Mandatory Notices on Your Printed Materials: The 2M Numérique Guide

A flyer handed out without the "Do not litter" notice, a poster printed on the plain white paper reserved for official government use, a business card with no SIRET number... These oversights might seem minor, but they can lead to a distributor refusing your job, a formal warning, or even a reprint at your own expense. Every type of printed material follows its own rules. At 2M Numérique, we check these notices at every proof approval stage — here's our clear, material-by-material memo so your documents go to print with total peace of mind.

This guide is for information only: regulations evolve and some obligations depend on your line of business. For a specific project, talk to us and we'll point you in the right direction.

Flyers, Leaflets and Handouts: the "Do Not Litter" Notice and Printer Details

As soon as a promotional print piece is handed out in the street, delivered to letterboxes or left on windscreens, two notices become mandatory. The best known first: "Do not litter" (Ne pas jeter sur la voie publique). It stems from Article L.541-10-1 of the French Environmental Code, which holds the issuer responsible for what happens to their printed material afterwards. The second: identification of the printer or advertiser. Under the French law of 29 July 1881, any document intended for public distribution must carry its printer's name and address — a discreet line in small print at the foot of the document, but a mandatory one nonetheless.

For any business communication, you must also add your SIRET number or your trade register registration. On our flyers and leaflets, our studio fits these lines in neatly, without disrupting the layout. And if you're unsure which paper to choose, our guide on choosing the right paper for your flyers will help you decide.

The Triman Logo and Info-tri: Sorting Instructions Are Now Mandatory

Under the French AGEC law, almost all printed paper items must display the Triman symbol alongside the Info-tri sorting instructions: the little figure surrounded by arrows, with recycling guidance. The idea is simple — to tell the reader where to dispose of the document once they've read it. This signage is overseen by the eco-organisation Citeo, to which issuers pay a contribution.

Good news for very small formats: items under 10 cm² are exempt, and those between 10 and 20 cm² can carry the Triman logo alone, with the detailed sorting instructions provided online instead. On a label or a card, this flexibility avoids overloading an already tight format. We like to point out that this framework is a step in the right direction — it's also the spirit behind our approach to eco-friendly, short-circuit printing.

Business Cards and Stationery: Your Company's Legal Notices

So-called "jobbing print" items — business cards, letterhead, envelopes — are exempt from the printer identification requirement. However, as soon as a document commits your company, certain information is expected: company name, legal form and share capital, registered office address, SIREN/SIRET number, the registry town (RCS) and, if you charge VAT, your intra-community VAT number.

Depending on your trade, further notices may apply: ten-year building insurance (assurance décennale) in construction, a registration number for regulated professions, membership of an approved management body, and so on. Our commercial print service takes this into account at the design stage. And to avoid layout slip-ups, our article on business card mistakes to avoid rounds out the topic nicely.

Invoices and Quotes: What the Law Requires in Black and White

The invoice is the most tightly regulated document. It must notably include: the date and a unique number, the full identity of both seller and customer, a detailed description of the products or services, the VAT rates and amounts, and, between businesses, a mention of late-payment penalties and the flat-rate €40 collection fee. The quote, meanwhile, must clearly state its period of validity and, when it also serves as the contract, the wording "devis reçu avant exécution des travaux" (quote received before work begins).

These documents lend themselves perfectly to a carbonless duplicate book or stationery matching your branding: we print them ready to fill in, consistent with the rest of your visual identity.

Posters and Display: Watch Out for Plain White Paper

For your posters, two rules deserve attention. First, display is only authorised in designated locations: free-standing display panels, rented street furniture, shop windows — never on public fixtures or a façade without permission, with the local municipal order (arrêté municipal) setting the local rules. Second, a little-known detail inherited from the 1881 law: plain white paper is reserved for official government posters. An entirely white commercial poster could cause confusion — hence the use of a coloured or tinted background on private posters, which most well-designed artwork uses anyway.

Election Materials: The Strictness of the Electoral Code

Leaflets, campaign statements, election posters: the electoral field is especially tightly regulated. The printer's mention ("Imprimé par..." – "Printed by...") is mandatory here and systematically checked. The Electoral Code also bans the combination of the three colours blue-white-red (except when reproducing a party emblem), restricts which materials are authorised during an election period, and sets the formats for reimbursed campaign statements. We regularly print these documents within the tight deadlines of a campaign: complying with these rules is an integral part of the job.

Adhesives, Window Graphics and Vehicle Wraps: Safety First

Dressing a vehicle or a shop window follows a logic of visibility and safety. On a vehicle, vehicle wrapping and adhesive graphics are unrestricted on the bodywork, but the windscreen and front side windows must remain transparent: road traffic regulations ban any film that would reduce the driver's visibility. For shop window graphics, micro-perforated film is chosen when you need to see through it, or opaque film to screen off a space. In every case, our studio positions the cuts to the millimetre.

When in Doubt, We Check for You

Here's what to remember: a promotional print piece carries "Do not litter" and the printer's details; every printed paper item displays the Triman logo; a business document states your legal notices; election and vehicle cases have their own specific constraints. Everything else — books subject to legal deposit and ISBN requirements, ticketing declared to the tax authorities — falls under more specific cases that we handle on a case-by-case basis.

A print shop based in Manciet (32), in the heart of Armagnac, 2M Numérique manufactures the vast majority on site (94%, 2024-2025 figures) and 100% in France under the Made in Occitania label. On every order, our in-house graphic design studio reviews your file and flags any missing notice before printing, not after. Not sure what your material needs to carry? Tell us about your project and request your free quote, with a reply within 72 hours: we make sure everything is in order before we start the presses.