Choose matte for an inspection tag, give the date a real box, and preprint anything that never changes. To number a fleet, give us the first number or send a spreadsheet, and we'll quote the artwork change. An inspection tag is filled in on the job site, in poor light, by someone wearing gloves, so design for that.

Matte, and a real box

Matte takes a ballpoint pen as well as a permanent marker. Gloss takes a permanent marker too, but a pen only to a degree. For anything written on, matte is the safe choice.

Give the date and initials a pale box with real height, not a printed line. A technician writes in the space provided, and where there isn't one, across your logo.

Preprint what never changes

Preprint your company name, certification, and phone number. That's the part an inspector reads and the part that has to be readable in two years, so it shouldn't be handwritten.

Keep everything clear of the cut

Keep anything that must survive 0.09" inside the cut line. On a crowded tag, the required text often gets pushed to the edge, which puts the part that has to be there most at risk. See bleed and safe area.

Numbering a fleet

Every tag can carry its own number or barcode, printed in one run instead of written by hand.

Sequential numbering, QR codes, and barcodes are an artwork change. We can help, so reach out for a quote.
For a plain count, tell us the first number, and we count up from it for the quantity you order. Anything else comes from a spreadsheet you send, one row per tag.

Two things decide whether it works. Design for the longest value, not the first: if the space fits "12" but the fleet reaches "EX-1042", the long ones won't fit. And check the spreadsheet, because we print exactly what is in it, and the proof shows only the first entry.

Scannable codes

A scanner needs clear space on either side of a barcode, and a code on a dirty machine needs to be bigger than one on a desk. Try scanning the codes on your proof before you approve it. See QR codes that actually scan.

Ordering

The minimum is 25 of a design on Custom Stickers, so one site or one machine type is enough for an order. Stickers ship 3 to 5 business days after you approve the proof, Rush is available for a fee, and an exact reorder of an approved tag skips the proof round. For rough or powder-coated equipment, choose High-Tack Stickers.