Welding Lens Shade Chart: Shade Guide by Process and Amps

The right welding shade should protect your eyes while giving you a clear view of the joint and weld pool. Start with the process and current you will use, as a shade that suits one job may be too light or unnecessarily dark for another. The chart below gives you a starting point, with the helmet or filter manufacturer’s guidance helping you confirm the choice for your equipment.

Welding Lens Shade Chart

The chart gives general starting shades adapted from published Optrel and 3M selection charts. Where a current band spans a shade change in the source, it shows the darker shade. Use these figures alongside the manufacturer’s guidance and the job’s risk assessment to confirm the setting for your exact process and current.

Working current (A)	MMA / stick	MIG: light alloys	MIG: other metals	MAG	TIG	Plasma cutting	Microplasma welding	Air-arc gouging
20 to <30	8	—	—	8	8	—	6	—
30 to <40	8	—	—	8	9	—	6	—
40 to <60	8	—	—	8	9	—	7	—
60 to <70	9	—	—	8	9	—	8	—
70 to <100	9	—	9	9	10	—	8	—
100 to <125	10	—	9	10	10	9	9	10
125 to <150	10	10	10	10	11	10	10	10
150 to <175	11	10	10	11	11	11	10	10
175 to <200	11	11	11	11	11	12	11	11
200 to <225	12	11	11	11	12	12	11	12
225 to <250	12	12	11	12	12	12	12	12
250 to <300	12	12	12	12	12	13	12	13
300 to <350	13	13	13	12	13	13	—	13
350 to <400	13	14	13	13	—	—	—	14
400 to <450	13	14	13	13	—	—	—	14
450 to 500	14	14	14	13	—	—	—	15

Read a current band such as “100 to <125” as starting at 100 A and ending just below 125 A. A dash means this guide has no recommendation for that process and current, rather than indicating that eye protection is unnecessary. If your current falls outside the ranges shown, go directly to the equipment manufacturer’s selection guidance.

The MIG columns distinguish between material groups: “light alloys” means materials such as aluminium, not light-duty welding. MIG uses an inert shielding gas, whereas MAG uses an active gas or mixture, such as one containing CO2. Use the microplasma column only for microplasma welding, as it does not cover every plasma-welding application.

How to Use the Chart

Choose your process across the top, then find the current you will actually weld at down the side. For example, a machine rated at 400 A but running at 120 A needs to be assessed at that working current, with the process and material also taken into account. Where current varies during the weld, follow the equipment guidance for the operating range; a low or average reading may not describe the whole job.

Start with a darker setting and work towards a clearer view without going below the protection required for the job. A lighter shade can be suitable if it still meets the requirements for the process and current, so comfort alone should not determine the limit. The aim is to see the joint clearly while maintaining the required protection, rather than automatically choosing the darkest setting available.

If you still struggle to see at an appropriate shade, look at the cover plates, work lighting and helmet position before adjusting the filter again. Include people nearby in the setup too: suitable welding screens help protect them from direct and reflected arc radiation, and anyone observing the work needs suitable eye protection.

Shade by Shade

A shade number tells you how much visible light passes through the filter, with higher numbers giving a darker view. Which shade you need still depends on the process, explaining why the chart gives different recommendations at the same current. The following notes show how to use those differences when choosing a filter or helmet.

Shades 8 to 10

These shades appear in several lower-current applications, with the current limits varying considerably between processes. At around 100 A, this guide gives shade 10 as the starting point for stick, MAG and TIG, while other columns have different entries. For low-current work, make sure the filter offers the shade you need and, if it is auto-darkening, is designed to detect your arc reliably.

Shade 11

Shade 11 covers a number of general fabrication settings in this guide, including stick welding from 150 to below 200 A and MAG from 150 to below 225 A. If your work stays within a suitable range, a fixed filter can be convenient. An adjustable filter gives you more flexibility when the process or current changes.

Shade 12

As current increases, shade 12 becomes a common option, shown here for stick and TIG from 200 to below 300 A. The limits differ in the other process columns, so a helmet that reaches shade 12 is suitable only if that range covers the work you intend to do.

Shade 13

Shade 13 appears in several higher-current bands and is the upper limit on many adjustable filters. This guide uses shade 13 for stick and TIG at 300 A, but shade 12 for MAG at the same current, showing why current alone cannot determine the setting. If you regularly work near the top of a filter’s range, review all the tasks it will need to cover before buying.

Shades 14 and 15

Some high-current work, including heavy air-arc gouging, calls for these darker shades. In this guide, gouging reaches shade 15 from 450 A, with different starting shades shown for welding at the same current. Alongside a filter that provides the required shade, you need a complete helmet suited to the process and its other hazards.

Some auto-darkening filters reach shade 14, so a passive plate is not automatically necessary for high-current work. The available range depends on the model, particularly when you need shade 15. If you would like help identifying equipment that covers your work, send us the process and current.

Auto-Darkening or Fixed Shade

Both types can provide suitable protection when selected and maintained correctly. The difference you notice in use is the view before the arc starts: an auto-darkening filter lets you position the work through a lighter view, while a fixed plate remains at the same shade. That can make auto-darkening more convenient for frequent starts or changing tasks, with a fixed filter offering a simple option for consistent work.

Feature	Auto-darkening filter	Fixed shade plate
How it works	Changes from a light state to a welding shade when it detects the arc.	Remains at one shade throughout.
Changing process or current	Many models offer an adjustable range; some have a fixed welding shade.	Replace the plate if a different shade is required.
Positioning the joint	Allows a clearer view with the helmet lowered before welding.	The dark view usually means positioning with the helmet raised, then lowering it before striking the arc.
Purchase and maintenance	Usually costs more and needs checks of the power supply, sensors and controls.	Usually costs less and has no electronic switching system.
Where it can be useful	Frequent starts, varied work and jobs where keeping the helmet down helps positioning.	Repeated work at a suitable shade or applications where a simple fixed filter is preferred.

Choosing eye and face protection involves more than the shade alone. The helmet, filter and cover plates must suit the work and be used together as instructed. Existing products may carry older markings such as EN 169 or EN 379, while the newer BS EN ISO 16321 series includes general eye-protection requirements and additional welding-protector requirements in Part 2. Use the product’s markings and instructions to assess its protection, rather than how dark it looks.

When comparing helmets, distinguish the welding shade range from the light-state shade, which is the view before the arc starts. The light state is not a setting for welding. On adjustable filters, shade, sensitivity and delay each have a different purpose, and you should confirm low-current TIG capability for the exact model.

An approved auto-darkening filter provides the manufacturer’s stated level of UV and infrared protection in both its light and dark states. This does not make it acceptable to weld with a failed or incorrectly set filter: if it flickers or does not darken as instructed, stop and check the equipment. You can compare auto-darkening welding helmets or explore the full welding helmet range to find a model that suits your processes and working currents.

Grinding, Gas Welding and Cutting

Changing from arc welding to another task changes the protection you need. Grinding mainly calls for protection against particle impact, while gas welding and cutting need filters selected for the flame process and its intensity. A helmet’s welding shade is therefore only one of the settings or ratings to consider.

For grinding, choose eye and face protection with the appropriate impact rating. Grinding mode holds an auto-darkening filter in its light state, but the complete helmet or visor still has to be approved for that work, with safety spectacles or goggles worn where its instructions and the risk assessment require them. Return to welding mode before striking an arc, as grinding mode may prevent the filter from darkening.

Gas welding and oxygen cutting often need lighter filters than arc welding, with material thickness and torch output among the factors that guide the choice. Select suitable welding goggles or spectacles and provide any additional face protection needed for heat, sparks and particles. For plasma cutting, use its own process-specific guidance; low current does not mean it can be treated as gas cutting or assumed to need no welding filter.

Looking After the Lens

If a suitable shade is difficult to see through, the cover plate may be scratched, dirty or covered in spatter. Inspect the outer and inner plates, replacing them when damage affects visibility or the manufacturer requires it. Use the correct approved parts so the filter retains its intended protection.

While checking the plates, make sure the filter and retainers are seated correctly, the helmet has no cracks or gaps that let arc light in, and the sensors and power supply work as instructed. Use the recommended cleaning method and store the assembly away from damaging heat, contamination or knocks. Take a damaged or unreliable filter out of use; changing the shade is not a way to work around the fault.

Replacement filters and cover plates are available in welding helmet spares, with other kit in the wider safety equipment range. For help putting it all together, our guide to PPE for welders explains how eye and face protection fits into the complete setup.

Frequently Asked Questions