If you run your own electronics rental business, then you may find yourself feeling disorganized as your inventory expands. This may make it difficult to figure out which pieces of equipment can be rented and which ones need to be cleaned or repaired. A tagging system that assigns a number to each piece of equipment can help you with organization, and so can the implementation of printed tags. These tags can be attached to each piece of equipment so that you can quickly note whether the item is ready to be rented or not. The tags can be easily attached and removed as electronics exit and enter your business, and you can have hundreds or thousands of these tags custom printed for you through a local printing business. Before you have the tags printed, you will need to pick out options for the tags. The printing business can offer you assistance and so can the following tips.

Choose the Right Types of Paper

If you intend on using tags over and over again and writing down vital information every time the tag is returned to you, then the tags will need to be created with relatively thick paper that will not rip or tear easily. This means that you should choose card stock for the tags. There are many varieties of this paper, and you can choose the paper by weight or thickness to make sure it is thick enough for your needs. Cardstock will range in thicknesses that measure 008 inches to .014 inches. The thinner paper is most likely to be used for flyers and brochures and the thicker paper is generally best for raffle tickets, menus, and postcards. The middle range paper, that is around .010 inches thick is used for business cards in many cases. This type of paper is your best option for sturdy tags. This paper is called 10 point or 80 pound cardstock.

Once you find the right weight, you should also consider the finish. Glossy finished papers can often make prints look crisp and visually appealing. However, they are likely not your best option unless you are printing tags that will not be written on. You might want to consider a glossy finish if you want some tags to inform employees of broken or dangerous pieces of equipment.

For tags that will be written on, choose a matte finish. This way, you can use a pen to write on the tag. However, you should understand that the printed and written text may fade over time if your tags are exposed to a great deal of sunlight. If you think this may be an issue, think about choosing archival cardstock paper.

Make The Cards Readable

A business that offers printing services will usually help with the design of the custom tags you need as well. During the design process, think carefully about the type of information you want on the tag. A description of the electronic, the make and model of the piece, the rental history, and the maintenance or cleaning history are some examples of important information that should be included on the card. The text can be added and lines can be placed afterwards so there is space to write down information. Ask the printing business to make the tag two sided so there is room for as much information as possible. To make sure that the tag is readable, consider asking for a sans serif font that is easy to read. Some good, simple fonts include arial, futura, geneva, and helvetica. 

Your design also should include enough lines and space after the text so writing can be placed neatly on the tag. Large handwriting is writing that is around 5 millimeters or more in height. Think about asking your tag designer to place 6 millimeter tall lines after the printed text to make room for employees with bigger handwriting.