Laser Etched Tags – Page 2 – National Band and Tag Company

Custom Laser-Etched Tags. From Text to Logos to Barcodes.

If you are looking for a completely custom tag with a professional look, then laser-etched tags are for you! Tags can be sold in small or large quantities. Whether you need 1 tag or 100,000 tags, we can help! National Band & Tag has 25+ years of experience laser etching tags.

CUSTOM TAGS

You can customize your tags to have text, logos/graphics, barcodes, borders, etc. The laser creates a clean, detailed, image on the tag’s surface. Tags come in all shapes, sizes, materials, and there is virtually no limit to what we can do. Laster etched tags are more durable and will last for years compared to printed tags. National Band & Tag offers quantity discounts, so the more tags you order, the larger the discount! Check out our instructions on how to send us the data for your tags.

MATERIALS

ALUMINUM:

UV Stable (Black), Plain (silver), or Colored Aluminum is available.

STAINLESS STEEL:

Different Finishes are available for stainless steel. This will affect how your tag looks.
Light or Dark etching is available.
Frosted Backgrounds are available to remove the shine from the tag.

BRASS:

Frosted Backgrounds are available to remove the shine from the tag.
Barcodes are not available on brass.

PLASTIC:

Plastic tags are available in multiple colors depending on the style of tag.

LABELS:

Style #3602 – Label material is made from military-grade 3M™ 7847 polyacrylic matte black stock for a heavy-duty label.

USES

Identification Tags
Asset Tags
Serialized Tags
Inventory Tags
Equipment Tags
Brand / Property Identity Tags
and more!

Share your pictures of your laser-etched tags being used for the chance to be featured on our social media!

Why stamped and laser etched tags are better than printed tags

National Band & Tag manufacturers stamped and laser etched industrial asset tags. These two methods are more durable than printed tags for environments that use harsh chemicals. Why? Because stamped tags, the lettering is indented into the material. For laser etched tags, the laser removes a layer of material to create the words. As you can see in the picture below, the harsh chemicals took the printed text right off the tag, because the text is on the surface of the tag, not in it. If the text has been physically etched or indented into the tag, then it would be impossible to wipe away. Below are some examples of where printed asset tags on equipment have had the text wiped away with chemicals.

A lot of printed tag manufacturers tend to use .020″ thick aluminum tags. At NB&T we use .050″ aluminum! So, if your looking for durable metal asset tags to go onto your equipment, and you know that equipment will be in harsh environments, get NB&T’s tags! Contact us at tags@nationalband.com for a free quote on your custom asset tags.

Laser Etched Brass Tags: Frosted vs Non-Frosted

National Band & Tag has a new laser machine that now allows us to successfully laser etch on brass tags. When placing your laser etched brass tag order, you now have the choice of a “frosted” surface. “Frosting” means removing the shine that brass has, to make it easier to read. The examples below on the left with a more yellow look are frosted, and the darker brown samples are regular brass. Brass is hard to take a picture of because of how shiny the material is. The shine will not work in certain environments, so for an additional charge, we can remove it for you. This allows you to have all the benefits of brass material, without the shine.

Not sure if brass tags will work in your environment? Contact us for tag samples to test before you buy. If you have any questions, comment below and our in-house laser etching expert will respond. Learn more about “frosting” on stainless steel and aluminum material here.

Saltwater and Marina Environment Stainless Steel Tags

Stainless steel tags are recommended wherever corrosion is a serious problem, such as salt-water environments, marinas, boat docks, etc. 316 stainless steel, also known as marine grade, is probably the most common grade of stainless steel used in marine applications. It has more molybdenum than other austenitic stainless steels which helps it to resist pitting and other corrosive effects of salt water.

National Band & Tag can laser etch 316 stainless steel tags which will stand up in this environment. The engraving will hold up just as long as the tags will.

Contact us today for a free quote or samples to test out.

Laser Etching, Laser Marking, Stamping, Embossing and Ink Jet

National Band & Tag offers a variety of solutions for creating a custom tag that meets your identification needs and environment. Different engraving and marking options on different materials can make the difference in how long a tag will last in specific environments.

Laser Etching: Available on metal tags only. Material is physically etched with the laser beam into the surface of the material, deep enough that you can feel it with your finger nail. On anodized and colored aluminum, the metal with change color from the base color to white, thus providing a high contrast character. Laser etching on heavy duty materials such as stainless steel and UV stable aluminum is great for harsh environments such as extreme heat or cold, chemicals, frequently cleaned and outdoors. Laser etching is an additional charge, call for quote.

Laser Marking: Available on plastic tags only. The characters are marked onto the surface of the material using an oxidation process which results is a bold contrasting character. The characters are dark gray, almost black in color. Laser marking is also referred to as laser coloration or laser dark marking. Plastic tags are great for indoor use or outdoor use in less harsh environments. Laser marking is an additional charge, call for quote.

Stamping: Available on metal tags only. Stamping (also known as pressing) is the process the letters/numberings being pressed into the material. Stamped tags can be paint filled with black or white paint (shown below) to create a contrasting look. Stamped tags are very durable on all materials and can be used in many different environments. Stamping price varies by product, but are the most cost efficient. See website for details.

Embossing: Available on limited styles of metal tags only. Embossing is when the letters and numbering is raised above the metal tag or band. Embossed tags are durable yet flexible. Since the letters are raised up, there is no chance of the print getting worn off. Embossing is available on some light gauge tags and some styles of leg bands for poultry. Embossing prices vary by product, see website for details.

Fusion Marked: Available on wing bands. This process creates a highly contrasting mark with dark bold characters on the surface of the tag. See website for pricing.

Increase Your Barcode Readability: NEW “Frosted” Background for Stainless Steel Barcoded Tags

Looking for higher readability in your stainless steel barcoded tags? Our new laser machine allows us to create a “frosted” white background around the barcode that removes the shine from stainless steel, allowing for a higher contrast. Higher contrasting barcodes read better, easier, and faster! All stainless steel and plain aluminum tags that have a barcode with automatically get the frosted background. Frosting is also available around text and logos, or to create a blank square upon request.

stainless steel tag with barcode

These frosted barcoded stainless-steel tags are useful for industries such as food processing, medical, laboratory, chemical, textile, and petroleum. In harsh environments such as these, stainless steel is necessary because of its non-corrosive aspects. Stainless steel tags with frosted barcodes will continue to scan and read for years.

Check out these samples below of how current customers have used frosted backgrounds on their tags:

round stainless steel tag with barcode rectangle stainless steel tag

Properly Manage Hospital, Healthcare & Medical Equipment

Medical assets are valuable items that are constantly being moved around hospitals. This makes asset tags a necessity to properly track and manage hospital and clinic equipment. Whether you work in a large or small healthcare facility, equipment, assets, instruments, medical devices, etc. can all go missing. Save time and money by making your companies asset tracking system more efficient with custom ID tags.

Custom Tags

Tags can be customized to meet your needs whether that is a basic, numbered tag for labeling beds, or a tag with a more complex layout to relay multiple types of information. With over 160+ tag shapes, and multiple material options, we can come up with something to meet your needs.

Lead Apron ID Tags

If you are in need of an identification method to help you pass your State and Joint Commission lead apron inspections, then you need our Lead Apron ID Tags! These plastic tags can be color coordinated by the department and have color-coordinated year disc and spirals to make spotting uncheck aprons simple. All these tags work with Microsoft Excel so that you save money on software and have complete ownership of your data.

Barcode Sterilization Container Tags

Did you know that we can create a custom barcoded medical case tag to fit your sterilization containers? One of our current customers, a Systems Analyst in the Surgical Services states, “I am confident the tags would be a major benefit to other health systems. Your [NB&T’s] tags are an excellent enhancement to using P-touch labels and are far more cost-effective, better for the environment, etc.”

Contact us today with your identification needs for a free quote.

Asset Labels

Asset Labels are custom laser etched and custom shaped with a laser. These heavy-duty labels are made from a military-grade 3M™ 7847 polyacrylic matte black stock. Labels can be cut to any shape or size (up to 4” x 7” inches). Each label can be customized with logos, graphics, barcodes (linear, 2D data matrix, or QR Code), text, and sequential or custom numbering.

This material is great for barcoded labels because of the high contrast, easy readability, durability, and flexibility. Some of the high-performance features of these labels include:

Rugged durability
Ability to conform to curved or uneven surfaces
Resistant to thermal shock and extreme temperatures
Resistant to sunlight exposure
Resistant to chemicals

Make sure that all your equipment, assets, and inventory are properly identified, tracked, and accounted for. Serialized asset tags will help with asset and inventory management. Send us a sketch of the label you need to tags@nationalband.com along with the quantity for a free quote.

2″ x 1″ (Style 3602),
Matte Black Polyacrylic Stock
Laser Etched
Call for Quote

1 1/2″ x 3/4″ (Style 3602),
Matte Black Polyacrylic Stock
Laser Etched
Call for Quote

2″ x 1 1/2″ (Style 3602),
Matte Black Polyacrylic Stock
Laser Etched
Call for Quote

Tent Tags for Tent Rental Services

Have you ever shown up to a venue, started unrolling your tent, just to find out that you grabbed the wrong one? Or not have the right poles or frame? That’s no longer a problem when you properly identify all your rental tents with Tent Tags! After packing up your tent parts, make sure a tent tag is hanging outside of the bag, this will make finding the correct tent parts from your warehouse quick and easy. Properly identifying your assets helps your business reduce mistakes and increase efficiency. Keep your clients happy by installing the right tent the first time around, without having to run back to the store to get the correct tent top. Any of our customizable tags can be laser etched to meet your tent inventory needs and include your logo, phone number, QR Codes, barcodes, website, etc. Just let us know what information you need on your tags. Multiple colors are also available if you wish to color-code your tent inventory. The tent tags below are all our style 14 (rectangle with rounded corners). View our customizable rectangle tags here. Send your layouts/sketches to tags@nationalband.com for a free quote on your tent tags.

Power Pole Inspection and Treatment Tags

Companies who inspect, test, and treat power poles are going to need power pole tags! View more on the different tags we offer and their uses below.

Pole Inspection Tags
Field inspection services will contribute to the accuracy of identifying poles that should be restored or replaced and those that should be treated. Once a pole has been inspected and approved, it is identified as inspected with a small, plain aluminum tag. The 1 ¼” inch round tag, Style 137, and 1” inch round tag, Style 85, are two popular sizes for this.

Pole Treatment Tags
The Style 89 pie-shaped tag usually has the type of treatment on it, and can be paired with the round tags.

Wood pole test and treatment solutions can help extend the life of a wood pole. Some of our customers even focus on environmentally friendly remedial treatments, designed to protect the wood from decay, insects, and other wood destroyers.

Electric Public Utility and Electric Cooperative Tags
We manufacture pole asset tags for both public and cooperative utility companies. These type of tags are usually larger and more detailed with barcodes. The rectangle Style 14 is very popular. Below are power pole tags tested out by one of our customers who is a privately owned cooperative company in Georgia.

Power Pole Tag in UV stable black aluminum

This electrical cooperative company uses our UV Stable Black Aluminum material for their Utility Pole Tags. They have been amazed at the longevity they’ve gotten out of their tags, especially since they are used outdoors. The photos here show one of their tags that was recently produced and one that they just took off a Utility Pole after 14 years. The barcode still scans, and the numbering is still very readable! This material is fantastic in the elements and is time-tested.

The Round Tag that Meets All Your Needs

NB&T’s most popular style of tag the # 137 a 1-¼” inch round tag that can be used for multiple applications across numerous industries. Check out a few of the top applications we see for this style of tag.

Crematory Tags:

COMPANY TYPES: Crematoriums, Mortuaries, Funeral Homes, Pet Cremations

USE: 304 Stainless Steel stamped tags are used to identify both human and pet remains as they go through the cremation process to ensure proper identification at all times. 304 Stainless Steel tags will not melt in the crematorium, so they are able to go in the fire and stay with the remains.

Tree Tags:

COMPANY TYPES: Landscape Architecture Firms, Plant Ecologist, U.S. Forest Service, Tree and Lawn Care Services, Lumber Production Companies, Arborist Consultants, Tree & Stump Removal, Arborist/Forestry Supply Stores

USE: There are many types of tree tags available, but a stamped #137 is popular for the above companies because their main goal is to number and identify specific trees. The trees could be numbered for a multitude of reasons, from labeling diseased trees, trees to cut down or save, trees to trim and more. A plain aluminum 137 is durable enough to last outside, while also being discreetly visible on the tree.

Dog & Cat Tags:

COMPANY TYPES: Veterinarians, Municipalities, Cities, Counties, Humane Societies, Animal Shelters, Kennels, Animal Hospitals, and Clinics.

USE: Rabies Tags indicate that an animal has had its rabies vaccine. Cities and counties use License Tags to show that your pet has been licensed in that area. General dog and cat I.D. tags are used by animal shelters, humane societies, SPCA’s, etc. to I.D. the animals in that company’s care.

Survey Tags:

COMPANY TYPES: Surveying Companies, Survey and Mapping Equipment Suppliers,

USE: These tags have a hole in the middle for a nail to go through so that it can be attached to the ground, trees, and other objects for surveying and mapping points of land. Usually, the surveyor’s license number is stamped on the tag.

Pole Tags:

COMPANY TYPES: Power Pole Inspection Companies, Utility Companies, Wood Pole Manufacturers

USE: Pole Tags are used on power poles, telecommunication poles, and other wood poles to identify that they have been inspected. Pole Tags can range from a small, simple stamped tag with the year on it, to a large barcoded tag that makes inspection easier by scanning the barcode.

Valve & Pipe Tags:

COMPANY TYPES: Chemical, Petroleum, Gas, Utility Companies

USE: Valve & Pipe Tags identify the flow of what is inside the pipes and relay important information and identification at the point of need. These tags help reduce pipe related accidents and pass safety inspections. #137 is popular for this because it is a visible size, but not in the way, and can dangle off the valve.

What would you use the style #137 – 1 ¼” inch round tag for?

Barcoded Tags Compatible with your Software

Why Use NB&T Tags:

National Band & Tag is an identification solutions provider, which means we will work with you to find the best solution for your ID needs. We offer multiple shapes, sizes, styles, materials, and engraving methods so that you can get the look you want.

We can assist software companies with designing a general tag that is used with your software, or we can work directly with project managers to come up with a tag that meet’s each of your client’s specific needs. Since your client doesn’t have to go searching for the tags to work with your software, your company is now a one stop shop, full service solution. Our customers use barcoded tags for multiple applications, including, but not limited to, asset management, inventory management, food traceability and more.

Scanners/Readers:

Our barcoded tags are compatible with most scanners. We can send a free sample tag for you to test with your own scanners to make sure they will read before you place your order.

Getting Started:

To start the design process, we recommend scrolling through our website to look for a tag shape and size that fits your application. After you pick out your style number, you will need to pick out a material, quantity, and what you would like on it. A sales representative will be able to give you a quote, and answer any customization questions you may have. If you would like to start designing with a sales rep, give us a call at 859-261-2035.

Use the links below to help you get started:

Shop by Material:

Shop by Shape:

Shop by Barcode:

Stainless Steel

UV Stable Black Aluminum

2D Data Matrix Barcode

QR (Quick Response) Code

Do you have any questions for our resident barcode expert? If so, comment below.

Laser Etched Logo Samples on Aluminum Tags

Laser Etching is the process where the material is physically etched with the laser beam into the surface of the material, deep enough that you can feel it with your fingernail. On anodized and colored aluminum, the metal changes color from the base color to white, thus providing a high contrast character.

Below are examples of all our colored aluminum, brass, and stainless steel material, and what laser etching will look like on each material. As you can see, different shades of gray are available to create a custom, one of a kind looking tag.

You can browse through our website to see more examples of logos and graphics laser etched on our metal tags. For more information on submitting the correct file type for your logo, click here.