Good control panel labels do two jobs at once: they name what each device does, and they follow the colour code so the panel reads safely before anyone's read a word. Red stops, green starts, an engraved legend plate spells out the function. This is the plain-English guide to how pushbuttons, indicator lights, selector switches and legend plates get labelled and colour-coded on Australian panels — and how to design the engraved plates online.
The control-device colour coding comes from IEC 60204-1, adopted in Australia as AS 60204.1. Emergency-stop sits under AS/NZS 4024. Get the device colours and the legend text right together and you've built a panel anyone can operate at a glance.
Pushbutton actuator colours
The colour of a pushbutton tells the operator what it does before they read the legend. Here's how the code runs:
| Colour | Meaning / use |
|---|---|
| Red | Stop / off — and mandatory for emergency stop. Red is never used for start. |
| Green | Start / on (permitted). Never used for stop. |
| Yellow | Abnormal condition / intervention — e.g. interrupt an automatic cycle. |
| Blue | Mandatory action / reset. |
| White, grey, black | No specific assigned meaning — usable for start, stop or reset (white preferred for start). |
Now the nuance that trips people up. For a plain STOP button, the preferred actuator colours are actually black, white or grey — not red. Red is reserved for emergency stop and is prohibited for start. For a START button, preferred colours are white, grey, black or green. So the instinct to make every stop button red is wrong: keep red for the e-stop, and use a neutral colour for an ordinary stop.
Red is for emergency stop and never for start. Green can start but never stop. For an ordinary stop button, the standard actually prefers black, white or grey — not red. Reserve red so it means one thing on the panel.
Indicator and pilot light colours
Indicator lights run their own colour code, parallel to the buttons:
| Colour | Condition / meaning |
|---|---|
| Red | Emergency / danger / fault — abnormal condition needing immediate action. |
| Yellow / amber | Warning / abnormal condition — monitor or intervene. |
| Green | Normal / safe / ready — no action needed. |
| Blue | Mandatory — action required. |
| White / clear | Neutral / general information. |
Legend plates — naming the function
The colour tells the operator the type of action; the legend plate tells them the exact function. Standard control devices are a 22.5mm mounting family, so legend plates are sized to fit 22mm and 22.5mm devices. The plate carries the device function text — and the golden rule is to engrave it exactly as specified, because case matters. "CONTROL" and "Control" are not the same thing on a panel, and the spec is the spec.
- Pushbutton plates show the function — START, STOP, RESET.
- Selector-switch plates show the positions — for example OFF / MAN / AUTO.
Engraved two-colour laminate (or anodised aluminium for some jobs) is the durable way to carry that text. The legend is laser-cut into the material, so it can't rub off — which matters on a panel that gets handled every shift for years.
Why does the colour code matter so much for the labels? Because the legend and the colour have to agree. A green button engraved "STOP" sends two conflicting signals — colour says start, text says stop — and on a busy panel that's exactly the kind of thing that causes a wrong press. Keep the device colour and the engraved legend telling the same story, and the panel stays readable under pressure.
Designing your legend plates online
Our label designer has ready templates for the common control-panel jobs: switchplates with device cutouts, a selector-switch plate (OFF/MAN/AUTO) and a pushbutton plate. Pick the size, type the text, choose the colour and you get an instant price.
For anything custom, the Advanced Designer adds custom shapes, mounting holes and cutouts, plus a warning-symbol and electrical-icon library and curved text — so you can lay out a multi-device plate with the exact cutouts and legends your panel needs. Legend plates can be made to fit standard 22.5mm control devices.
The same colour grammar, panel-wide
Notice the colours on your panel follow the same safety-colour grammar as the rest of the plant: red for danger and stop, yellow for warning, green for safe and ready, blue for mandatory. That's the AS 1319 colour language showing up at the device level. If you label switchboards too, our guide to switchboard label colours in Australia walks through the conventions, and what is traffolyte explains the engraved two-colour laminate in detail.
Why engraved plates outlast stickers
On a panel that runs for years, printed stickers fade, curl and peel — and a faded legend on a control device is a safety problem, not just a cosmetic one. Engraved laminate doesn't fade because the mark is the material: a colour cap over a contrasting core, with the text cut through to expose the core. There's no ink to go.
Stock colours cover the panel — black/white and white/black for general legends, red/white, yellow/black, green/white and blue/white to match the device colour code, plus special-order colours. Fix the plates with self-adhesive backing or mounting holes to suit. Spec your control-panel plates as electrical labels in the designer.
One honest note on outdoor or sun-exposed panels: the engraved legend can't fade because it's cut into the material, but the laminate substrate can chalk under years of direct sun. For long-term external exposure, ask about a UV-stable grade or a metal plate.
Made by a qualified electrician in Townsville and shipped Australia-wide, with 1–3 business day production and no minimum order. Lay out your legend plates in the label designer or the Advanced Designer, or call us on 0432 736 559 to talk it through.
References
- AS 60204.1 / IEC 60204-1 — Safety of machinery — Electrical equipment of machines (control-device colour coding)
- AS/NZS 4024 — Safety of machinery (emergency-stop requirements)
- AS 1319 — Safety signs for the occupational environment (the underlying safety-colour grammar)
This article summarises publicly available guidance on control-panel device labelling and is not a substitute for professional advice or the direction of your machine designer, certifier or inspector. Always confirm the requirements against the current edition of the relevant standard before you fabricate or install.