Download, print and save: the format rule for digital instructions
Under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, digital instructions must be in a format the user can print, download and save on an electronic device. The goal is access at all times, in particular during a breakdown of the machine. The rule also applies when the instructions are embedded in the machine's own software.
What the regulation says
(b) present them in a format that makes it possible for the user to print and download the instructions for use and save them on an electronic device so that he or she can access them at all times, in particular during a breakdown of the machinery or related product; this requirement also applies where the instructions for use are embedded in the software of the machinery or related product;
Three actions, one purpose
The rule names three things the user must be able to do: print, download and save on a device. All three serve one purpose. The user keeps a copy that does not depend on your server, your login or the machine being switched on.
A web page that can only be read online does not meet this on its own. The user needs a file or a saved copy they can take with them.
Is a PDF enough?
A PDF is the most common answer, because it prints, downloads and saves on any phone or laptop. What matters is that the PDF is easy to reach from the page the marking opens, that it is complete, and that it prints legibly on a normal office printer.
Very large files are a practical problem. A technician on a mobile connection next to a stopped machine may not get a 200 MB file. A good practice is to keep the file reasonably sized and to let users save it before they need it.
During a breakdown
The regulation singles out the breakdown case. That is when the machine's screen may be dark, the network may be down, and the operator is under time pressure.
- Do not rely only on the machine's HMI to show the instructions.
- Make sure the page opens on a phone without an app or an account.
- Let users save a copy that opens offline.
- Keep the troubleshooting and safety chapters easy to find in the file.
Instructions embedded in machine software
Many machines show their manual on the control panel. The regulation says the same requirement applies there. If the instructions live only inside the software, users must still be able to print, download and save them, and reach them when the machine is not working.
Most manufacturers solve this by publishing the same version online as well, reachable from the marking on the machine.
Common mistakes
- Read-only web viewer. If the instructions can only be read in a browser, the user cannot keep a copy. Offer a download.
- Manual only on the HMI. When the machine fails, the screen may fail with it. The rule asks for access during a breakdown.
- Download behind a login. An account wall stops the operator at the worst moment. The user needs the file, not a customer portal.
- File that does not print well. Screen-only layouts, tiny fonts or broken page breaks make printing useless. Test a real print.
How Nova handles download, print and save
The QR opens a public page for that machine with the official instructions. The user can open, download and print them, and save them on the phone.
- Open, download and print from a public page, without login or app
- The instructions can be saved on the phone for offline use
- The page shows the fixed version that was valid when the machine was delivered
- The operator can ask a question and gets an answer only from that machine's instructions, with the page number
Questions and answers
Is a PDF download enough under the Machinery Regulation?
Does the rule apply to instructions embedded in machine software?
Do instructions have to work offline?
Can we require users to register before downloading?
Who must be able to download the instructions?
All six conditions for digital instructions
Each condition on its own page: the rule, what it means in practice and the common mistakes.
- 1 QR code and access Mark on the machine how to reach the instructions, for the right model.
- 2 Download, print, save Users must be able to print, download and save the instructions, even in a breakdown.
- 3 10 years online Keep the instructions online for the machine's lifetime and at least 10 years.
- 4 Paper copy on request A buyer who asks at purchase gets a paper copy free of charge within one month.
- 5 Language Instructions in the language the member state sets, clear and easy to understand.
- 6 Consumer machinery Machines non-professionals can use need essential safety information on paper.
Tools for choosing and checking
- Checklist20 checks across the six conditions. Tick them off or print the list.
- Platform comparisonThree kinds of platforms, 12 criteria and the questions to ask every vendor.
See it with your own machine.
Send us one manual. We set up that machine's QR page and show it to you the same day.
For information only, not legal advice. Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027.