Welding Lens Shade Chart: OSHA Shades by Process and Amps
A welding lens shade chart tells you the darkest-enough shade for your process and current. OSHA's minimums: shade 10 for MIG from 60 A up, 8 for TIG under 150 A, and 8–11 for stick depending on current. Start darker, then go lighter until you can see the puddle.
The welding shade chart below is the full OSHA table in plain HTML, so you can print or embed it. Need a helmet that covers your shades? See the best auto-darkening welding helmets.
Welding shade chart (OSHA minimum shades)
| Process | Current / thickness | Minimum shade |
|---|---|---|
| Shielded metal arc (stick) | Under 60 A (electrode under 3/32 in) | 7 |
| Shielded metal arc (stick) | 60–160 A (3/32–5/32 in) | 8 |
| Shielded metal arc (stick) | 160–250 A (5/32–1/4 in) | 10 |
| Shielded metal arc (stick) | 250–550 A (over 1/4 in) | 11 |
| Gas metal arc (MIG) & flux-cored | Under 60 A | 7 |
| Gas metal arc (MIG) & flux-cored | 60–500 A | 10 |
| Gas tungsten arc (TIG) | Under 150 A | 8 |
| Gas tungsten arc (TIG) | 150–500 A | 10 |
| Air carbon arc cutting | Light, under 500 A | 10 |
| Air carbon arc cutting | Heavy, 500–1,000 A | 11 |
| Plasma arc welding | Under 20 A | 6 |
| Plasma arc welding | 20–100 A | 8 |
| Plasma arc welding | 100–400 A | 10 |
| Plasma arc welding | 400–800 A | 11 |
| Plasma arc cutting | Light, under 300 A | 8 |
| Plasma arc cutting | Medium, 300–400 A | 9 |
| Plasma arc cutting | Heavy, 400–800 A | 10 |
| Torch brazing | — | 3 |
| Torch soldering | — | 2 |
| Carbon arc welding | — | 14 |
| Gas welding | Light, plate under 1/8 in | 4 |
| Gas welding | Medium, 1/8–1/2 in | 5 |
| Gas welding | Heavy, over 1/2 in | 6 |
| Oxygen cutting | Light, under 1 in | 3 |
| Oxygen cutting | Medium, 1–6 in | 4 |
| Oxygen cutting | Heavy, over 6 in | 5 |
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.133(a)(5), “Filter Lenses for Protection Against Radiant Energy”. These are minimums: OSHA advises starting with a shade too dark to see the weld zone, then going lighter until you see the zone clearly — never below the minimum. Shade 5 glasses and goggles are for gas welding, cutting and brazing only. See the OSHA standard.
How welding lens shade numbers work
Welding shades are a log scale of how much visible light a filter lets through: each step up is darker. All certified auto-darkening lenses block UV and IR at every shade setting; the shade number controls how bright the arc looks, so pick it for comfort above the minimum, not below it.
What shade for MIG welding
For MIG welding, use at least shade 10 from 60 A up (OSHA's minimum) and shade 7 or darker below 60 A. Most welders run 10–12 for short-circuit MIG and 12–13 for spray transfer.
When a shade 10 welding helmet is right
A shade 10 welding helmet meets OSHA's minimum for MIG at 60–500 A, stick at 160–250 A and TIG at 150–500 A. That's why fixed shade 10 passive helmets like the Miller MP-10 Passive Helmet are so common. It's too dark for low-amp TIG and too light for heavy stick over 250 A (min. 11).
Shade 10 welding lens: fixed vs auto-darkening
A shade 10 welding lens can be a passive glass plate or a fixed-shade auto-darkening cartridge like the 10-shade version of Lincoln's 2x4C. Both meet the same minimums; the auto-darkening one lets you see before you strike. See welding lenses.
Welding helmet shade chart: embed or print it
Welding shades for gas welding and cutting
Torch work needs far less: shade 4–6 for gas welding and 3–5 for oxygen cutting. That's what shade 5 welding glasses and goggles are for — never arc welding.
Our recommendation
For one helmet that covers every shade from TIG to heavy stick, choose one with a 5–8 and 9–13 range like the Lincoln Electric Viking 3350 (Black). Compare the rest on our best auto-darkening helmet page.