Class 40 trademark for treatment of materials and printing
Short answer
Class 40 covers treatment and transformation of materials for others: custom manufacturing, printing on demand, 3D printing for others, recycling, water treatment and food processing for others. You file in class 40 when you sell these services under your brand; most offices charge an official fee per class.
Typical services in class 40
- custom printing
- recycling
- manufacturing for others
- water treatment
Official class heading, Nice Classification 12th edition
Treatment of materials; recycling of waste and trash; air purification and treatment of water; printing services; food and drink preservation.
Often filed in class 40 by mistake
Filing in the wrong class leaves your real products unprotected and still costs the class fee. These belong elsewhere.
Typical conflicts for class 40 marks
Custom manufacturing marks meet design services in class 42 and the goods they produce, such as printed matter in class 16.
An office compares your mark with earlier marks for identical and related goods or services, not only within the same class. Run a trademark availability search to see the closest marks in class 40 and its neighbours, or order a clearance search before a launch.
Classes related to class 40
Frequently asked questions
- What does class 40 cover?
- Class 40 covers treatment and transformation of materials for others: custom manufacturing, printing on demand, 3D printing for others, recycling, water treatment and food processing for others.
- Which classes are related to class 40?
- Offices often treat class 16 (paper and printed matter) and class 42 (technology and SaaS) as related. Custom manufacturing marks meet design services in class 42 and the goods they produce, such as printed matter in class 16.
- How much does it cost to add class 40 to an application?
- As of 2026 the USPTO charges 350 USD per class, the EUIPO includes the first class in its 850 EUR basic fee and charges 50 EUR for a second class and 150 EUR for each further class, and the UK IPO charges 50 GBP for each class after the first. Fees are paid to the office.
- What does not belong in class 40?
- For printed matter you sell under your brand, use class 16. For engineering design, use class 42.
General information based on the Nice Classification, 12th edition, as of 2026. Offices decide the class of each item; this is not legal advice.