. These new rules set specific requirements for font size, spacing, and background colors to improve label readability and consumer safety.

What Does This Mean for You?

So what does this mean when you’re ordering your labels? For starters:

• Goodbye, Colored CLP Backgrounds: The new rules require all hazard information to be printed on a white background with black text. This means if you’ve been adding a splash of color behind your CLP details, it’s time for a change. The goal here is maximum clarity, so everyone knows at a glance what they’re handling.

• The Right Font for the Right Size: Larger packages need larger text, and your CLP font size now has to follow minimum millimeter standards (goodbye, tiny fonts!). The regulators have even changed how we measure fonts; now, they’re sized in millimeters, based on something called the “x-height” so no cutting corners on readability. Line spacing has been looked at too, and there's now a minimum line space of 120%.

• Specific Fonts: Labels must use a single, easily legible sans-serif font. Sans-serif fonts lack the small projecting features called "serifs" at the end of strokes, making them cleaner and more straightforward to read. (don't worry, we already conform to this)

Simple, Clear, Compliant

We’re here to make this transition as smooth as possible. Over the next few weeks, colored backgrounds will disappear. We already use perfectly legible font, and well-spaced text to keep everything clear.

Timelines: Don’t Stress!

The regulation is expected to be published in the Official Journal soon, now that it has been adopted by the Council as of October 14, 2024. Once it appears in the Official Journal, the compliance clock starts:

• For New Products: Businesses will have 18 months from the publication date in the Official Journal to update labels with the new standards.
• For Existing Products on the Market: There’s more flexibility, with a window of up to 4 years for items already labeled under current rules, depending on classification and any required changes.

With publication expected shortly, businesses will soon have the exact start date for these transitions, so keep an eye out. This timeline will allow for an organized shift to compliance with the new CLP requirements.

So if you’ve been using colored background on your CLP labels, it’s time to say farewell. But don’t worry, you can still make the rest of your label pop.