Hang Tags

Custom hang tags are printed tags attached to a product by string, elastic, pin or plastic barb, carrying your branding, pricing, sizing and barcode. We print them in kraft, coated and textured stock from 14pt upwards, with eyelets, custom shapes and sequential numbering. Orders start at 200 units.

Two things decide whether a hang tag actually works in retail rather than just looking good in a photograph: whether the hole survives handling, and whether the barcode scans. Both are design decisions, and both get missed routinely.

If It Carries a Barcode, the Design Has to Scan

A barcode is read optically, by contrast. That puts real constraints on the artwork, and they override aesthetics.

• Dark bars on a light background. The scanner needs contrast. Light bars on dark, or dark bars on a mid-tone colour, either scan unreliably or not at all.
• Foil and holographic stock break scanning. Metallic and reflective surfaces bounce light back at the scanner and defeat the read. If your brand wants foil, keep it away from the barcode panel entirely and print the barcode on a plain light area.
• Keep the quiet zone clear. Barcodes need blank margin either side of the symbol. Artwork, borders and rules crowding those edges cause failed scans.
• Don’t scale a barcode freely. Shrinking a symbol to fit a design reduces the bar widths below what a scanner can resolve. Size changes need to respect the symbology’s own minimums.
• Avoid the fold and the hole. A barcode across a folded tag or near the punched hole distorts as the tag flexes.

Retailers reject deliveries over barcodes that won’t scan at the till, and by then your tags are printed. Send your barcode with the artwork and we’ll check placement, contrast and clear space before press.

The Hole Is the Failure Point

Tags detach where they’re attached. The punched hole sits under the full weight of whatever the tag hangs from, pulled repeatedly as customers handle the product on a rail.

What we specify against that:

• Board caliper. Below about 14pt, tags curl in humidity and tear at the hole. Heavier garments and repeated handling push that higher.
• Metal eyelets. A rolled metal ring through the hole spreads load and stops tearing entirely. Worth it on anything handled a lot, heavier products, or tags you want to look considered.
• Hole placement. Too close to the edge and the board tears out to the nearest edge. We hold a proper margin, which is why hole position is set in the dieline rather than guessed at.
• Attachment method matters too. A plastic barb through a garment pulls differently from a cotton string, and elastic loops distribute load more gently than either.

Attachment Options

• Cotton and waxed string: the standard, tied or looped
• Elastic loops: quick to apply, gentle on the tag, common in apparel
• Plastic barbs (kimble tags): fastest at volume, applied with a tagging gun through the fabric
• Safety pins: for delicate fabrics you don’t want pierced permanently
• Ribbon: presentation-led, for gifting and premium ranges
• Metal ball chain: hard-wearing, for tools, equipment and outdoor goods
• Adhesive-backed: where the product can’t be pierced at all

What a Hang Tag Can and Can’t Replace

Worth knowing if you sell apparel or textiles in the US.

Hang tags are marketing surfaces. They are not the permanent labelling that textile products are required to carry. Care instructions and fibre content have to appear on a permanently attached label on the garment itself, under the FTC’s care labelling and textile identification rules. A hang tag can repeat that information, and often does for customer convenience, but it doesn’t satisfy the requirement, because the customer removes it.

Practical upshot: budget for both. Your hang tag does branding, sizing, price and barcode. Your sewn-in label does fibre content, care and country of origin. Confirm the detail for your products with your own advisor, since we print the tag rather than advise on compliance.

Uses

• Apparel and accessories: branding, size, price, barcode
• Home and lifestyle goods: candles, ceramics, textiles, decor
• Handmade and artisan products: soap, candles, jewellery, where the tag carries the story
• Food and drink: bottle neck tags, gift tags, allergen and provenance information
• Gift and retail packaging: tied to bags, boxes and hampers
• Event and promotional: name badges, favours, seeded product
• Plants and garden: care instructions and variety information

Stock and Finishing

• Kraft brown, uncoated: natural, recyclable, takes handwriting well, the artisan default
• Standard white cardstock: best print surface for full-colour artwork
• Textured Neenah stock: linen or felt finish for premium ranges
• Coloured stock: solid colour through the board, so the edge matches the face
• Rigid and heavyweight board: for luxury, up to very thick calipers
• Finishing: matte, gloss and soft-touch lamination, foil stamping, embossing, spot UV, painted or foiled edges
• Custom die-cut shapes: circles, arches, tickets, logo silhouettes
• Double-sided printing: two usable faces on a small item
• Sequential numbering and variable data: for SKUs, sizes, batch codes and limited editions

Sizes and variants without separate print runs

If you carry many SKUs, you don’t need a separate printed tag per variant. Print one design and add variable data, sequential numbers or a label for size and SKU. One print setup, and you can add variants without reordering the range. We’ll quote both ways.

What Our Customers Say

“Custom soap boxes. Daniel was great to work with: professional, knowledgeable, and helpful throughout the process. My order arrived earlier than expected, and I truly appreciated his guidance on sizing and setting up the artwork correctly. Highly recommended!” Ava Nicole, Manager, soap and skincare brand

“Really impressed with the quality of my packaging. The Grand Packaging delivered results that truly exceeded my expectations. Working with Daniel was super smooth. The design support was amazing, customer service was excellent, and overall the experience was very positive.” Debbie Muller, Designer

Pricing and Minimum Order Quantity

The minimum order for custom hang tags is 200 units. Eyelets, custom shapes and specialty finishes may need a higher run.

Hang tags are among the cheapest printed items we produce, so finishing goes further here than almost anywhere else. A foil-stamped tag on a plain kraft box often delivers more perceived value per dollar than upgrading the box itself. Worth considering if budget is tight.

First-time customers currently receive 20% off their first order.

How Your Order Is Produced

1. Send your requirements. Tag size and shape, stock, quantity, attachment method, whether you need eyelets, and your barcode if applicable.
2. Receive your quote and template. With hole position, size and margin set properly.
3. Approve the proof. We check bleed, colour mode, resolution, hole placement, and barcode contrast, size and clear space.
4. Request a physical sample (optional). Order within 30 days and the cost is credited back. Attach it to the real product and pull on it.
5. Production. Printing, finishing, die-cutting, hole punching and eyeleting.
6. Quality check and dispatch. Bundled and shipped.

Standard production runs 8 to 12 days after proof approval, plus transit. Eyelets and specialty finishing add time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum order for custom hang tags?

The minimum is 200 units. Metal eyelets, custom die-cut shapes and specialty finishes may require a higher quantity to run economically.

How long does production take?

Standard production is 8 to 12 days after proof approval, plus transit. Eyelets and specialty finishing sit at the longer end.

How thick should a hang tag be?

14pt is a sensible floor for most retail use. Below that, tags curl in humidity and tear at the hole. Heavier products, repeated customer handling on a rail, and premium positioning all push the caliper higher. Tell us the product and how it’s merchandised and we’ll recommend.

Do I need metal eyelets?

Not always, but they help wherever the hole takes strain. An eyelet spreads load through a rolled metal ring and effectively stops the hole tearing out, so it’s worth it on heavier products, on anything handled a lot in store, and on premium ranges where it also reads as a quality signal.

Will my barcode scan?

Only if the artwork allows it. Barcodes need dark bars on a light background, a clear quiet zone either side, and enough physical size for the scanner to resolve the bars. Foil and holographic stock reflect light and break scanning, so keep the barcode off any metallic area. Send your barcode with the artwork and we’ll check it before press.

Can a hang tag replace a sewn-in care label?

No. In the US, care instructions and fibre content have to appear on a permanently attached label on the garment, since a hang tag is designed to be removed. Hang tags can repeat that information but don’t satisfy the requirement. Confirm the specifics for your products with your own advisor.

Can I have different sizes or SKUs without separate print runs?

Yes. Variable data printing and sequential numbering let you carry one design across many variants, or you can add a size and SKU label to a common tag. Either approach means one print setup instead of one per variant.

Can hang tags be die-cut to a custom shape?

Yes, including circles, arches, ticket shapes and logo silhouettes. Custom shapes need their own die tooling, a one-off cost that lands hardest at low quantities, and very tight internal radii cut poorly. We’ll flag anything likely to be a problem.

Why Brands Order Hang Tags From Us

• Barcodes checked before press. Contrast, size and clear space reviewed, so tags don’t fail at a retailer’s till.
• Hole position set in the template. Proper margin from the edge, with eyelets recommended where strain justifies them.
• Caliper matched to the product. Not one default stock for everything.
• Variant economics costed both ways. Variable data quoted against separate print runs.
• Sample credited back. Attach one to the real product and pull on it.
• One named contact. The same consultant across every SKU and reorder.
• US-based support. Quotes, proofs and phone support in US hours from our St. Petersburg, Florida office.

Request a Quote for Custom Hang Tags

Tell us the product, the tag size and how it attaches. If there’s a barcode, send it with your artwork so we can check it scans before anything prints.

Call: +1 (630) 228-1764 Email: sales@thegrandpackaging.com Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET

Labelling guidance is general information, not regulatory advice. Confirm requirements for your products with your own advisor. Last updated: September 2026.