Custom Leather Hang Tags

A leather hang tag is a swing tag cut from a sheet of genuine leather or PU leather-look material rather than printed card. Your logo is pressed, stamped, engraved or printed into the surface, a hole or eyelet is punched near the top, and the tag hangs from the product on a cord, string or chain. It carries the same brand message as a paper tag, but it feels like part of the product rather than packaging.

That difference in feel is why brands use them. A leather tag is heavier, softer and more tactile than card, it does not tear or crease in the shop, and customers often keep it, on a bag handle, a key ring or a jacket zip. On products that already use leather, such as jeans with a back patch, boots, belts and bags, a matching leather tag ties the whole product together.

A leather tag usually carries only the brand mark and perhaps a short line such as a fit name, collection or year. Price, size and barcode belong on a paper tag on the same string, so the leather tag stays clean and worth keeping. Our guide to what to put on a hang tag explains how to split information between tags.

• Blind debossing. A heated brass or magnesium die presses the logo into the surface with no colour. The classic, understated leather look; it darkens slightly on many leathers. Needs a one-time die.
• Foil debossing (hot stamping). The same die with a metallic foil, usually gold or silver, so the logo is pressed in and coloured in one step.
• Embossing. The logo is raised from the surface instead of pressed in. Best on thicker material and bold logos.
• Laser engraving. A laser marks the logo into the surface, giving a fine, darker, slightly burnt line. No die is needed, so it suits small runs, very detailed logos or numbered tags.
• Screen or UV printing. Flat colour on the surface, for multi-colour artwork. It sits on top of the grain rather than in it.

For most brands a single blind or foil deboss looks best. Fine lines and small text are harder to press cleanly into a grainy surface, so keep the logo bold and give it room.

• Jeans and denim jackets. A tag on the belt loop or a button that matches the leather or jacron back patch. See our leather patches for the patch itself.
• Bags, wallets and belts. A tag on the handle or strap that customers keep. Inside the bag, use an abrasion-resistant woven label; see purse and bag labels.
• Boots and shoes. A tag looped through the laces or pull tab; see shoe labels for the labels inside.
• Outerwear and workwear. A tag on the zip pull or a cord at the hem.
• Home goods and gifts. Throws, baskets, candles and gift sets, where a leather tag adds warmth and weight.
• Handmade goods. A small debossed tag says “made with care” on crochet, woodwork and leathercraft.

Leather tags are less suited to very light garments, where the weight pulls the neckline or shoulder, and to white or pale fabrics that could pick up colour from a dyed tag. For those, a kraft or uncoated card tag with a deboss gives a similar crafted feel with less weight. If you want a keepsake tag in metal instead, see metal hang tags.

• One strong mark. A logo, monogram or short wordmark reads best. Long text and small type blur in a grainy surface.
• Keep lines thick enough to press. Very thin lines and tiny counters (the holes in letters such as “e” and “a”) can close up when debossed.
• Leave a margin. Keep the logo clear of the hole, eyelet and any stitched border.
• Match the hardware. Choose eyelet, rivet and chain colours that match the buttons, zips and rivets already on the product.
• Pair with a paper tag. Put price, size and barcode on a paper hang tag on the same string.

Vector artwork (AI, PDF or SVG) gives the sharpest die. We redraw rough logos free of charge and show the logo at actual size on the proof; our artwork preparation guide explains the details.