Swing tags are a staple in the sales process, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon. So, whether you need them for your retail business or want to use them as gift cards, here are our top tips for creating the perfect custom handy tag.

Your design and material need to complement each other

The first thing you will need to do to start creating is pick your tag material. We recommend considering the main characteristics you need for your swing tags to work for your use case. For example, a sales tag may need to stand out, making our neon board a perfect choice. Or, your festival parking permits may need to be ultra-durable, putting our tearproof material as a front-runner.

When choosing your material, you must consider how your design will print on it. You want your artwork to complement your chosen material; for example, a soft white print on brown kraft tags looks elegant and luxurious. Ensure that the material you choose matches your brand ethos. If you're an eco-conscious brand, you may not want to opt for our durable laminated material and instead try out recycled board tags.

Choosing the correct swing tag size and shape

Once you've got the material and colour option you are after, you can move on to your tag's size and shape. Size is an essential factor to consider. If your hang tags are too small, you won't be able to fit all of your branding and information on them at a reasonable size. If they are too large, they will look clumsy or not fit on your products. As a good test, cut a piece of paper to your required size to try for your use.

Different branding will lend itself to different shapes. If you have a modern, trendy clothing brand, you may opt for custom shape clothing tags. Or, if your going more for the traditional look, opt for a rectangular shape clothing label with luggage corners. Whether you want to promote luxury or uniqueness, we've got you covered. Below is the full list of shapes we can offer you!

 

 

Custom Swing Tags

If the more standard shapes listed above don't take your fancy, that's okay! We're able to make a label to any shape. If you want a flower, heart, car, dinosaur or anything else, we've got your back.

 

Add the finishing touch

Now you've picked your shape and size, you will be given a list of further options, such as if you want your tags to be printed on single or double sides, whether you want eyelets in place and what colour, where on the tag you want the eyelet to be placed and finally if you want string to be provided and if so, your chosen colour. Using our wide range of finishing options, you can customise your swing tags to your exact requirements. Whether you need cotton twine for a rustic effect, or braided nylon for a sleek, modern look, we can help. We recommend matching your finishing requirements to your material so that a cohesive look is possible. For example, if you have chosen an earthy brown kraft tag, choose a traditional luggage style corner and jute twine to compliment its appearance.

Design your own swing tags with Handy Tags Design Tool

When all of these aspects of the tag are chosen, you can now move on to the best part... the actual design of the tag. Whether you need to follow a strict guideline or just let your imagination run wild, our site's built-in, free design tool will allow you to create the tag of your dreams. Here is a brief step-by-step guide on converting your dream design to your very own hang tag. Unlike other tag design tools and templates out there, you can do so much more with this one, and we are going to show you how.

• Step 1: Setting up

When you first boot it up, the screen will show you your previously chosen tag shape placed in the middle with a white background, which you can change to whatever colour you desire. On the right, you will find your layers tab, which will be empty to start with, but as you go through the designing journey and more aspects of the tag are implemented, such as text and images, they will appear in their own layer. This makes things easier to remove and shuffle around at a later date if necessary.

You will also notice a lot of lines and borders on your hang tag design template, but there is a good reason for this. First, you will see a green dotted line, your safe margin. This means that anything you place within that margin will be safe during the manufacturing process. Just outside the green line, there will be a solid pink line which is known as the cut margin. This is where the tag will be cut from, so anything designed out of that line will not appear in the final print. Finally, there is a black dotted line known as the bleed margin. Bleed margins are important if you have a background colour, pattern or border that you need to go to the edge of your tag. You need to make sure that your background runs through the bleed margin, as you don't want any white edges if your tag is supposed to be a solid colour.

• Step 2: Background

Once you're ready to start designing, head over to the product button in the design tool's upper right-hand corner. You can choose any colour you like and even enter the hex code for a specific colour. Of course, you don't need to choose a background colour as there is also an option to use an image as the background, too, if that's what you would prefer. If you decide you want an image, then this is where the bleed and cut margins are really important to keep an eye on so you ultimately end up with the tag you envisioned and nothing is accidentally cut out in the printing stage.

• Step 3: Text

Once you have your background all in place and you're happy with it (remember you can always alter things at any time), you can then move on to the text. If you don't want or already have text on your background image, feel free to skip this section. However, if you do need to add it, then just next to the product tab, you will find the text tab. You can then enter your text and choose the size, colour, font, and where you want it placed, along with rotation and border options too. Any text you add will also appear as a new layer. If you have some text in place, then open another text box to add some more; this, again, will be a different layer.

• Step 4: Art

When your text is in place and you're happy with it, you then have the option to include some art in your design. At Handy Tags, we have uploaded hundreds of artwork pieces you can use for your labels, anything from holidays, flags and pets, the list goes on. You should be able to find exactly the right artwork for your label. After you have chosen your artwork, you can customise it further by changing the colours to make them more in line with the rest of your scheme.

If you don't want to use our artwork, you can also use our drawing tool and freehand your own design, or if you wish to upload your own, step 5 is the one for you.

• Step 5: Media

If adding artwork is not your thing, you can upload your own images to include instead. To make things even easier, we have added shortcuts for Flickr, Picasa, and Instagram so you can reach your beloved images quickly, or you can upload the more traditional way too. Finally, when you have played around with the background, text and images and you are finally happy with the finished design, you're good to press the add to cart button. You've now successfully built and designed your own handy tag. Nice Work!

At Handy Tags, we let your creativity run wild. With a vast material range, in various thicknesses from 80gsm-400gsm, and custom cutting capabilities, you can create the ideal swing tag for your use. From standard cardboard to waterproof, we offer a material to suit your use case. Whether you need a brown kraft tag for your artisan products, a recycled swing tag for your clothing or a waterproof door hanger for parking permits, Handy Tags can help.

 

How Quick Will Delivery Be?

Your handy tags will then be printed, cut and sent to your front door. We aim to print, finish and dispatch within 72 hours of approving your PDF proof. Once dispatched, we send your parcel via free, next-day delivery to UK mainland areas.

Make a creative hang tag design with Handy Tags and have it printed quickly and professionally.