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Gather material evidence
Understand the EN71-3 evidence needed for filament and other accessible materials or components.
Make sure you have evidence for the materials and components you use
Testing the finished toy under EN71-1 does not provide evidence that its materials are chemically suitable.
EN71-3 deals with the migration of certain regulated elements from accessible toy materials. For a 3D-printing business, this means gathering suitable evidence for the filament and any other relevant materials or components used in the finished product.
Your material evidence should match what you actually use and remain traceable to the toy, spool and production batch.
What does EN71-3 cover?
EN71-3 assesses the migration of regulated elements from toy materials under specified test conditions.
The standard covers elements including:
- Aluminium
- Antimony
- Arsenic
- Barium
- Boron
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Lead
- Manganese
- Mercury
- Nickel
- Selenium
- Strontium
- Tin
- Zinc
The applicable limits depend on the type of toy material being assessed.
One part of the picture
EN71-3 evidence supports the chemical safety assessment of the material. It does not prove that the finished toy is mechanically safe, correctly age graded or fully compliant by itself.
Which materials need evidence?
Consider every accessible material used in the finished toy.
For a 3D-printed product, this may include:
- Filament
- Resin
- Paint
- Surface coatings
- Varnish
- Adhesives
- Flexible materials
- Fabric
- Faux fur
- Printed labels applied to the toy
- Metal parts
- Keyboard switches
- Keyring chains and rings
- Bells
- Safety eyes
- Magnets
- Screws and fixings
- Other accessible components or finishes
A component being small, commercially available or commonly used does not automatically make it suitable for use in a toy.
What does accessible mean?
A material is accessible if a child can come into contact with it during normal or reasonably foreseeable use.
You should consider the toy:
- In its finished condition
- During normal play
- After applicable mechanical testing
- After a part becomes detached
- After a joint, shell or covering is damaged
- Following foreseeable wear
A material hidden inside the original toy may become accessible if the toy breaks during testing.
If a material is genuinely inaccessible, record how you reached that conclusion. Do not simply leave it out of the assessment without explanation.
Filament evidence must match the filament used
For filament, the evidence should identify the relevant:
- Manufacturer or brand
- Filament range
- Material type
- Tested colours
- Base formulation
- Certificate or test report
- Supplier where relevant
For example, evidence for one manufacturer's standard PLA does not automatically cover:
- Another manufacturer
- PLA+
- Matte PLA
- Silk PLA
- High-speed PLA
- PETG
- ABS
- TPU
- A different formulation or product range
Similar product names, packaging or advertised properties do not prove that the materials have the same formulation.
Brand, range and material matter
A filament manufacturer may sell several ranges under the same brand.
Each range may use different:
- Base materials
- Pigments
- Fillers
- Additives
- Processing aids
- Surface effects
- Manufacturing formulations
Your evidence must therefore relate to the exact brand and range used, not just the company name.
If a manufacturer changes the formulation or replaces a product range, review the evidence before continuing to rely on it.
Does every colour need separate testing?
Not necessarily. Different colours may contain different pigments, so the complete colour range must be considered when arranging EN71-3 testing.
One practical approach is representative colour testing. Suitable colours are selected to provide evidence across a wider filament range rather than every colour being tested separately.
Representative CMYK testing
Where the filament range allows it, 3D CertHub uses representative CMYK colour testing:
- Cyan
- Magenta
- Yellow
- Black
These colours represent the main colour groups used to produce many other colours within a filament range. Testing them can provide relevant supporting evidence for additional colours made using the same base material and formulation.
Representative testing must still be reasonable and supported by the range being assessed. CMYK testing does not automatically mean that every product made by the brand is covered.
The evidence must relate to:
- The same manufacturer or brand
- The same named filament range
- The same material and base formulation
- Colours covered by the representative testing rationale
- Relevant supporting information from the manufacturer or supplier
Some colours and finishes may require separate consideration because they can contain different pigments, fillers or additives. Examples may include:
- White
- Metallic colours
- Fluorescent or neon colours
- Glow-in-the-dark filament
- Glitter or sparkle finishes
- Marble or stone effects
- Wood-filled filament
- Colour-changing filament
Don't assume coverage
One randomly selected colour does not cover the entire range. CMYK testing for one filament range does not cover another range. A certificate for standard PLA does not cover PLA+, matte PLA, silk PLA or another formulation. Testing one manufacturer's filament does not cover a different manufacturer. Not every special-effect colour is represented by standard CMYK colours.
The certificate should clearly identify the filament range, colours tested and outcome. A manufacturer should then record the rationale for applying this to additional colours.
What about glue and adhesives?
Adhesives used to assemble a toy must be included in the material assessment where they remain accessible or may become accessible during foreseeable use or after testing.
Consider:
- Glue visible around a joint
- Adhesive exposed when a part moves
- Glue revealed after torque or tension testing
- Adhesive released when a joint breaks
- Residue left on an accessible surface
- Coatings applied over a glued area
A Safety Data Sheet can provide useful information about handling and hazards, but it is not automatically the same as EN71-3 evidence.
Record the exact adhesive product used, its manufacturer and its purpose within the toy.
What about bought-in components?
Bought-in components need to be considered as part of the finished toy.
Examples include:
- Keyboard switches used in clickers
- Keyring chains and split rings
- Ball chains
- Bells
- Safety eyes
- Magnets
- Metal fixings
- Electronic parts
"Safe" is not evidence
A general statement from a supplier such as "non-toxic," "safe" or "suitable for crafts" is not necessarily sufficient evidence for toy compliance. Suitable evidence should identify the component or its accessible materials and relate to the applicable EN71-3 requirements.
Remember that chemical evidence is only one part of the assessment. The component must also be mechanically assessed after it has been fitted to the finished toy.
Supplier certificates and laboratory reports
Before relying on a document, check:
- The name of the laboratory
- The test standard and version
- The date of testing
- The product or material tested
- The manufacturer or brand
- The tested range and colours
- The sample description
- The reported results
- Any exclusions or limitations
- The connection between the tested sample and the material you purchased
A report for an unidentified sample or a different product may provide little useful evidence for your Technical File.
Do not rely only on a marketplace listing, screenshot or seller's claim if it does not connect the tested sample to the material you use.
What a CertHub certificate provides
3D CertHub arranges independent laboratory testing for selected filament ranges and components.
The resulting certificate provides material evidence for the product, range and tested colours or components identified on that certificate.
Before purchasing, you can see:
- The brand and filament range
- The material type
- The colours or representative samples tested
- The basis of the available coverage
- The component covered, where applicable
The certificate supports the EN71-3 section of your Technical File. It does not replace:
- Your product risk assessment
- EN71-1 testing of the finished toy
- The EN71-2 assessment
- Traceability records
- Correct labelling
- The Declaration of Conformity
- Your responsibility as the toy manufacturer
Keep evidence connected to your materials
Holding a certificate is not enough if you cannot show which material was used to manufacture the toy.
For each spool or material, record:
- Brand
- Range
- Material type
- Colour
- Supplier
- Purchase date
- Batch or lot number where available
- Spool or internal reference
- Relevant EN71-3 certificate
- Products and batches made using it
Photographs of the spool, packaging and batch information can strengthen your traceability records.
The CertHub app's Material Register lets you connect filament, spools, certificates and product Technical Files.
Material changes need reviewing
Review your evidence if you change:
- Filament brand
- Filament range
- Material type
- Colour outside the available coverage
- Supplier where product identity is uncertain
- Adhesive
- Paint or coating
- Component
- Component supplier
- Product construction
- Accessible materials
A colour variant within the same supported range may be covered by existing representative evidence. Changing the range, material or formulation may require different evidence.
Record the change, your assessment and any new certificate in the Technical File.
Keep certificates under review
Material evidence should remain relevant to the product being manufactured.
Monitor:
- The certificate or report date
- Updates to the applicable standard
- Changes to the filament range
- Manufacturer rebranding
- Reformulation
- New or discontinued colours
- Changes in the supplier or product listing
- Information received from the manufacturer
- Safety concerns or enforcement notices
A certificate does not automatically become useless because it is older, but you should be able to show that it still relates to the material currently being used.
If the product or formulation changes, review the evidence before producing more toys.
How the CertHub app helps
The CertHub app keeps your material evidence connected to the rest of the compliance process.
It helps you:
- Create a filament and material register
- Record the exact brand, range, material and colour
- Upload EN71-3 certificates
- Link certificates to the relevant materials
- Record individual spools and batch information
- Add photographs and supplier details
- Connect materials to Technical Files
- Track the evidence used for each toy
- Maintain batch and production traceability
- Review changes and replacement materials
Your certificates, product testing and traceability records remain linked rather than being stored as unrelated documents.
Before completing the material evidence section
Confirm that:
- Every accessible material has been identified.
- The exact filament brand, range and material are recorded.
- The colours used fall within the available evidence.
- Special-effect colours have been considered separately.
- Adhesives, paints and coatings have been assessed.
- Bought-in components have been included.
- The evidence clearly identifies the tested material or component.
- Certificates are linked to the correct materials.
- Spool and batch information is recorded where available.
- Inaccessible materials have been identified with reasons.
- Changes in materials or suppliers have been reviewed.
- Missing evidence has been resolved before the toy is placed on the market.
Find the evidence you need
Browse 3D CertHub's EN71-3 certificates for independently tested filament ranges and components.
Next step: build your Technical File
Once the product has been tested and its material evidence gathered, bring everything together in the Technical File.
This information is intended to help 3D-printing businesses understand material evidence for ordinary toys in Great Britain. The exact evidence required depends on the materials, components, accessibility and intended use of the product. It does not replace the Toys (Safety) Regulations, the applicable standards or product-specific professional advice.
Official sources:
Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011: Great Britain
UK designated standards