Hang Tag Paper and Finishes: Stocks, Coatings and Foil
Compare hang tag paper from 14 pt to 32 pt, kraft and textured stocks, plus matte, gloss and soft-touch lamination, spot UV, foil, embossing and edge paint.
How tag stock thickness is measured
Tag stock is measured in points. One point equals 0.001 in, so 16 pt stock is 0.016 in thick, about the thickness of a sturdy business card.
Points describe thickness, not weight. Two stocks with the same point number can feel different because of their coating and fiber.
Above 18 pt, we double-layer the board. Two sheets are bonded together to reach 24 pt or 32 pt, which is what makes thick tags feel so solid.
For a quick comparison, 14 pt is close to a postcard. A 32 pt tag is closer to a thin drink coaster.
The stocks we print on, side by side
Each stock suits a different kind of product. The table compares them by feel, look and the jobs they handle best.
If two rows seem close, ask for both on your quote. We can price each one so you can weigh the difference.
Kraft, textured and recycled stocks come in a range of thicknesses. Tell us the feel you want and we suggest the closest match on the quote.
| Stock | Thickness | Look and feel | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 pt cardstock | 0.014 in | Light, flexible | Mini tags, jewelry, inserts |
| 16 pt cardstock | 0.016 in | Firm, smooth | Everyday retail tags |
| 18 pt cardstock | 0.018 in | Solid, stays flat | Apparel, folded tags |
| 24 pt double-layered | 0.024 in | Thick, rigid | Premium tags, edge paint |
| 32 pt double-layered | 0.032 in | Very thick, coaster-like | Statement tags |
| Kraft board | Varies | Brown, fibrous, matte | Natural and handmade goods |
| Uncoated textured | Varies | Soft, visible texture | Stationery look, write-on tags |
| Recycled-content | Varies | Slightly flecked | Brands focused on materials |
When to choose a thicker tag
Go thicker when the tag must stay flat, survive handling or signal quality. A 32 pt tag on a gift box says something a 14 pt tag cannot.
Stay thin when the product is small or light. A heavy tag drags a necklace down and makes a sock hang crooked.
Think about how tags are stored too. Thin tags packed loose in a drawer curl at the corners, while 18 pt and up stay flat for months.
Most retail tags sit at 16 pt or 18 pt. For tiny products, mini hang tags on lighter stock keep the weight in proportion.
- Under 1.5 in wide: 14 pt or 16 pt
- Standard 2 x 3.5 in tags: 16 pt or 18 pt
- Tags over 3 in tall: 18 pt or thicker
- Tags that hang outdoors or on heavy goods: 24 pt
- Gift and premium tags with edge paint: 24 pt or 32 pt
Kraft, textured and recycled stocks
Kraft board is brown and lightly fibrous. It suits coffee, soap, leather goods, plants and anything sold as natural or handmade.
Colors print darker on kraft because the brown shows through. White ink fixes that: we lay it down first, so logos and light colors stay bright.
Uncoated textured stock feels like good stationery and takes pen well. For a full brown look, see kraft hang tags printed in white ink.
Recycled-content stock has a slightly flecked surface. It suits brands that talk about materials, and it prints cleanly with matte or uncoated finishes.
Fine detail softens a little on fibrous stock. Keep thin lines and small type a touch bolder than you would on smooth white card.
Matte, gloss and soft-touch lamination
Lamination is a thin film over the print. It protects colors from scuffs, moisture and fingerprints.
Matte keeps colors calm and cuts glare under shop lights. Gloss makes photos and saturated colors look richer, but it shows fingerprints and resists most pens.
Lamination also adds a little stiffness. A laminated 16 pt tag feels firmer than the same stock left uncoated.
Soft-touch, also called silk, has a smooth velvet feel that people notice in the hand. It is the finish behind our silk hang tags with soft-touch lamination.
- Matte: low glare, easy to write on
- Gloss: rich color, shows fingerprints
- Soft-touch: velvet feel, darker colors look deep
- None: natural feel on kraft and textured stock
Spot UV and foil stamping
Spot UV is a clear, raised gloss coat printed on one part of the design. On a matte or soft-touch tag, a spot UV logo catches the light while the rest stays flat.
Foil stamping presses a metallic or colored foil onto the stock with heat. Gold and silver are typical examples, and foil works on both coated and kraft stocks.
Keep foiled lines at least 0.5 pt thick and small text at 6 pt or larger. Finer detail can fill in, as you will see on luxury bottle neckers with foil details where we keep foil areas bold.
Use both effects on the part of the design you want people to notice first, usually the logo. Spread across the whole tag, they lose their impact.
Embossing, debossing and painted edges
Embossing raises part of the design so you can feel it. Debossing presses it in. Both work best on 18 pt or thicker stock, where the board has depth to shape.
Pair them with a flat area of color or foil for the strongest effect. A blind emboss, with no ink, gives a quiet, tactile logo.
Keep embossed areas at least 0.125 in from the hole and the cut edge. Raised shapes too close to an edge can warp the outline.
Edge painting colors the cut edge of a thick tag. It needs 24 pt or 32 pt board, and it looks sharpest on a simple outline such as rounded corner hang tags.
Ink options: CMYK, Pantone and white
Full color CMYK prints photos and gradients. It mixes four inks, so brand colors can shift slightly between stocks.
Pantone inks are mixed to a set formula. Use them when a logo color must match your other packaging closely.
Colors also change with the stock. The same blue looks brighter on coated white card than on uncoated stock, which absorbs more ink.
White ink is printed under or instead of color on kraft and dark stock. If you are unsure which suits your artwork, our team can advise when you design your hang tags with us.
Black text prints most crisply as a single solid black. Avoid building small black type from four colors, as the layers can shift slightly and blur the edges.
Choosing stock and finish in five steps
Work from the product outward. The right stock is the one that suits where the tag lives and how it is handled.
A tag that lives on a rack for months needs more protection than a gift tag used once. Match the coating to that life span, then think about looks.
Then add one finish at a time and stop when the tag does its job. Compare full combinations across our range of hang tag styles.
- Decide the tag size and how much it will be handled.
- Pick the thinnest stock that stays flat at that size.
- Choose a coating: matte for writing, gloss for photos, soft-touch for feel.
- Add one highlight finish, such as foil or spot UV, if you want one.
- Ask for the combination on your quote and check the proof notes.
Finish combinations that work and ones to avoid
Some finishes flatter each other. Foil on soft-touch, spot UV on matte and white ink on kraft are reliable pairings.
Others fight. Gloss lamination plus spot UV gives almost no contrast, and heavy embossing on 14 pt stock can show through on the back.
Stacking every finish rarely looks premium. One strong detail on a well-chosen stock usually beats three effects competing for attention.
If budget matters, put the money into stock first. A thicker, well-coated tag with plain printing often looks better than a thin tag with foil.
Questions this guide answers
For most products, 16 pt or 18 pt cardstock with matte lamination. It feels solid, stays flat and takes pen.
Two sheets of board are bonded together. That is how we make 24 pt and 32 pt tags.
Yes. Colors look darker on brown stock, so we print white ink underneath for bright logos.
Uncoated, kraft and matte-laminated stocks take most pens. Gloss lamination makes ballpoint skip.
A matte film with a smooth, velvet-like feel. It is also called silk lamination.
No. Gloss lamination covers the whole tag, while spot UV adds shine to one area only.
Yes. Gold or copper foil on brown kraft board gives a warm, natural look.
18 pt or thicker works best. Thin stock can show the raised shape through the back.
Edge painting needs 24 pt or 32 pt double-layered board. Thinner stock has too little edge to paint.
CMYK suits photos and multi-color art. Pantone suits logos that must match your other packaging closely.
Yes, we print on recycled-content stock. Ask for it on your quote.
Your free digital proof notes each finish and where it sits on the design. Ask us if you want to talk through options first.
Ready to print? Send your size and artwork for a free proof. Request a quote →