Three Hang Tag Printing Disasters To Avoid

Hang tag printing is common among manufacturers who sell retail items in a myriad of industries, and for good reason: Hang tags can quickly and easily influence purchase decisions and simultaneously brand a company. Perhaps because they are so popular, as well as relatively easy and affordable to produce, the occasional hang tag printing disaster can hold a project up, cause it to go over budget, and end up being a huge pain in the rear for everyone from the designer to the printing company, the marketer to the business owner. Here are three hang tag printing disasters that can happen when you're not paying close attention, and what you can do to avoid them.

1. No holes

The very definition of hang tags is "tags that hang," but if you have no mechanism for doing so you just have a "tag." Don't forget to have your printing company drill holes for hanging your hang tags on your products. It starts with the customer telling the graphic designer that she needs a hole drilled. The graphic designer can then indicate where the hole should be drilled so that the printing company is sure to include the service. The easiest way to do this is to download a free hang tag template, which shows you precisely how to indicate where it should be drilled. A top/center 3/16-inch arrangement is standard, but you can choose a custom-sized hole and placement.

2. No proof

The last thing you want to do is go to press with a typo. What if your 10 percent off deal became a 100 percent deal off because you didn''t proofread? For the same reason, you should always order a proof when you print hang tags. An electronic proof will allow you to double-check your layout, check for typos and feel confident that the finished hang tag will look as great off the press as it does on the computer screen. To check colors and get a true feel for what the hang tag will be before you invest in printing, request a hard copy proof that you can hold in your hands.

3. Poor paper

Sometimes marketers can get so involved in the message they are trying to convey that they forget the messenger is almost as important as the messenger itself. In the case of hang tags, your paper is the messenger, and it can say as much about the quality of your products, brand and company as the words that are printed on it. To convey a sense of trust, legitimacy and stability, you should opt for a solid and thick 16-point gloss cover paper stock. This type of paper as a bright sheen that will make your hang tag designs sizzle, and they feel great in your customers' hands so they'll reinforce the idea that your products are of high quality.