Most hang tags are printed on paper board: brown kraft, white uncoated, coated or thick duplex stock. The choice decides how colour prints, how the tag feels when a customer flicks it, whether it bends in a warm stock room and which finishes are possible, which is why the same artwork can look expensive on one board and cheap on another. Below, the board families used for custom printed hang tags are compared, with the gsm a tag needs and what each material does to the print.
Kraft, uncoated, coated or duplex: which board for which brand?
Use kraft for natural, craft or outdoor brands with simple one- or two-colour print; uncoated white for soft, handwritten or understated tags; coated board for sharp colour and photography; duplex or thick board for premium tags. The right choice depends on the brand, the artwork and the finishes wanted.
| Board | Surface | Colour and detail | Finishes that suit it | Typical weight (gsm) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown kraft | Rough, fibrous, brown | Dark inks print well; light colours and white disappear into the brown | Light varnish, emboss, white or metallic hot foil can show | 250 to 350 | Craft, workwear, outdoor, bakery and eco-positioned brands |
| White kraft / bleached | Smooth, white or off-white | Close to true colour | Most finishes | 250 to 350 | Fashion, cosmetics, gifts |
| Uncoated white | Matt, soft, writable | Colours slightly softer; fine detail less crisp | Light matt coating, foil, emboss | 250 to 400 | Handwritten size or price, natural-look brands |
| Coated (matt or gloss) | Smooth, closed surface | Sharpest detail, strongest colour, best for photography | Lamination, spot varnish, foil | 250 to 400 | Premium launches, photographic tags |
| Duplex or laminated thick board | Two layers or laminated sheet; visible edge | As the face stock | Edge colouring, foil, emboss | 400 and above | Luxury tags, tags that double as cards |
Material names vary between mills and regions. Ask for the nearest available equivalent and confirm the exact stock and weight at quotation; for general grade vocabulary, see the packaging paper grades guide.
How many gsm should a hang tag be?
About 300 to 350 gsm is the common choice for tags; below roughly 250 gsm the tag feels flimsy and creases, above roughly 400 gsm it feels premium but is harder to punch and costs more in board and freight. The weight needed also depends on the board family: stiffness varies between kraft, coated and uncoated stock at the same gsm.
Rules of thumb:
- 250 to 300 gsm: light tags, small jewellery tags, short-life promotional tags.
- 300 to 350 gsm: general apparel and retail; a safe default.
- 350 to 400 gsm: denim, outerwear, accessories; anything the customer handles at length.
- 400 gsm and above: premium or luxury positioning, or tags that stand upright as display cards.
A stack of 1,000 tags at 350 gsm weighs much more than the same count at 250 gsm; for freight-sensitive orders the weight difference is worth calculating. The paper weight converter converts gsm to other units and thickness.
How does each material print?
Kraft darkens everything; uncoated absorbs ink and softens colour; coated board keeps colour crisp. Light ink on kraft, white text on a dark tint and fine photography are the common traps.
- Kraft: use dark, strong colours and one- or two-colour designs. White ink, where the process allows it, can bring light text forward, but it needs testing on the actual kraft. Large solid areas can show fibre texture.
- Uncoated white: good for text and line art; photos look soft. Keep fine detail larger than on coated board.
- Coated: best for photography, gradients and tight registration, but the surface can scuff, so a protective varnish or lamination often follows.
- Duplex: print as the face stock; the visible core edge is a design feature and can be coloured.
Colour will not match across materials. A brand blue printed on kraft, uncoated white and coated white will look three ways; if tags and other printed items must match, see Pantone and CMYK for packaging and approve a proof on the real board.
Which finishes work on which board?
Lamination and varnish give coated tags protection and a matt, gloss or soft-touch feel; foil and emboss work best on smooth, firm board; on kraft, finishes are limited by the rough surface and the brown colour. Some finishes add cost and change recyclability.
- Matt or gloss lamination: protects against scuffing and moisture; changes feel; darkens kraft.
- Soft-touch coating: premium feel; shows fingerprints on dark colours.
- Spot varnish: highlights a logo or pattern against a matt tag.
- Hot foil: gold, silver or colour foil on logos and borders; works on coated and smooth uncoated board; kraft texture can break fine foil lines.
- Embossing and debossing: adds relief; needs enough board thickness.
- Edge colouring: on duplex or thick board.
Which finishes can be combined and are available for an order is confirmed at quotation.
Recycled content, certified board and recyclability
If recycled content, FSC or similar certification matters to you or to your retail customer, state it at the start; availability depends on the project. Claims on the tag itself, such as "recycled" or "eco", fall under green-claims rules in the EU, UK and US and should match what is actually supplied.
Under the EU's PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40), Annex I lists "labels hung directly on or attached to a product" as packaging, so a hang tag attached to an item is treated as packaging, with the design-for-recycling and EPR obligations that follow for the responsible producer. A paper tag with matt varnish is generally still recyclable with paper; heavy lamination, foil and plastic string reduce that. Claims guidance is in the recyclable vs compostable packaging guide. In the EU, Directive (EU) 2024/825 applies from 27 September 2026 and restricts generic environmental claims; check any claim printed on the tag.
Which board is right for which product?
- Denim and outerwear: 350 to 400 gsm coated or white kraft; thicker board resists bending.
- T-shirts and knitwear: 300 to 350 gsm uncoated or coated; kraft for a casual look.
- Jewellery: 300 to 400 gsm white coated or uncoated, small size; attach with elastic.
- Candles and cosmetics: kraft or uncoated for natural positioning; add varnish if the tag may touch oils.
- Bakery and food gifts: kraft; consider varnish where the tag may be near grease or moisture.
- Luxury goods: duplex or laminated thick board with edge colouring and foil.
Whether the tag will be threaded, pinned or tagged by gun affects the board: see hang tag strings and attachments. Size choices are covered in hang tag sizes and shapes.
Hang tag material checklist for a quotation
Send the following through contact or the packaging RFQ template:
- Board family: kraft, white kraft, uncoated, coated, duplex.
- Weight in gsm and tolerance for substitution.
- One- or two-sided print, number of colours, any solid areas or photography.
- Finish: lamination type, varnish, foil, emboss, edge colouring.
- Special needs: recycled content, certification, food-contact adjacency, humidity or oil exposure.
- Quantity per version.
Return to the hang tags hub for the full specification guide.