Different Types of Labels, Tags and Their Uses

What are labels and tags and where are these used? To define this particular item, let us first take these two words and define them individually. Labels are essentially small pieces of either plastic, fabric, or any other material that is attached to an item for the purpose of giving people information about that particular item. Tags are also defined as small pieces of material that are attached to items and carry information about the item for the purpose of letting people know what that item is.

This basically means that tags, as well as labels, are the same. They have the same purpose and are made from essentially the same materials. These two terms can be interchanged and used to describe one or the other, or both. Some people prefer to use the term tags, while others choose to use the term labels. Whatever you choose to use however, you should be aware that these can be used almost anywhere and for any purpose, as long as the dissemination of information is needed.

Let us now tackle the many different labels and tags that people use for business, as well as non-business, uses:

Security labels – as the name implies, these are labels that let you know that an item is being tracked by the company that attached this to the item in question. Security labels are usually made out of destructible or tamper-evident material, which helps prevent theft. These are called security labels because these help keep an item secure and safe from being stolen. These can carry barcodes, serial numbers, and other identifying information to help with keeping track of this.

Serial Number and Model Number label – these can come in the form of stickers or in nameplates, depending on what these are used on. These particular tags carry very important information, such as the personal identification number of each individual item, the model number of the batch, and the contact information of the company that made the item. These can be found in a variety of places, depending on what item it is tagging. For instance, if these are used to tag small kitchen appliances, you can expect these to be found in the back or underneath the product in question. If these were to be used on small machinery, like power tools or motorized lawnmowers, you can find these near the engine or on the side of the product itself.

Product tag – these help people identify what a product is, who manufactured it, and other pertinent information. The info you find on these labels usually depend on what the product is. For instance, if the product is some type of food, you will find that the label not only lets you know what brand it is, what kind of food it is, and where it is made. It also lets you know what ingredients are found within, the number of servings that can be found in the pack, when its expiration date is, and who to contact in case you have complaints. These may also carry calorie count, nutritional information, and what ingredients these consist of, and other similar information.

For items that are not edible, these labels can also carry ingredient information, or formulations, for the safety of the persons using such items. Examples of non-edible items that use labels include detergents, cleaners, adhesives, and so on. You can also find these tags on the packaging of clothing, bed sheets, toys, and other consumer goods. The information on these tags help you identify whether these items have certain hazards you need to avoid, like materials you may be allergic to, or to determine durability and value.

While some people do not see the importance of these little bits of cloth, paper, self adhesive material, plastic, and others, there are those who know that without these, the world will be a chaotic mess. Imagine not having any labels on anything. How would you know if something in a can is still edible or not? Or how would you know what kind of food is in a particular can? Or how would you know if what is in the can is actually food?

The importance of tags and labels can be easily downplayed by those who do not know their value, but those who see the bigger picture know that labels are very important. To show you what we mean, try this experiment. Remove all the labels on all your foodstuff in the home and try to see how difficult it is to live from day to day without knowing what you will be opening on your next meal, or what you will be pouring from a bottle or can when you are trying to cook something. That shows you how important labels are.