Outdoor tags can face years of sun, rain, snow, temperature changes and moisture. Choosing the right material can make a big difference in how well a tag and its identification hold up over time.
The best choice depends on the environment. Here are four materials we commonly recommend for outdoor identification and when each one makes the most sense.
Stainless Steel
Best for Water, Moisture & Corrosive Environments
When water and corrosion are the biggest concerns, 304 stainless steel is one of our top choices for outdoor identification. It offers excellent corrosion resistance and durability for wet, outdoor and industrial environments. Our 304 stainless steel has a dull finish, is not attracted to magnets, and is available in .030″ and .047″ thicknesses.
For more demanding outdoor environments, we also offer 316 stainless steel in .030″ thickness. Its increased corrosion resistance makes it a better option for applications exposed to saltwater, coastal conditions and other highly corrosive environments.
Good choice for: Wet environments, outdoor equipment, valves, piping and applications where corrosion resistance is a priority.
UV Stable Black Aluminum
Best for Long-Term Outdoor Exposure
When a tag needs to remain readable outdoors for decades, UV Stable Black Aluminum is one of our top choices.
The black material is designed for long-term outdoor use, while laser etching creates high-contrast identification that works well for text, serial numbers, barcodes and QR codes.
We have real-world evidence of that durability. In a recent case study, UV Stable Black Aluminum utility pole tags that had been outdoors for 11, 14 and 20 years were still readable and their barcodes were still scannable.
Good choice for: Utility poles, outdoor assets, equipment, barcodes and QR codes.
Plain Aluminum (Silver)
Best for Simple, Economical Outdoor Tags
Not every outdoor application requires a specialized material.
If you don’t need color, specialized UV performance or the corrosion resistance of stainless steel, Plain Aluminum is often the simplest and most economical option.
Stamped characters are physically impressed into the metal, making plain aluminum a practical choice for basic text and numbering that needs to hold up outdoors.
Good choice for: General outdoor identification, basic numbering and applications where keeping costs down is important.
Colored Aluminum
Best When Color Matters
If color is part of your identification system, Enamel Painted Colored Aluminum offers a wide variety of options for color coding tags by year, department, equipment type or other categories.
We have also been testing these colors outdoors for more than a decade at our Newport, Kentucky facility.
After 10+ years of direct outdoor exposure, purple, white, turquoise, black, yellow, orange, blue and green showed minimal fading. Red and gold experienced more noticeable fading earlier in the test.
Good choice for: Color coding and applications where the tag color itself helps communicate information.
Which Material Should You Choose?
Long-term sun exposure?
UV Stable Black Aluminum
Need color coding?
Colored Aluminum
Regular water or moisture exposure?
Stainless Steel
Just need a simple, economical outdoor tag?
Plain Aluminum
The environment isn’t the only consideration. The information you need on your tag can also affect the best material and marking method. Barcodes, QR codes, logos, simple numbering and other identification may require different approaches.
Not sure which option is right for your application? Tell us where your tags will be used and what they’ll be exposed to. Our team can help you choose the right material and marking method for the job.
