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. Whole numbers up to two digits fit the official slot without any adjustment.
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. Ask the producer which value applies in the guarantee statement.
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:
- whole numbers and half numbers are accepted, from 2,5 to 99;
- 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;
- the preview keeps showing the placeholder until the value is valid.
Half-year values are wider than whole numbers because of the comma and the extra digit. The official template has a fixed slot for the number.
When a half-year value would not fit at 80 pt, the generator reduces the numeral slightly so that it fits the slot. Every other element of the label stays unchanged, and the generator tells you when this has happened.
This is the only automatic adjustment the tool makes. Brand names and model identifiers are never shrunk; if they do not fit at 9 pt, they are flagged instead.
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. A guarantee without a defined number of years cannot be expressed on the label. Ask the producer for the duration stated in the guarantee statement.
Can the number have three digits?
No. The generator accepts values from 2,5 to 99. Durations above that are not expected on a producer guarantee of durability.