ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2025: How to Mark and Message Your Products Correctly
The ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2025 Standard introduces important changes to how portable lighting manufacturers test and report product performance. But understanding the technical updates is only part of the equation.
Manufacturers also need to communicate those results correctly.
From packaging and product literature to websites and marketing materials, standardized performance markings help manufacturers present product information consistently and give retailers and consumers a clearer basis for comparing products.
The revised standard includes updated icons, tables and reporting requirements, particularly for products featuring short-duration elevated brightness modes such as Turbo and Boost.
Here’s what manufacturers and marketing teams need to know.
1. Understand the Updated Markings
One of the most visible changes in ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2025 is the updated appearance of the performance markings.
The revised format includes:
- An updated top banner identifying ANSI/PLATO FL 1.
- A bottom border for more consistent presentation of performance claims.
- A “MAX” designation is added to the lumen icon to indicate the highest output for the mode being claimed.
- Updated tables and layouts for presenting multiple operating modes and performance characteristics.
These changes are intended to improve consistency across product packaging and make performance information easier to understand.
For manufacturers, the key is to use the revised icons and tables rather than simply modifying older artwork.
2. Report Turbo and Boost Modes Correctly
Short-Duration Elevated Brightness (SDEB) is one of the most significant additions to the revised standard.
These modes are commonly marketed as Turbo, Boost or similar names. They allow a product to deliver elevated output for a relatively short period.
Previous editions of ANSI/PLATO FL 1 did not provide a method for reporting performance results for modes lasting less than 30 seconds. The revised standard establishes a dedicated testing and reporting method.
Key requirements include:
- Manufacturers may use names such as Turbo or Boost but should not use “HIGH” to identify an SDEB mode because it could be confused with a standard operating mode.
- Lumen output, beam distance and peak beam intensity are measured between one and 10 seconds.
- Runtime begins when the mode starts and ends when output drops to 90% of the highest measurement recorded during the first 10 seconds.
- SDEB results must appear with results for other standard operating modes in an ANSI/PLATO FL 1 table. They cannot be presented alone in the ANSI format.
- Runtime must always be included when reporting an SDEB mode.
The revised markings distinguish these modes visually through a gray background and a stopwatch icon indicating runtime in seconds.
Why this matters: A product may deliver an impressive burst of brightness, but that output may last only a short time. The updated reporting format helps communicate both the elevated output and its duration.
It also provides a consistent way to distinguish short-duration performance from standard operating modes.
3. Don’t Overlook Runtime
One of the most important messaging changes is the requirement to report runtime whenever an SDEB mode is included.
A lumen figure alone does not tell the complete story.
For example, a product may deliver its highest output for only a matter of seconds before stepping down to a lower level.
The revised standard makes that distinction clearer by pairing the short-duration output claim with a runtime measurement and a dedicated stopwatch icon.
Manufacturers should ensure that product packaging and marketing materials present these values together when using the ANSI/PLATO FL 1 SDEB markings.
The objective is straightforward: communicate not only how bright a product can get, but also how long it maintains that elevated level.
4. Use PLATO’s Official Icons and Usage Resources
Manufacturers do not need to create the revised markings from scratch.
PLATO provides an Icons and Usage file containing digital assets and guidance for applying ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2025 markings correctly.
The resources include:
- Updated individual performance icons.
- Examples of vertical and combined table layouts.
- Guidance for formatting and spacing.
- Examples of multiple operating modes.
- Instructions for presenting SDEB and ingress protection information.
The usage guidance also addresses icon sizing, consistent presentation, contrasting colors and placement of performance values.
These resources are intended to help manufacturers and their design teams apply the updated markings consistently.
Manufacturers should consult the official standard and usage materials when preparing packaging, product literature and other performance claims.
5. Avoid Common Marking and Messaging Mistakes
As manufacturers transition to the revised standard, several requirements deserve particular attention.
Don’t present Turbo performance as a standard HIGH mode. Short-duration elevated brightness has its own testing and reporting method.
Don’t report SDEB results without runtime. Runtime is a required part of the short-duration performance claim.
Don’t display an SDEB mode by itself in the ANSI format. The revised standard requires it to be presented in a table alongside standard operating modes.
Don’t overlook the updated artwork. The revised banner, MAX lumen designation, shaded SDEB presentation and updated table formats are part of the new marking approach.
Don’t assume standard operating modes have changed. The SDEB method was added separately. Established testing and reporting procedures for other modes remain in place.
Using the official Icons and Usage file can help manufacturers avoid formatting errors and maintain consistency across their product lines.
6. What Manufacturers Should Know About Implementation
ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2025 is now available, and manufacturers are encouraged to begin using the revised standard.
However, ANSI/PLATO FL 1 is a voluntary performance standard. There is no mandatory industry-wide deadline requiring manufacturers to transition to the new markings.
PLATO anticipates that updated tables and markings will appear in the marketplace over approximately two years, based on previous transitions. Adoption could occur more quickly because the revision addresses performance claims that could not previously be reported under the standard.
As new products are introduced and existing packaging and marketing materials are updated, manufacturers have an opportunity to incorporate the revised markings.
Over time, the updated tables should also make the distinction between short-duration and standard operating modes more visible to consumers comparing products.
The Bottom Line: Accurate Testing Deserves Accurate Messaging
ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2025 is about more than new icons and revised tables.
It gives the portable lighting industry a more consistent way to communicate performance, particularly as products introduce increasingly sophisticated output modes and features.
For manufacturers, correct implementation means understanding the reporting requirements, using the official marking resources and ensuring that performance claims accurately reflect the way products operate.
For retailers and consumers, the result is clearer information and a more consistent basis for comparison.
Ready to update your product markings?
Review the ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2025 Standard and download PLATO’s Icons and Usage resources to help your team apply the revised markings correctly.
PLATO encourages manufacturers, testing laboratories and other industry stakeholders to participate in the ongoing development and implementation of portable lighting performance standards.