Color And Material Choices: Picking The Right Industrial Tag For Your Needs

It can be difficult to choose the right custom industrial tag for your needs, especially given the number of different types of tags that are available on the market. When picking an industrial tag, there will be many choices to make, and different tag characteristics to consider. Industrial tags can be printed on a variety of surfaces, including cardboard, card stock, vinyl and metal, and can come in a variety of colors. Taking into account the environment where the tag will be housed and the ultimate purpose of the tag will help you decide what material the tag should be made from and what color the tag will be.

Decide Whether Writability Is Important

Some industrial tags are left blank in order to remain writable. This is particularly true of maintenance and production tags that allow the user to track an appliance or mechanical item that must be inspected regularly, because blank tags allow the inspection history of an item to be recorded in pencil. As you consider the type of tag that you require, consider whether or not it must be writable. Paper, card stock and cardboard tags are all the easiest to write on with a variety of writing implements. Tags made from metal and vinyl can only be written upon with markers and therefore should only be used in high moisture environments.

Pick a Color--But Not Just Any Color

Color is important when picking the right tag for your needs. When choosing a color for your industrial tag, remember that some colors have symbolic importance (for example, green may imply that an item is safe to use, while yellow signifies caution and red signifies a safety hazard). If the tag is required to convey important safety information, the noticeability of the tag will be critical. Choose bright colors for tags that convey important information that must be seen right away. For standard tags that do not need to be immediately noticed, more muted colors may be appropriate for your industrial tags.

Consider the Environment

Give thought to the environment where the tag will be used. In outdoor environments, humid indoor environments and on items that are used both indoors and outdoors, resistance to moisture will obviously be very important. Paper-based tags are likely to absorb moisture and become warped over time, while vinyl and metal tags will fare well in wet environments.

In addition to moisture, you must also consider potential chemical exposures. Environments where the tag is likely to be exposed to caustic chemicals (like cleaning agents), durability becomes extra important. The type of material that you'll need will depend on the type of chemical exposure the tag will endure. In some cases, a custom industrial tag made from special durable plastic or metal may be necessary. Make a list of the chemicals in the environment that your industrial tag will be exposed to, then speak with a customer service representative from your industrial tag company. He or she can help you pick a tag material that will meet your needs.


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