- A legend plate is the small tag behind a pushbutton, pilot light or selector switch. It says what the device does: START, STOP, HAND OFF AUTO, FAULT.
- It has no screws and no glue. The operator's own locking ring clamps it to the panel door, so it cannot fall off while the device is installed.
- Plates come in two families to match the operator: 22 mm (most new panels) and 30 mm (heavy-duty and older North American panels).
- An emergency stop gets its own plate: a red mushroom head on a yellow background, usually a round plate engraved EMERGENCY STOP.
Open any control panel, motor starter station or machine operator station and you will find a row of buttons and lights with a small engraved tag under each one. Those tags are legend plates. They are the only thing that tells the next person which button starts the pump and which one stops it, so they get read every working day. This post covers where they go, when an engraved one is the right call, and what to put on them.
01What a legend plate is
A legend plate is a small engraved tag with a hole in it. The hole fits over the threaded body of a pushbutton, pilot light, selector switch or potentiometer. When the device is tightened down, its locking ring clamps the plate between the operator head and the panel door. That is the whole mounting system, which is why legend plates never need screws or adhesive.
Because the plate is held by the device itself, it stays put through door slams, vibration and washdowns, and it comes off only when someone takes the device out. Changing the wording later means backing off one ring and swapping one plate.
02Where legend plates go
Anywhere a person presses, turns or reads a panel-mounted device. These are the places we cut them for most often:
MCCs and starter buckets
Start/stop buttons and run/trip lights on each bucket door. Name the load, not the bucket number, so the plate still makes sense from the floor.
Machines and conveyors
Operator stations at the machine: e-stop, jog, cycle start, guard reset. These are the plates people read under pressure.
Pump and lift stations
Selector switches, lead/lag selection and high-level alarms. Damp rooms where printed tags lift first.
Generators and transfer switches
Status lights that tell anyone in the room which source is feeding the building, before they touch anything.
Boilers, AHUs and BMS panels
Reset buttons, enable switches and alarm lights on mechanical equipment, often next to heat that cooks adhesive labels.
EV chargers, solar and battery panels
Enable switches, fault lights and reset buttons on newer gear, which often arrives with blank plates or none at all.
03When an engraved legend plate is the right call
Most operators ship with a blank plate or a generic printed one. An engraved plate is worth ordering in these situations:
- The panel is new and the function is specific. "START" on a generic plate tells nobody which motor. "PUMP 1 START" does.
- Hands touch it every shift. The text is cut into the plate, so fingers, gloves and cleaning rags do not wear it away.
- There is oil, water, heat or sun. Washdown areas, pump rooms, boiler rooms and outdoor stations are where printed labels lift and fade first.
- The function has changed. A retrofit, a re-purposed button or a new sequence. Swap one plate instead of putting a sticker over the old wording.
- An inspector, an insurer or a customer will walk the site. Matching engraved plates across a panel read as a finished, maintained installation.
- Someone will have to act fast. E-stops, resets and alarm lights get read in a hurry. Clear engraved text helps the right button get pressed.
04Colours: what each one tells the operator
Pilot light colours follow a convention set out in IEC 60204-1, the international standard for the electrical equipment of machines. Matching the plate or its wording to the light keeps the panel easy to read at a glance.
Plate colours themselves are simpler. Black with white letters is the everyday choice for buttons, lights and selectors. White with black letters suits light-coloured enclosures. Blue with white letters is a common way to flag reset buttons. The emergency stop is the one place where colour is not a style choice: the actuator is red and the area directly behind it is yellow, which is why e-stop legend plates are yellow, usually round, and engraved EMERGENCY STOP in black. For the full set of combinations see the lamacoid colour guide.
05Everyday wording that works
Short, specific and the same across the whole site. One verb for a button, one condition for a light, one word per position for a selector.
| Device | Typical wording | Usual plate |
|---|---|---|
| Start button | START · PUMP 1 START · CYCLE START | Black / white |
| Stop button | STOP · PUMP 1 STOP | Black / white |
| Reset button | RESET · FAULT RESET · GUARD RESET | Blue / white or black / white |
| Run light | RUNNING · MOTOR ON | Black / white |
| Fault light | FAULT · OVERLOAD TRIPPED · VFD FAULT | Black / white |
| 2-position selector | OFF ON · LOCAL REMOTE | Black / white |
| 3-position selector | HAND OFF AUTO · 1 AUTO 2 | Black / white |
| Speed pot | SPEED · SLOW FAST | Black / white |
| Emergency stop | EMERGENCY STOP | Yellow / black, round |
Selector plates read best when each word sits over its switch position. On a three-position switch that usually means one word to the upper left, one in the centre and one to the upper right, matching the throw of the handle. Tell us the switch and we will lay the words out to suit.
06Legend plate facts worth knowing
- Two sizes cover almost everything. 22 mm operators are the most common on new panels and imported equipment. 30 mm operators are the heavy-duty North American style, common in older plants and heavy industry. The plate hole must match the operator.
- Thin is right. Legend plates are usually 1/16" laminate, thin enough that the locking ring still gets full thread engagement through the door.
- The plate must be wider than the bezel. The operator head covers the middle of the plate, so all the text sits in the band above the hole.
- Two lines is plenty. On a 22 mm plate, two lines of 1/8" letters is about the limit before the text gets hard to read. Our letter height guide covers reading distance.
- Engraved text cannot wear off. The letters are cut through a coloured surface layer into a contrasting core, so the wording is part of the plate, not printed on top of it.
- Bilingual is normal. French or English and French plates, accents included, are a common ask for Quebec and federal sites.
07What to send when you order
| Detail | Example |
|---|---|
| Wording, one row per plate | PUMP 1 START / PUMP 1 STOP / HAND OFF AUTO |
| Operator size | 22 mm or 30 mm, or the part number of the button |
| Plate size | Match an existing plate, or let us size it to the bezel |
| Colours, surface first | Black/white, blue/white for resets, yellow/black for e-stops |
| Quantity | One of each, or a set per panel |
A spreadsheet with one row per plate is the fastest thing to quote. The Lamacoid Builder will read it in whatever layout it is in, or just email the list to sales@llamacoids.ca. We cut in Burlington, Ontario, the same day, and ship Canada-wide.
08Common questions
What is a legend plate?
A small engraved tag that mounts behind a pushbutton, pilot light or selector switch and says what the device does. The operator's locking ring clamps it to the panel, so it needs no screws or adhesive.
What size legend plate do I need?
Match the operator. 22 mm pushbuttons and lights take a plate with a 22 mm hole; 30 mm heavy-duty operators take a 30 mm hole. The plate should be wider than the operator bezel so the text above the hole stays visible.
What colour is an emergency stop legend plate?
Yellow. The emergency stop actuator is red and the background directly behind it is yellow, so e-stop legend plates are yellow, usually round, engraved EMERGENCY STOP in black.
Can you make custom legend plates?
Yes. Any wording, any of the standard lamacoid colours, sized for 22 mm or 30 mm operators, cut the same day in Burlington and shipped across Canada.
What is the difference between a legend plate and a nameplate?
A legend plate labels one device and is held on by that device. A nameplate identifies the whole panel or piece of equipment and is screwed or stuck on by itself. Most control panels need both.
Can legend plates be in French?
Yes. French and bilingual wording is engraved with accents, for example MARCHE / ARRÊT, or bilingual START / DÉMARRAGE.