Tagging Guns and Fasteners – A Simple Guide
You need to get tags onto your clothing items, shoes or handbags. It should be simple right? But when you go to find the right tool for the job, you find that the options and compatibility can be daunting. Never fear, here is all you need to know to make sense of tagging guns and fasteners!
Tagging Guns
Tagging guns and the related products fall into four categories from heaviest to lightest:
Extra Heavy Duty (EHD) – Used typically in commercial / industrial applications for holding layers of mattresses and heavy fabrics together. You won’t find these fasteners in a retail environment.
Standard (S, REG, PP) – The vast bulk of tagging gun products fall into this category. Perfect for putting a fastener through the tag of an article of clothing or soft toy. There is a wide range of standard guns available and all are compatible with any standard fastener. You’ll know that your box of fasteners is standard if it includes the letters S, REG or PP in the code.
Fine (FF, FFPP or X) – You may need to put a tagging gun directly into the fabric of a garment or a piece of fabric, however you don’t want to leave a big hole. Fine fabric guns and fasteners can allow you to do this by utilising a smaller needle and thinner fasteners.
Micro (TG) – For the smallest fasteners. These guns use a custom 4-5mm fastener which is perfect for costume work on film or stage productions as they can hold fabric together and are so small that they can be easily hidden. These are the tags used to hold fine layers of a tutu in place.
Another acronym you will find is (L). This stands for ‘Long’ and refers to the length of the needle that comes out of the gun. There is a long version of both the standard and fine gun made by Japanese company Ban’ok. This longer needle allows you to push further into the fabric (comes in handy for things like bundles of socks). It does not change the compatibility. Long fine is still only compatible with fine fasteners, and long standard is still only compatible with standard fasteners. Regardless of the length of the fastener itself.
All products in each category are compatible with each other. So all fine fasteners will work in all fine tagging guns, however they won’t work in standard tagging guns and vice versa.
If you are just getting started with tagging, we’ve made it really easy with our Standard Starter Kit, Fine Fabric Starter Kit and Micro Fine Starter Kit.
Fasteners
Now that you know which gun you need, buying the appropriate fastener is as simple as matching the category to your gun. If you have a standard gun, you can use any length of standard tagging pin. If you have a fine fabric gun, you can use any length of fine fabric tagging pin.
Needles
It is important to note that replacement needles for tagging guns must be the same brand and category as the tagging gun you are purchasing them for. Ensure that when you are purchasing a pack of spare needles, it directly references the model of gun that you need it for.
Manually applied Loop Locks, commonly known as Secur-a-tachs are a good alternative option to tagging guns but for goods that are unable to be pierced. Products such as sunglasses, shoes and cookware are prime examples of goods suited for Loop Locks. They are also suitable for situations where you would like products to hang from fixed positions. If this solution is suitable for you but you would like adjustable Loop Locks, then our Super Ties are a fantastic option. Also called Secur-a-ties, these ties, these loops are able to be tightened around the product.
For bulk quantities of items to be looped, we have a V-Tool gun that takes away the hassle of having to hand apply goods and instead make it as easy as using a pricing gun.
Swing Tags
Of course the whole purpose of tagging a product is to display information for customers. Once you have determined which tagging gun is right for you, you may wish to purchase swing tags in order to display pricing and product information. We have a range of colours to choose from as well as additional options for customization if desired. If you require custom printed logos, barcodes or even simple pricing labels, we can help, just get in touch with your requirements.
Conclusion
We hope this has clarified some questions you may have had regarding tagging equipment. Remember, if you’re unsure please do not hesitate to call us on 03 9899 9190 or email us at info@pricemark.com.au so our friendly staff can help with your enquiries.