Cable Colour Coding Standards — Reference Guide (DIN 47100, IEC 60445, BS 7671 & Others)
Internal · Updated July 2026
What this article covers
Cable colour coding standards define which colours should be used to identify conductors and wires in electrical installations. Customers in Germany, the UK, and other European markets frequently reference these standards when ordering cable marking. This article helps agents understand the most common standards, what colours they require, and how to handle these requests.
We can produce cable marking labels in many colour combination the customer needs. We do not certify compliance with any standard — that is always the customer's responsibility.
Note on CMYK values: The colour standards below define physical wire insulation colours, not print values. The CMYK approximations in this article are indicative only and may not be perfectly accurate for all printing conditions. Always confirm with the customer if exact colour matching is critical, and consider ordering a test print for colour-sensitive orders.
Overview — which standard applies where
| Standard | Markets | What it covers | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEC 60445 (formerly IEC 60446) | EU, UK (since 2004), and most IEC member countries | Colour coding for power conductors — phase, neutral, protective earth. The current harmonised European standard. | Active — current standard for new installations |
| DIN 47100 | Germany (and widely used elsewhere in Europe) | Colour coding for multi-core signal and control cables. Defines up to 44 individual core colours for telecommunications and control wiring. | Withdrawn 1998 — but still widely used in practice by cable manufacturers and engineers |
| BS 7671 (IET Wiring Regulations) | United Kingdom | UK electrical installation standard. Harmonised with IEC 60445 since 2004. Also covers old UK colours (pre-2004) still found in existing installations. | Active — current UK standard |
| NF C 15-100 | France | French electrical installation standard. Follows IEC harmonised colours for new installations but French electricians may still reference older French colour conventions. | Active — aligned with IEC 60445 |
IEC 60445 — harmonised European colours (current standard)
This is the standard that applies to new electrical installations across most of Europe, the UK, and other IEC member countries. Customers ordering cable marking for new installations should follow these colours.
| Conductor | Colour | CMYK (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase L1 | Brown | C0 M40 Y60 K30 | |
| Phase L2 | Black | C0 M0 Y0 K100 | |
| Phase L3 | Grey | C0 M0 Y0 K50 | UK also permits Grey as alternative phase colour |
| Neutral (N) | Blue (light) | C60 M20 Y0 K0 | Blue is reserved exclusively for neutral — do not use for other functions |
| Protective earth (PE) | Green/Yellow | Green: C80 M0 Y100 K0 / Yellow: C0 M0 Y100 K0 | Bicolour stripe — cannot be used for any other function |
| DC positive (+) | Brown | C0 M40 Y60 K30 | |
| DC negative (−) | Light blue | C60 M20 Y0 K0 |
DIN 47100 — German multi-core cable colour sequence
DIN 47100 defines a sequence of colours for identifying individual cores in multi-core signal and control cables. It is still widely used by German cable manufacturers and engineers despite being officially withdrawn in 1998. Customers who reference DIN 47100 are typically ordering sequential core identification for control or telecommunications cables, not power conductors.
The first 10 colours in the DIN 47100 sequence cover the vast majority of practical use cases:
| Core number | Colour | German term | CMYK (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | Weiß | C0 M0 Y0 K0 |
| 2 | Brown | Braun | C0 M40 Y60 K30 |
| 3 | Green | Grün | C80 M0 Y100 K0 |
| 4 | Yellow | Gelb | C0 M0 Y100 K0 |
| 5 | Grey | Grau | C0 M0 Y0 K50 |
| 6 | Pink | Rosa | C0 M30 Y10 K0 |
| 7 | Blue | Blau | C100 M50 Y0 K0 |
| 8 | Red | Rot | C0 M100 Y100 K0 |
| 9 | Black | Schwarz | C0 M0 Y0 K100 |
| 10 | Violet/Purple | Violett | C50 M80 Y0 K0 |
Cores 11–44 continue with combinations and additional colours. For orders referencing DIN 47100 beyond the first 10 cores, always ask the customer to confirm the exact colour sequence needed for their specific cable configuration.
BS 7671 — UK wiring regulations
The UK harmonised with IEC 60445 in 2004. New UK installations follow the same colours as IEC 60445 above. However, older UK installations (pre-2004) used a different colour scheme — agents may encounter customers who need labels matching old UK colours for maintenance work on existing systems.
| Conductor | New colour (post-2004) | Old colour (pre-2004) | CMYK new (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase L1 | Brown | Red | C0 M40 Y60 K30 |
| Phase L2 | Black | Yellow | C0 M0 Y0 K100 |
| Phase L3 | Grey | Blue | C0 M0 Y0 K50 |
| Neutral (N) | Blue (light) | Black | C60 M20 Y0 K0 |
| Protective earth (PE) | Green/Yellow | Green | C80 M0 Y100 K0 / C0 M0 Y100 K0 |
If a UK customer is ordering labels for an existing pre-2004 installation, always confirm whether they need old or new colours before quoting.
NF C 15-100 — France
France follows IEC 60445 for new installations. French electricians and engineers use the same harmonised colours as the rest of Europe. Older French installations may use legacy colours — if a French customer references specific colours that do not match IEC 60445, always confirm which colours they actually need before quoting.
How to handle colour coding requests
- Never assume which colours apply to a specific customer's installation — always ask them to confirm the exact colours needed.
- If a customer says "DIN 47100" or "IEC standard colours" → use this article to understand what they mean, then confirm the specific colour combinations required for their order.
- If the customer is in Germany and references Typenschilder or Kabelmarkierungen with specific colours → DIN 47100 or IEC 60445 is likely the reference. Confirm which one.
- If the customer is in the UK and mentions an older installation → confirm whether they need pre-2004 or post-2004 colours.
- If exact colour matching is critical → recommend ordering a test print before confirming a large order. CMYK values in this article are approximations only.
- We do not certify compliance with any standard. If a customer asks whether our labels meet a specific standard → explain that we produce labels in the requested colours but compliance is the customer's responsibility.