Two methods, and the choice comes down to one question: does the label need to carry colour, or does it need to survive?
Engraving cuts the text into the material itself. On plastic we engrave through a coloured top layer into a contrasting core. On aluminium and stainless steel we engrave into the metal. Either way there is no layer sitting on the surface, so a glove, a solvent or ten years of weather cannot take the text off. This is the method for switchboards, plant, valves and anything that gets handled or washed down.
Printing applies the design to lacquered aluminium in full colour. You can upload a logo and have it reproduced with its own colours and detail, which engraving cannot do. The trade-off is that the design sits on the surface rather than in it, so printing suits labelling that is read rather than handled.
Aluminium is the only material we offer both ways, which makes it the one to choose when you are not sure yet.
Choosing the material
Engraved plastic is the everyday choice and what most orders use. Light, inexpensive per label, available in a wide range of colour combinations, and the standard material for switchboard and control panel labelling. See plastic labels if that is the term you know it by.
Engraved aluminium steps up where the label lives outdoors or takes knocks. It holds the engraving cleanly, resists weather and sun, and costs less than stainless for the same exposure.
Printed aluminium is the option when the label has to carry a company logo, a colour-coded scheme or a graphic. Same aluminium base, lacquered and printed rather than engraved.
Engraved stainless steel is the choice where the label has to survive what the equipment survives: wash-down, chemicals, salt air, heat, abrasion. It is what to specify for coastal and marine sites, food production and mining, and it is what most people mean when they search for metal tags.
For cables we use a separate product: flexible tags made to be cable-tied rather than screwed or stuck. See cable tags and cable labels.
Labels, tags or plates
They are the same product with different fixings, and the word you use depends on your trade.
A label is usually screwed or stuck to a flat face: a panel door, a machine housing, a shelf edge.
A tag hangs or is tied to something: a valve, a cable, a hose, a piece of hire equipment. See asset tags for tagging plant and equipment registers.
A plate is the heavier version of a label, normally in metal, used where the identification has to outlast several owners.
Order whichever you need in whichever material. The method is the same.
Consecutive numbering and large orders
Most industrial orders are a set rather than a single label: a switchboard full of circuit descriptions, a valve schedule, a year of asset numbers.
You can order a range of numbers with consecutive numbering, so you set the design once and the numbers run on by themselves. Single letters work the same way.
If the order is large, contact our customer service team or use the quote page and we will come back to you with a quote within a day.
Where they end up
Switchboards and control panels — circuit identification, isolator labels, push button labels and panel warnings.
Plant and machinery — asset numbers, service tags, calibration records, safety instructions mounted where the operator reads them.
Valves and pipework — valve numbers and service descriptions in pump rooms, treatment plants, breweries and food production, where everything is washed down.
Cables and conduits — circuit numbers and destinations that survive a cable tray.
Frequently asked questions
What materials do you offer?
Engraved plastic, engraved aluminium, engraved stainless steel, and printed lacquered aluminium.
Can I put my logo on a label?
Yes, on printed aluminium. Printing reproduces a logo in full colour, which engraving cannot do.
Can I order a numbered range?
Yes. Order a range with consecutive numbering and the numbers run on across the set, so you only set the design once.
What size can I order?
Any size you specify. Every label is cut to your dimensions, and the examples above are starting points you can change completely.
Which material should I choose for a coastal or wash-down site?
Engraved stainless steel. It handles salt air, chemicals and wash-down better than the alternatives.
Which material is best outdoors?
Engraved aluminium or engraved stainless steel. Both are made for outdoor exposure.
Will the text wear off?
Not on an engraved label — the lettering is cut into the material, so there is no printed surface to remove. A printed label carries its design on the surface, which is why we recommend engraving wherever the label is handled or cleaned.
Can I get a quote for a large order?
Yes. Contact our customer service team or use the quote page, and we will come back to you with a quote within a day.
Do you do cable tags?
Yes, flexible tags made to be cable-tied. See cable tags for the full range.
