The number of years is the largest element on the GARAN label and the one most likely to be entered wrongly. The rules are short: years only, whole or half, always more than two. This guide explains each rule and what the generator does with your input.
Key point: Enter whole years (3, 5, 10) or half years with a decimal comma (2,5; 4,5). Months, other decimals and anything up to two years are not allowed. The shortest possible value is 2,5.
Whole years
The standard case is a whole number of years: 3, 5, 10, 12. Type the number without a unit. The label already carries the calendar symbol and the strip with “producer guarantee in years” in all 24 EU languages, so the unit is fixed and never written next to the number.
The number is set at 80 pt on the 95 × 100 mm label. The generator retains that prescribed font size.
Half years with a decimal comma
The Commission’s guidelines allow half years, written with a decimal comma: 2,5 or 4,5. The comma is part of the harmonised design and is the same in every language version. Do not add a second decimal place.
Half years are the only fraction allowed. A guarantee of 3 years and 3 months cannot be shown as 3,25; a guarantee of 4 years and 1 month cannot be shown as 4,1. The guidelines explicitly exclude such values.
Why months are not allowed
The label expresses the duration in years only. Both fixed elements that explain the number, the calendar symbol and the translation strip, refer to years. A number of months would contradict them and would not be understood across languages.
If a producer expresses a guarantee in months, convert it: 36 months is 3, 30 months is 2,5. A guarantee that does not convert to a whole or half year, such as 40 months, cannot be represented on the label as such. Do not round it yourself. Ask the producer or competent authority how to represent the actual guarantee without changing its terms.
Why exactly two years is not allowed
The label is reserved for guarantees longer than two years. That threshold comes from Directive 2011/83/EU as amended by Directive (EU) 2024/825. A two-year producer guarantee is a valid commercial guarantee, but it does not qualify for the label because it does not exceed the minimum legal guarantee period.
Therefore the smallest value the label can carry is 2,5. The generator rejects 2, 1,5 and anything smaller. You can still offer and describe a two-year guarantee in the guarantee statement, without the label.
What the generator does with your input
The generator validates the duration as you type:
- the input range is 2,5 to 99 in whole or half years;
- you may type 2.5 or 2,5; the label always shows the decimal comma;
- values of 2 or less, months and other decimals are rejected with a message;
- blank fields use sample values, which can also be downloaded;
- invalid input leaves the last valid preview in place; downloads contain exactly the displayed preview, even while an error is shown. Check the preview before using the label for a product.
The generator keeps the template font size and makes small spacing adjustments around the comma in half-year values. It never shrinks the number. Very wide numbers may extend into the calendar area. Producer and model text keep their prescribed 9 pt size.
Batch files
In batch mode the years column follows the same rules. Enter 5 or 2,5 per row. Rows with 2, with months or with an invalid decimal are marked invalid in the validation summary and skipped. See generate GARAN labels from CSV or XLSX.
FAQ
Can I write 2.5 with a decimal point?
You can type it that way. The generator converts it and the label shows 2,5, because the harmonised design uses a decimal comma.
What if the producer offers a lifetime guarantee?
The label needs a number of years. The sources reviewed do not settle how every lifetime guarantee should be represented. Ask the producer for the actual terms and seek clarification; do not invent a number of years.
Can the number have three digits?
This generator caps input at 99 years. That is a tool limitation, not an EU legal maximum established by the sources. Seek a compliant way to represent a longer guarantee rather than reducing its duration.