A calibration label (or calibration sticker) shows anyone picking up an instrument whether it can be used: its ID, its status and, usually, when it was calibrated and when it is due. Choose the label type, fill in the details and print a sheet: the generator works out the due date from your interval and lays the labels out for common Avery sheets or a label printer.
Everything runs in your browser: nothing you type is sent or stored. The labels are plain black on white, so they print on any printer and on colored label stock.
How to use the generator
- Pick the label type. Calibrated for equipment in service; the other five cover the cases a status system needs (see label types).
- Enter the asset ID. Every label needs it, because it links the item to its record. Tick Several items to paste a list of IDs, one per line, and get one label per ID.
- Set the dates. The calibration date defaults to today. Enter the interval (for example 12 months) and the generator computes the due date, or type the due date yourself, or leave it off.
- Add who calibrated it and the certificate or record number if you want them on the label.
- Choose the stock. US Letter or A4 label sheets, or Label printer for a roll printer, with any width and height.
- Set copies and skip used positions. If half a sheet is already used, enter how many positions to skip: the preview shows which ones get printed.
- Print. Only the labels print. Set the scale to 100 % (“Actual size”) and the margins to None, and test on plain paper first.
If a field doesn’t fit on a small label at a legible size, the generator leaves out the least important one (the certificate number first, never the ID) and tells you which. If the ID alone is too long for the label, it warns you to shorten it or pick a larger size.
What to put on a calibration label
No standard gives a fixed list of fields for an equipment owner’s label. What the standards require is that the item is identified and its status can be seen. The fields below are the usual way to do that:
| Field | Why it’s there | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Asset ID | Links the item to its calibration record; without it the label proves nothing | ISO 9001 7.1.5.2 b) (PJR); ISO 13485 7.6 (MDSAP Task 13) |
| Status (the title) | Tells the user at a glance whether they may use it | ISO/IEC 17025 6.4.8 (PJLA; A2LA G149) |
| Due date | Shows how long the status is valid | ISO/IEC 17025 6.4.8: status or period of validity |
| Calibration date | Dates the status and helps an auditor trace the record | Common practice; required on labels with the ANAB symbol (AR 2251, §8.2.2) |
| Calibrated by | Person or lab, so questions go to the right place | Common practice; the old FDA rule asked for it in the record (below) |
| Certificate or record no. | Takes you straight to the evidence | Required on labels with the ANAB symbol (AR 2251, §8.2.2); usual content under the former ILAC P8 (§8.1) |
| Limitation or reason | For limited-use or out-of-service items | ISO/IEC 17025 6.4.9 (out of service) |
Two details catch people out:
- Who sets the due date. A lab accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 must not recommend a calibration interval on its certificate or label unless you agreed it with them, or a regulation requires it (clause 7.8.4.3, per NIST’s crosswalk, which also notes that law or regulation can override this). The interval is yours to set and justify; see how to set calibration intervals.
- Labels with an accreditation symbol. An accredited lab may only put the accreditation symbol on outputs covered by its accredited scope, labels included, and the symbol must not suggest that the accreditation body approved the item (Global ACI-MRA-006, §9.2, which replaced ILAC P8 in 2026). ANAB requires its labels to carry the lab’s name and accreditation number, the equipment ID, the calibration date and a cross-reference to the certificate (AR 2251, §8.2.2); the former ILAC P8 (§8.1) listed the same four items as usual content. This generator never adds accreditation symbols: those labels come from the accredited lab.
What the standards actually require
| Standard or rule | What it asks for | Label required? |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015, 7.1.5.2 b) | Where traceability is needed, measuring equipment must be identified so its status can be determined (ISO 9001 APG; PJR). The 2026 edition, published in September 2026, has no confirmed change of substance to clause 7.1.5; see our ISO 9001 7.1.5 guide | No. Any identification that links the item to its records can be acceptable (PJR, ISO9000-WP-9, p. 3) |
| ISO/IEC 17025:2017, 6.4.8 (labs) | Equipment needing calibration, or with a defined period of validity, is labelled, coded or otherwise identified so the user can readily see its status or validity (PJLA; A2LA G149) | Label, code or other identification. PJLA lists cases where a label may not be practical: it would affect the result, the environment would destroy it, or the item is too small |
| ISO/IEC 17025:2017, 6.4.9 | Suspect or defective equipment is taken out of service and isolated or clearly marked as out of service until it is shown to work (PJLA) | Isolate or mark |
| ISO 13485:2016, 7.6 (and FDA’s QMSR, since February 2, 2026) | Equipment is identified, adjusted, calibrated and maintained, and protected from damage, with storage and handling covered by procedures (MDSAP Tasks 13–14). The QMSR brings ISO 13485 into 21 CFR 820 by reference (§820.10) | Identification; the method is yours |
| Old 21 CFR 820.72(b)(2) (until February 1, 2026) | Equipment ID, calibration dates, who calibrated it and the next calibration date had to be documented and displayed on or near the equipment, or be readily available to its users and to those who calibrate it | Not strictly; but it is why many device makers still put these four items on the label |
| 21 CFR 211.68(a) (drugs) | Equipment is calibrated, inspected or checked under a written program, with written records | Not mentioned |
| IATF 16949 | A supplement used together with ISO 9001 (IATF SI 27), so 7.1.5.2 applies; it adds its own clause on calibration and verification records (7.1.5.2.1) | As ISO 9001 |
| ISO 10012:2026 | A note to its definition of metrological confirmation (3.22) says confirmation generally includes any required sealing and labelling, alongside calibration, adjustment and comparison with requirements | Part of confirmation, as a definition |
Calibration label types
| Type | Use it when | What goes on it | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calibrated | The item passed and is in service | ID, calibration date, due date, by, certificate no. | ISO 9001 7.1.5.2 b); ISO/IEC 17025 6.4.8 |
| Limited calibration | Only part of the range or functions was calibrated, or is in tolerance | The limit (for example “0–100 psi only”), plus the calibrated fields | Practice; the user must know what the item is fit for |
| Do not use (out of service) | Failed, damaged, overdue or suspect | ID, date, by, reason or nonconformance no. | ISO/IEC 17025 6.4.9 |
| Calibration not required (for reference only) | Used only as an indication, not to accept product | ID, date of the decision, who decided | ISO 9001 APG: the level of control depends on how the device is used |
| Verify before use | Checked against a reference each time it is used, instead of on a fixed interval | ID, the check to perform | ISO 9001 7.1.5.2 a) allows calibration or verification before use |
| Calibration seal (void if broken) | Over adjustment screws or access covers | ID, date, by | ISO 9001 7.1.5.2 c) (protect from adjustment); ISO/IEC 17025 6.4.12 (prevent unintended adjustments) |
The black-and-white styles differ by type (a solid black title bar for Do not use, a dashed border for Not required and the seal), so the status reads even on a mono printer. If you use colored label stock, keep the colors consistent across your site and write down what each one means: no standard defines them.
How the due date is calculated
The due date is the calibration date plus the interval:
- Months and years keep the same day of the month (Excel’s EDATE works the same way: January 15 + 1 month = February 15). When that day doesn’t exist in the due month, the date moves to the last day of that month: January 31 + 1 month = February 28 (February 29 in a leap year), and August 31 + 1 month = September 30. This is the convention documented for python-dateutil, and it never pushes a due date into the next month.
- Days and weeks are added on the calendar: October 9, 2026 + 30 days = November 8, 2026.
If your procedure uses a different rule, such as “due by the end of the month” or “one day before the anniversary”, choose Enter the date and type it in. Whatever rule you use, write it in your calibration procedure so that labels, records and the recall list agree.
For dates, the default is ISO 8601 (2026-10-09), which nobody can misread. 10/09/2026 means October 9 in the US and 10 September in most other countries; if your equipment travels, avoid it.
Printing tips
- Print at 100 %. Browsers often shrink pages to fit. In the print dialog choose “Actual size” or 100 % scale and margins None, or the labels drift off the die-cuts.
- Test on plain paper. Hold the test print against a label sheet up to the light before using the real sheet.
- Reuse partial sheets with Skip used positions: labels fill left to right, top to bottom, as in Avery’s templates.
- Label printers. Choose Label printer, enter the label size, and select the same size in the printer’s driver. Each label prints as its own page.
- Laser or inkjet stock must match your printer, and a clear overlay or a laminated label lasts longer near coolant, solvents or frequent handling.
- Still not lining up? Printers and sheet batches vary. Write to hello@acribi.com with the sheet code, your printer and browser, and how far and in which direction the labels are off (and whether the offset is the same on every label or grows across the sheet). We check every report and correct the layout.
Tips: placement, durability and records
- Put it where the user looks, not on the scale, the display or the measuring faces. On handheld gauges, the body or the case lid works.
- Don’t let the label change the measurement. PJLA lists this as a valid reason not to label an item (6.4.8). For weights, NIST’s accreditation program for mass laboratories rules out strings, tags or labels on the standard (NIST HB 150-2, D.2.7.2): label the case. For gauge pins and blocks, label the box or the storage position.
- Seal adjustment points. A seal over an adjustment screw protects the calibration from unintended changes (ISO 9001 7.1.5.2 c); ISO/IEC 17025 6.4.12).
- Store and handle equipment to keep it fit for use. MDSAP gives the example of calipers kept in a padded case (Task 14, p. 108).
- The label is not the record. It is a pointer. The evidence is the calibration record and the certificate, and the control is your recall system: an item with a valid-looking label that has dropped off the recall list is still out of control. When the record and the label disagree, the record wins; fix the label.
- Replace the label when the status changes, not only at recalibration: a failed check, a repair or a found out-of-tolerance result all need a new label the same day.
Setting up the whole system around the labels (master list, intervals, records, recall)? Start with our guide to setting up a calibration program.
FAQ
What should a calibration label include?
At least a unique ID that links the item to its calibration record and a clear status. Most labels also show the calibration date, the due date, who calibrated it and the certificate or record number. If an accredited lab puts its accreditation symbol on the label, it typically also carries the lab's name and accreditation number, the equipment ID, the calibration date and a reference to the certificate: ANAB requires these four for labels with its symbol (AR 2251, §8.2.2), and the former ILAC P8 (§8.1) listed the same items as usual content.
Does ISO 9001 require calibration stickers?
No. Clause 7.1.5.2 asks for measuring equipment to be identified so that its status can be determined. A certification body notes that people often read this as a sticker requirement, when any identification that links the item to its calibration records can be acceptable. A sticker is simply the easiest way to make the status visible to the person using the instrument.
Does ISO/IEC 17025 require a due date on the label?
Not as such. Clause 6.4.8 asks for equipment to be labelled, coded or otherwise identified so the user can readily see the calibration status or the period of validity, and a due date is the usual way to show validity. A calibration lab, though, must not recommend an interval on its certificate or label unless you agreed it with them (clause 7.8.4.3), so the due date is normally your decision, not the lab's.
What label goes on equipment that failed calibration?
A Do not use / Out of service label, with the date and, ideally, the reason or the nonconformance number. ISO/IEC 17025 asks labs to take such equipment out of service and isolate it or clearly mark it until it is shown to work, and to check the effect on earlier results (clause 6.4.9). Then follow your out-of-tolerance process.
What does a calibration not required label mean?
That the item is not used for measurements that need calibrated equipment, for example a gauge used only as a rough indication. The same instrument can be an indicator in one place and a measuring instrument in another, so the label records that decision. Keep the item on your master list with the reason.
What is a limited calibration label?
A label for equipment that is calibrated, or in tolerance, only for part of its range or functions. The label states the limit, for example a range, so nobody uses it outside the part that was checked. The term comes from common practice; no standard defines it.
How do I label gauge pins or calibration weights?
Label the box, case or storage position instead. A label on a weight changes its mass, and NIST's accreditation program for mass laboratories says strings, tags or labels attached to mass standards are inappropriate. For pins and gauge blocks, mark the container and keep the ID on the record.
Which label sheets does the generator support?
On US Letter: Avery 5167, 5195, 5160, 22805 and 5163 (from 1/2 × 1-3/4 in to 2 × 4 in). On A4: Avery L7651, L7160 and L7163. For a roll printer, enter any size and the generator prints one label per page.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. The labels are built and printed in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored.
Can I add a QR code?
Not yet. A QR code that opens the item's record is most useful when the record lives online, which is what calibration software adds. For now, the label carries the ID and the certificate or record number.
Sources
- Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation (PJLA). Webinar: Requirements in Section 6.4 Equipment (ISO/IEC 17025:2017, 6.4.7–6.4.13). 2023 — 6.4.8 labelling and its exceptions; 6.4.9 out-of-service equipment
- A2LA. G149, Guidance for Application of P102 In-House Calibrations. 2026 — Quotes 6.4.8; in-house calibrations evidenced by a report, certificate, sticker or other method (p. 6)
- Perry Johnson Registrars. ISO 9001:2015: Knowing What to Expect to Ensure a Stress Free Audit (ISO9000-WP-9). 2021 — 7.1.5.2: identification to determine status; stickers not required (p. 3)
- ISO/TC 176 and IAF. ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group, Guidance on Measurement Traceability. 2016 — 7.1.5.2 a) calibrated or verified, b) identified, c) safeguarded
- ISO/TC 176 and IAF. ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group, Guidance on Monitoring and measuring resources. 2016 — The level of control depends on how the device is used (p. 1)
- MDSAP (hosted by FDA). MDSAP AU P0002.009, Audit Approach (Tasks 13–14). 2024 — ISO 13485 7.6: equipment identified, calibrated, maintained and protected; storage and handling (pp. 107–108)
- eCFR. 21 CFR Part 820, Quality Management System Regulation (§820.10). 2026
- eCFR. 21 CFR 820.72, Inspection, measuring, and test equipment (version in force before February 2, 2026). 2025 — 820.72(b)(2), historical
- eCFR. 21 CFR Part 211 (§211.68). 2026
- IATF. IATF 16949 Sanctioned Interpretations (SI 27, Foreword). 2025 — IATF 16949 is a supplement to, and used with, ISO 9001:2015 (p. 25)
- ISO. ISO 10012:2026 preview on the Online Browsing Platform (term 3.22, metrological confirmation). 2026
- Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI). Global ACI-MRA-006, Use of the MRA Mark and Claims of Accreditation Status (replaces ILAC P8 and R7). 2025 — In force since January 1, 2026. §9.2: accreditation symbols only on outputs within the accredited scope, labels included, and never implying approval by the accreditation body
- ILAC. ILAC P8:11/2023, Use of Accreditation Symbols and Claims of Accreditation Status (superseded). 2023 — §8.1 calibration labels on equipment: the usual content of a label with the accreditation symbol. Replaced by Global ACI-MRA-006 from January 1, 2026
- ANAB. AR 2251, Accreditation Requirements: ISO/IEC 17025 Calibration Laboratories. 2026 — §8.2–8.2.2 labels bearing the ANAB symbol
- NIST Office of Weights and Measures. ISO/IEC 17025 Crosswalk – Reporting the Results (clause 7.8). 2018 — 7.8.4.3: no recommended interval on a certificate or label unless agreed
- NIST. NIST Handbook 150-2, NVLAP Calibration Laboratories. 2024 — Annex D.2.7.2: no strings, tags or labels on mass standards (p. 27)
- python-dateutil documentation. relativedelta (month arithmetic) — Month-end convention and worked examples used in the tests
- Microsoft Support. EDATE function
- Avery. Avery templates 5167, 5195, 5160, 22805, 5163 (US) and L7651, L7160, L7163 (UK) — Label size, labels per sheet and positions on the sheet