Liquid Penetrant Testing (PT) Report Template
A PT report for welds, castings and machined parts that records the penetrant system by batch, the process times and temperatures, the lighting, and each indication by type, location and size.
Printable template (save as PDF) · Download CSV · Request the editable Word/Excel version
| Item | Reference |
|---|---|
| ASME code reference | ASME Section V, Article 6 |
| ISO reference | ISO 3452-1 (general principles) with ISO 23277 (acceptance levels for welds) |
| This template covers | Header, equipment and calibration, results table, sign-off |
| Formats | Print view (save as PDF) · CSV · editable Word/Excel on request |
What a compliant PT report must contain
ASME Section V Article 6 sets two requirements. First, the recording of indications (T-691 in recent editions): rejectable indications must be recorded with, as a minimum, the type of indication (linear or rounded), its location and its extent (length, diameter or aligned); non-rejectable indications are recorded as the referencing code specifies. Second, the examination record (T-692): the general Article 1 record items, the penetrant type (visible or fluorescent), the type designation of each penetrant, remover, emulsifier and developer used, a map or record of indications, the material and thickness, and the lighting equipment.
ISO 3452-1 defines the penetrant process and its process and control testing for surface-breaking discontinuities such as cracks, laps, folds, porosity and lack of fusion, examined under white light or UV-A. It is not an acceptance standard; for welds the acceptance levels usually come from ISO 23277, and for pressure equipment built to ASME from the construction code (for example Section VIII Mandatory Appendix 8).
- Penetrant system: manufacturer, product designation and batch number for penetrant, remover (and emulsifier if used) and developer, all from the same family where the procedure requires it.
- Process control: surface preparation, part temperature, penetrant dwell time, removal method, development time.
- Viewing conditions: white light intensity for visible penetrants or UV-A intensity and ambient light for fluorescent, and the meter used to check them.
- Indication record: linear or rounded, location from a datum, size, and evaluation against the named acceptance standard.
Example liquid penetrant (PT) report layout
The layout below is the template filled with illustrative example values so each field's purpose is clear. The print view gives you the same layout blank, ready to fill in on site.
| Report number and revision | RPT-2409-017 Rev 0 |
|---|---|
| Date of examination | 2026-09-14 |
| Client / end user | [Client name] |
| Project or job number | J-2409 |
| Work order / PO reference | WO-55821 |
| Site and location | [Site], Unit 3 pipe rack |
| Component / item ID | [Line or equipment tag] |
| Drawing number and revision | ISO-1045-01 Rev B |
| Procedure number and revision | NDT-PRO-004 Rev 3 |
| Acceptance standard | As named in the contract (see below) |
| Extent of examination | 100% of the welds listed |
| Penetrant type and method | Visible (colour contrast), solvent-removable |
|---|---|
| Penetrant (product, batch) | [Product], batch 24-117 |
| Remover / cleaner (product, batch) | [Product], batch 24-092 |
| Emulsifier (if used) | Not used |
| Developer (form, product, batch) | Non-aqueous wet, [product], batch 24-101 |
| Surface preparation | Wire brushed and solvent cleaned |
| Part temperature | 22 °C |
| Dwell time / development time | 10 min / 10 min |
| Lighting and meter | White light, measured with light meter S/N LM-07 |
| Material and thickness | SA-516 Gr 70, 19 mm |
| Item / weld | Ind. no. | Type | Location from datum | Size (mm) | Evaluation | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N2 nozzle weld | 1 | Linear | 40 mm clockwise from TDC, toe | 6 | Toe crack | Reject — repair |
| N2 nozzle weld | 2 | Rounded | 120 mm from TDC, cap | 2 | Porosity, within limits | Acceptable |
| Seam W-3 | — | — | — | — | No relevant indications | Acceptable |
| Examined by (name, method, level, scheme) | [Name], PT Level II, SNT-TC-1A |
|---|---|
| Certificate number and expiry | [Cert no.], expires [date] |
| Reviewed / interpreted by (Level II or III) | [Name], Level III |
| Client or third-party inspector | [Name, company], witnessed / reviewed |
| Signatures and dates | On the issued report |
Download, print or get the editable version
- Open the printable PT template: a clean blank form. Use your browser's Print and choose "Save as PDF" to keep a PDF copy.
- Download the CSV with every field and the example rows, to build your own spreadsheet.
- Want the editable Word or Excel version with your logo? Use the request form on this page or ask for it here.
Common reasons PT reports are rejected
PT is simple to perform and easy to report badly. Reviewers look first at whether the process was controlled: a report without batch numbers cannot show the materials were in date and compatible; a report without temperature cannot show the dwell time was valid; a report without a light reading cannot show the inspector could see what they were looking for.
- Record the part temperature and, if it falls outside the standard range in your procedure, reference the qualified non-standard-temperature procedure.
- Write dwell and development times as measured, not "as per procedure".
- Record the light intensity reading and the meter serial, and for fluorescent systems the ambient light as well.
- Describe every relevant indication as linear or rounded and give its size and location; "indications found" is not a record.
- Say whether post-cleaning was carried out, since some clients and some materials require it before the part goes back into service or on to the next process.
Photographs help, but they are not a substitute for the indication table. Put the photo reference in the remarks column so the photo and the row stay linked.
Visible or fluorescent, and how the excess was removed
The penetrant type and the removal method decide the sensitivity of the whole examination, so they belong at the top of the process block. Visible (colour-contrast) penetrants are read under white light and are the usual choice for field weld work; fluorescent penetrants are read under UV-A in darkened conditions and are generally more sensitive. Excess penetrant can be removed with water, with an emulsifier followed by water, or with a solvent wipe; each has its own risk of over-removal from shallow discontinuities, which is why the report records the method and not just the product names. ISO 3452-1 and ASME Section V use different designation systems for the same families, so write the designation your procedure uses and do not translate between them on the report.
Where the procedure requires a check of the system against a reference panel, record the panel ID and the result. It is the quickest evidence that the penetrant and developer in use on the day were capable of showing what the procedure claims.
The header fields every NDT report shares
Whatever the method, a report is only useful if it can be tied to the job, the drawing and the people. Every template in this library starts with the same header block: report number and revision, date, client, job and work-order references, site, component, drawing and revision, procedure and revision, acceptance standard and extent. ASME Section V Article 1 sets general record requirements that each method article then builds on, and client specifications almost always add their own. Keeping the header identical across methods means a reviewer, or the software that reads your reports later, always finds the same facts in the same place.
Generate these reports automatically in Atlantis NDT Reporting
A template solves the layout. It does not stop the same job, drawing, procedure, instrument and technician details being typed again on every report, or a report going out before anyone checked the technician's certificate was in date. In Atlantis ERP, the NDT Reports app holds PT as its own report type with its own numbering sequence, captured in an offline field app with photos and on-screen signatures, then moved through draft, review, approval and sending with inspector, reviewer and approver signatures.
The PT report type in the NDT Reports app records the penetrant method and developer, and the weld or item lines carry the defect type, orientation and result, with photos captured in the offline field app and a signature on screen. Consumables such as penetrant, remover and developer can be tracked with reorder levels in Asset Management, so the batch in use is on record before the report is written.
Your company format is kept: templates can be versioned in Excel, Word, PDF or HTML with your logo, header and footer, and Excel templates are filled automatically by mapping fields to cells. When the report is approved, Digital Twin Reporting can place its results on a 3D model of the asset, so clients find reports by location rather than by file name.
See PT reports generated in Atlantis, or keep using the template: both are fine starting points.
Frequently asked questions
What must a PT report record under ASME Section V?
The Article 1 general record items, penetrant type (visible or fluorescent), the type designation of each penetrant, remover, emulsifier and developer, a map or record of indications, material and thickness, and the lighting equipment. Rejectable indications are recorded as linear or rounded with location and extent.
Does ISO 3452-1 give acceptance criteria?
No. It covers the method and process control. Acceptance for welds normally comes from ISO 23277 or from the product or construction code named in the contract.
Do I need batch numbers on the report?
Most procedures and clients require them, because they are the only way to show the materials were compatible, in date and, where required, checked for contaminants such as sulfur and halogens.
Can I mix products from different manufacturers?
Only if your procedure allows it. ASME Section V expects materials from the same family unless a mixed system has been qualified, so record exactly what was used.
Should non-relevant indications be recorded?
Record what the referencing code and your procedure require. It is good practice to note that non-relevant indications were investigated, so the reviewer knows they were not missed.
Other NDT report templates
- All NDT report templates
- Ultrasonic Testing (UT) Weld Inspection Report template
- UT Thickness Survey Report template
- Magnetic Particle Testing (MT) Report template
- Radiographic Testing (RT) Report template
- Visual Testing (VT) Weld Inspection Report template
- Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) Report template
- Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD) Report template
Standards referenced
ASME Section V paragraph numbers change between editions. Always check the edition your contract or the referencing construction code names; the template fields are the same.
Speak to an ASNT NDT Level III
Atlantis NDT provides ASNT Level III consulting, NDT training to ASNT SNT-TC-1A, inspection management software and independent report validation. Request a free consultation and we will return a tailored quote — affordable, accessible and fully customizable to your programme.