How do I read a pill imprint that is too small to see?

Wipe the pill, put it on a contrasting background, and shine a light from the side at a low angle so the pressed-in characters cast shadows. Magnify to about 5x to 10x, rotate the pill, check both sides, and take a photo you can zoom into.

Why can't I read the imprint on my pill?

Most imprints are pressed into the pill and are the same color as it, so under overhead light they show almost no contrast. Wear, glossy coatings and score lines make it harder. Low-angle side light and magnification usually solve it.

How do I identify a pill by its imprint?

Note the imprint on both sides, the color, the shape and any score line, then enter them in a pill identifier such as the one on Drugs.com, or show the pill to a pharmacist. Check that every detail matches, not just the code.

What if a pill has no imprint?

Many supplements and some foreign or compounded medicines have no imprint, and neither do some counterfeit pills. Color and shape alone are not enough to identify it. Do not take it; ask a pharmacist.

Does a pill identifier match prove what the pill is?

No. Counterfeit pills can copy the imprint, color and shape of real medicines. A match tells you what a pill is meant to look like, not what it contains. Only take pills that came from a pharmacy and that you can identify for certain.

What should I do if my child swallowed a pill I cannot identify?

Call poison control right away, even if your child seems fine. In the US the Poison Help line is 1-800-222-1222; elsewhere call your local poison center or emergency number. Call emergency services at once if your child is very drowsy, has trouble breathing or has a seizure.

How to Read a Pill Imprint [When It's Too Small to See]

Pill imprints are hard to read because they are small, often the same color as the pill, and sometimes worn. With the right light and a little magnification you can usually read them, and then a pill identifier or a pharmacist can tell you what the pill is likely to be.

What a pill imprint is

An imprint is the set of letters, numbers, symbols or a logo on a tablet or capsule. On tablets it is usually debossed (pressed into the surface) or embossed (raised); on capsules and some coated tablets it is printed in ink. Manufacturers use the imprint, together with the color, shape, size and any score line, to identify their products. In the United States, FDA rules require most prescription and over-the-counter tablets and capsules to carry an imprint, so the code plus the color and shape usually point to a specific medicine and strength.

Why pill imprints are hard to read

Debossed, not printed. A pressed-in code has no contrast of its own. Under even overhead light, it almost disappears.
Same color as the pill. A white code on a white tablet is visible only as shadow.
Worn or chipped. Pills rubbing together in a bottle or a pill organizer wear the edges of the characters down.
Split by a score line. Part of the code can sit on each side of the line, or the line can look like a character.
Curved surfaces. Printing on a capsule wraps around it, so only part is readable from one angle.
Glossy coating. A shiny tablet reflects light straight back and hides the characters in glare.

How to read a pill imprint

Wipe the pill. Dust and powder fill the grooves. Brush it gently with a dry, clean tissue.
Pick a contrasting background. Put light-colored pills on a dark surface and dark pills on a white sheet of paper, so the outline of the pill is clear and the camera exposes it correctly.
Use raking light. Turn off the overhead light if it is bright and shine a single light from the side, almost level with the table. Pressed-in characters then cast small shadows and stand out. A phone flashlight held to one side works, or a desk lamp.
Magnify to about 5x to 10x. Hold the phone steady, or rest your elbows on the table. More zoom is rarely needed and makes focus harder.
Rotate the pill and the light. Turn the pill a quarter turn at a time. Characters that run across the light show up best, so different parts of the code can appear at different angles.
Read both sides. Many tablets have a code on one side and a number, logo or score line on the other. Pill identifiers usually ask for both. For capsules, roll the capsule and read the cap and the body.
Note the score line. Record whether there is a line, which side it is on, and whether part of the code sits on each half.
Take a photo. A still photo is easier to study than a live view, and you can zoom into it further. Take a few at different light angles and pick the clearest one.

For a glossy tablet, dim the light rather than turning it up, and tilt the pill slightly until the glare moves off the code. In LoupeLens you can press and hold the flashlight button and slide to lower the brightness, which helps on shiny coatings.

Characters that are easy to confuse

Looks like	Could also be
0 (zero)	O or D
1	I, l or a score line
5	S
8	B
2	Z
M	W, if the pill is upside down
6	9, if the pill is upside down

If a character is unclear, write down every possibility and try each one in the identifier. Some identifiers also accept a partial code.

Look it up in a pill identifier

Once you have the imprint, color and shape, you can search an online pill identifier. The Drugs.com Pill Identifier is widely used, and other drug reference sites have similar tools. To confirm a match, DailyMed, run by the US National Library of Medicine, lists the color, shape, size and imprint of many products in their label details. These tools are built around medicines sold in the United States.

Outside the US, imprints and databases differ from country to country, and an American identifier may not know your local products. Ask a pharmacist: they can usually identify a pill from its markings and their own references, and many will do it while you wait.

Whatever tool you use, check that every detail matches, not just the code: color, shape, size, score line and the marking on the other side.

Pill with no imprint

Some pills have no imprint at all. These include many vitamins and dietary supplements, some medicines made outside the United States, products made up by a compounding pharmacy, and pills that did not come from a pharmacy. Without an imprint, color and shape alone are not enough to identify a pill reliably. Keep it aside and ask a pharmacist, or dispose of it through a pharmacy take-back service if you do not know what it is.

Safety: what a match does and does not tell you

Never take a pill you cannot identify with certainty. If in doubt, ask a pharmacist before taking it.
An identifier match is not proof. Counterfeit pills are made to copy the imprint, color and shape of real medicines and can contain something else entirely. This matters most for pills that came from anywhere other than a pharmacy.
Keep medicines in their original labeled containers where you can. If you use a pill organizer, keep a photo of each label so you can check what should be in each compartment.
If a child or anyone else may have swallowed an unknown pill, call poison control straight away, even if they seem fine. In the US, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222; elsewhere, call your local poison center or emergency number. Call the emergency number at once if the person is very drowsy, hard to wake, having trouble breathing or having a seizure. Keep the pill or packaging to show the poison center or the hospital.

If you find small print hard to read in general, the iPhone has several built-in tools that help; see our low vision reading aid guide. For the label on the bottle or box, see how to read medicine labels.

This article is general information, not medical advice. For questions about a medicine, speak with your pharmacist or doctor.