Specifications

MIL-STD-1472E
5,5,4.5 Label life. Labels shall be mounled so as to minimize wear Orobscuremcnt by grease,
grime, or dirt, and shall remain legible for the overhaul interval of the Iabeied equipment.
5,5.4.6 Contrast and backtzround. Label color shall contrast
withthe equipmentbackground
specifiedin 5.7.9. Other label backgroundsmay be used only as approvedby the procuringactivity.
5.5.5 Desire of label characters.
5.5.5.1 Black charactem. Where the ambient illuminance will be above 10 lux (0.9 ft-c), black
characters shall be provided on a light background.
5.5.5.2 Dark ada@ation. Where dark adaptation is required, the displayed letters or numerals
shallbe visible without impairing night vision. Markings should be white on a dark background.
5.5.5.3 Style. Style of label characters shall conformtoM.IL-M-l8012, where consistent with
5.5.5.4, 5.5.5.5, 5.5.5.7, and 5.5.5,8 herein.
5.5.5.4 Cauital vs lowercase.
5.5.5.4.1 Labels Labels shall be printed in all capitals, except where lowercase letters or
punctuation -~hdigenous to the item being identified.
5.5.5.4.2 Legends. Legends shall be printed in all capitals, without periods or commas.
5.5.5.4.3 Placards. Instructional placads may use capitals and lowercase (txmtencecase) when
the message exceeds two lines; however, for sho~ instructional material, al.kapitals are preferred.
All-capital material (consisting of a larger cap for the initial letter in a paragraph, he of instruction, or
procedurd step) maybe used.
5.5.5.4.4 Sims. Signs shall consist of akapitals, except when the sign is instructional and
involves several lines of extended sentences, in which case sentence case maybe used.
5.5.5.5 Letter width. The width of letters should be 3/5 of the Might, except for “M” and “W”,
which sh~] & 4/5 of the height and “I,” which sha.ilbe one stroke WI*.
5.5.5.6 Numeral width. The width of numerals shall preferably be 3/5 of the height, except for
“4,” which sha.i]be one stroke width wider, and “1,“which shall be one stroke wide.
5.5.5.7 Wide charactcm. Where wide characters are required, e.g., for curved surfaces or for
column alignment of numbers, the basic height-to-width ratio maybe increased to as much as 1:1.
5.5.5.8 Stroke width, noxmal. For black characters on a white (or light) background, the stroke
width sha!l be 1/6 to 1/7 of the height.
5.5.5.9 Stroke width, dark adaptation. Where dark adaptation is required or legibility at nighl IS
a critical factor, and white characters are specified m a black background, t+w suoke widthof the
char-acters shalIbe from In to 1/8 of the height. The stroke width shall be the same for all letters and
tltlmernl<Ofequai height.
.5..5,5. i O SiJAL wdLIi,uwdlumiLMd LIULAAX.17cx‘trmiihnhtcd chmctcrs, th WI?kr
width sMI be 1/1Oof the height.