marquages

Marquages, literally “markings” in French, are marks applied to a surface to convey information, designate areas, or identify objects. The concept spans many domains, including transportation, manufacturing, logistics, retail, and signage. In general, marquages combine shape, color, text, and symbols to communicate quickly and unambiguously, often under varying lighting or weather conditions.

Road traffic marquages are among the most familiar. They include lane dividers, crosswalks, stop lines, arrows, and textual words such as “arrêt” or “zone.” They serve to regulate traffic, indicate hazards, and guide pedestrians. Colors and patterns vary by jurisdiction, with white lines common in many regions and yellow lines used for temporary or specialized purposes. Modern road markings rely on retroreflective materials to maintain visibility at night. Installation methods include hot-applied thermoplastic, cold liquid paints, and epoxy-resin systems; durability and weather resistance drive maintenance schedules.

Outside roadways, marquages are used to label products, identify batches, indicate handling instructions, or denote branding or quality marks on packaging, containers, or equipment. In workplaces, floor marquages delineate work zones, caution areas, or safe pathways, improving safety and efficiency.

Standards and regulation: Road markings are governed by national road-safety regulations and often harmonized by international standards bodies such as ISO or CEN; product and signage markings follow labeling laws and industrial standards. The term marquages is widely used in Francophone regions and sometimes encountered in multilingual contexts to refer to any marking or labeling practice.