How To Make a Memorable Product Tag

As I outlined in my post earlier this week, having a product tag is an essential part of branding and packaging your products.  It's all part of your branding suite, along with your logo, business cards and stationery. Today's Byte-Syze Learning tutorial will take you step-by-step through making a simple, but memorable, product tag. (Psst: Even if your craft business isn't up and running yet, you can use this tutorial to make holiday gift tags!)

Description

A product tag is a form of branding that is attached to your products, unlike a business card, which is usually separate. It should include your logo, business name, and some sort of contact information, whether it be a website, phone number, or a bricks-and-mortar store address. After these basic elements, the sky is the limit in terms of what other bells and whistles you’d like to incorporate into the tag design.

Why is it important?

I like to think of a tag as a back-up advertisement.  Often business cards can be lost or discarded, while product tags usually stick around longer, because they are attached to the item that your customer bought. Product tags also make a product look more professional, and will remind the customer that they purchased it from you when it’s time to re-order.  It is just another way to repeat your name – reinforcing your business name is always a good thing.

What you will need:

• Cardstock in three colors that suits your brand image
• A sticker/image of your logo
• Ruler
• Pencil/pen
• Glue
• Mounting tape
• Eyelet Punch
• Eyelet to match paper color
• Scissors

Step 1: Determine your tag size

Depending on the size of the products you sell, you can create one generic tag for all your products, or you can create different tags to go with different products.  For this tutorial, I am making a 4- by 2-inch hang tag.

Step 2: Cut your card stock

Cut your base color cardstock to 4 by 2 inches, and then cut your second color to 3.75 by 1.75. Cut your last color of cardstock to 3.5 x 1.5.  These three colors will be layered to create your tag.

Step 3: Glue

Put glue on the back of the second-largest cardstock piece (this will be the middle layer).

Step 4: Attach middle layer

Adhere the middle layer to the largest cardstock layer.

Step 5: Attach logo

Take your smallest piece of cardstock (this will be the top layer), and stick your logo sticker or image on this piece.

Step 6: Get your tape

Apply mounting tape to the back of the top layer of cardstock.

Step 7: Stick it all together

Add your top layer to the top of your two other levels to make up your tag.

Step 8: Get your hole punch

Punch a hole in the bottom layer, in the center of the edge of your choice.

 

Step 9:  Add a professional touch

Then, with your eyelet tool, add your metal eyelet to this hole.

Step 10: Personalize it

If you like, you can now add a little hand-written note to your customer to make the tag even more personal.  Your customers will appreciate it!

Step 11: You're done!

There you have it.  Your own product tag. From here, you can customize your future tags however you like to match your brand image.  Happy creating!

Dionne Christiansen is a graphic designer based in Houston, TX.  She is the face behind the Etsy store City of Dionne and writes at her blog Notes From Dionne.