Frequently Asked Questions

We number your asset tags consecutively. You give us a beginning number and the quantity. Starting with your initial number, we just create the batch with sequential numbers. Of course, if you have a letter prefix or letter suffix, we will print these letter codes – but the actual numbers will march along consecutively.

The other minor exception concerns customers that want a non-linear set of numbers. This is possible (and happens all of the time!). Just send us your XLS file or other data file and we will upload this automatically into your order.

Our labels stick – but there are always a few exceptions. After making, literally, tens of millions of asset tags, it is inevitable that we find that a small, small percent of our asset tags don’t stick well. Here are some examples:

• Tags applied to a wet surface (and a non-wet-ready adhesive was used)
• Tags applied to a dirty surface.
• Tags applied when it is cold outside (and a regular, non-freezer-grade adhesive was used).
• Thick metal tags were applied to a compound curved surface.
• Apply a tag to a highly textured (e.g. bumpy) surface.

There are solutions to each of these conditions, so call if you have any questions.

Yes, we will. That makes it easy to reorder your tags!

This is important! There are several solutions here. Many asset tag users simply order an extra supply of tags that can be used, in a pinch, to replace another tag or to tag a new asset. Others use our free asset tag printing service.

We keep track of your past orders, so we can always make more asset tags for you. But, depending upon material, you may need to order a minimum of 50 or 100 tags.

Metal asset tags are supplied on strips. EconoGuard asset labels are supplied on sheets. PermaGuard, TheftGuard and StealGuard are supplied on rolls. If you need a different format, please call us. In most cases, it’s easy to change the standard packaging for you. For example, we have customers that needed “odd” numbers in one pack and “even” numbers in another.

Our programmers can add an asset tag template just for you. We can place your asset tag template under the My Designs area.

AlumiGuard™ asset tags will work quite well on computers, including those made by Dell. Most computers have a case or frame that is made of metal or a high-performance plastic. Both are ideal application surfaces for asset labels and your asset labels, once the adhesive is cured, will bond permanently. Apply the asset tag to an inconspicuous spot on the frame.

Yes, having semi-permanent asset labels for computers and laptops is a great idea. You may want to sell your computers or apply a new asset tag. In this application, we recommend our AlumiGuard™ asset tags. While permanent and very difficult to remove by a casual user, these asset tags can be removed with the proper tools. It is kind of like shucking an oyster! Use a knife and pry underneath the asset tag. In some super-tough situations, customers use piano wire to get underneath the tag. The metal asset tag should come off. Any residual adhesive from your asset tag can be removed with an adhesive remover.

One of the most underrated materials for asset labels is our polyester cloth. This remarkable material sticks well to almost every surface. The labels “stay stuck”. But, because of the internal polyester strands in the label, you can remove these labels, cleanly, a several years later.

The asset tags come with the adhesive previously mounted to the back of the tag. You must remove the liner to expose the adhesive and press the tag onto the application surface. Once bonded to a surface and allowed to cure for 48 hours, the plate is very, very hard to remove. The AlumiGuard™ uses the premier 3M 467MP adhesive, which is one of their premier 200MP series products.Other 3M adhesives are also available – if you need a greater adhesive thickness or a different set of performance metrics. Call us for samples.

It is always worrisome if the logo that you want to use on your asset tag or label is not of great quality (i.e. it has a low resolution). See if you can find a logo of better quality. Your tags would look better with a higher quality logo. Logos with very fine lines will not be printable. Lines and spaces have to be at least 2pts in width at the final logo size. Small details less than 0.01" tend to "fill-in." The thicker the lines, the better the logo will print. Similarly, logos with text below or around them will not be printable. We suggest that you remove all text from the logo for best results. Contact us if you have any questions regarding the quality of your logo.

Yes, the asset labels stick very well. And, in fact, we recommend using an asset label on your cell phone or PDA. In many cases the cell phone gets returned and your life gets back to normal ... thanks to your asset label or tag!

Asset Tag is the most common name for the type of tags that you see on these pages. All of the names are synonyms. Others use terms such as Asset Labels, Asset Id Label, Asset Identification Labels and Asset Management Labels, Property Tags, Property Id Tags, Property Id Labels, Property Identification Tags and Property Identification Labels, Property Asset Management Labels or even “those little red stickers”! But believe us that they are all referring to essentially the same thing. We just use the most common phrase: Asset Tag. For more information, see our page “What is an Asset Tag?”

Call us up at 800-952-1457 and follow the prompts to reach our Sales Department. You may also email us if you prefer. We would be delighted to help you through the process of designing your custom asset label. We always invite your suggestions on how to improve our asset labeling and asset tag design program.

We offer hundreds of graphics online. Select one of these for your asset tag or label. Adding a logo to your asset label or tag adds a professional touch and makes it harder to counterfeit your asset tag or label.

This is a tough one! Adhesive labels will come off too easily. Consider ordering our AlumiGuard™ asset tags, but instead of adhesive ask to have holes punched into each end of the tag. Then, rivet the tags to the nylon strapping or backpack material itself. Rivets can be purchased at most large hardware stores.

We would recommend our AlumiGuard™ asset tag material for you. It can withstand short term exposures to 1,000°F. But, ask for a sample pack of our asset tags and labels and we would encourage you to test each one. It is always tricky when you start to compare temperature ratings. Temperature tolerance is interpreted in many different ways. Factors are peak temperature duration, performance at each temperature band and the duration of the high heat exposure.

This may vary by project. Here are some of the fields that customers might gather as they assemble a list of assets to tag:

1. Serial number or other unique number for asset
2. Asset description
3. Cost of the asset
4. Installation and upgrade costs for the asset
5. Date that the asset was purchased or obtained
6. Asset Class
7. Location for the asset
8. Owner of the asset (i.e. is it leased, which company owns it, etc.)
9. Size, weight, color of asset
10. Intellectual Property value or other security risks associated with the asset i.e. how critical is it to your security and business strategy to keep the asset tracked)
11. Depreciation method (straight line, double declining depreciation, etc.) and current asset value (net of depreciation and replacement value)
12. QA/QC and Maintenance requirements for the asset

We recommend ordering extra tags at the outset. Our minimums are low (you can order as low as 50 to 100 asset tags, depending on the material) – so you can order this smaller quantity. Or, use our laser printable sheets and print your own asset tags. In the future, you can replace these with more durable asset tags.

Try our Laser printable sheets. They look and print as clearly and professionally as our stock labels. These blank label sheets can be customized at your discretion -- one package can be used for several label designs.

While we can't fix your deadline issue, having blank sheets ready-to-go can save time and avoid a crunch like yours in the future!

Generally, we have a limit of 6-10 characters or digits for our numbering or barcodes for most sizes. Obviously, larger asset tag sizes can accommodate more characters. In this case, we would recommend Code 128; this barcode symbology is more dense than others. If necessary, we could use a 2-D code that would allow over 200 characters. We will accept any common file type, such as an .XLS file if you want to use a random or mixed series of numbers.

Our labels are readable by almost any legitimate scanner. The trouble starts when you look at which scanners work with different asset tracking software packages. Scanners, in effect, are just another way to get information into your PC or software. We think of scanners like a super-efficient, error-less keyboard. One would think, then, that most scanners would work with most software. Sadly, this is not always true. Understand that many software providers and their local distributor brethren usually make more money off of the equipment and label supplies than on the software. Hence, their own deals with scanner vendors often drive which scanners are “compatible” with your software. Luckily, the newer software packages are increasingly “open” and many different scanners work well. Some key considerations when choosing a barcode scanner are:
• Do you need portability? Do you want your scanner to be battery operated and capable of storing a day’s worth of scans? Or, can you get buy with just attaching the scanner’s USB cord to a laptop (which is much cheaper)?
• What’s your budget? Contact scanners are cheap (think <$50). Laser scanners are much more costly ($200 - $800). We sell a keychain scanner that stores over 500 scans and cost less than $100.
• Do you need a long range scanner? These are great for warehouses and scanning that top rack, but they are also very expensive.
• Would you be willing to buy a used scanner? eBay has pages and pages of great scanners for sale.
• Could you use your SmartPhone? More and more asset tracking scanning is done by a SmartPhone – the economics and ubiquitous use of SmartPhones are just too compelling. Most innovative and new asset tracking software now incorporates a SmartPhone interface.

The iPhone scanning applications read 2D and QR codes work best. These are barcodes that have the best error checking and are most forgiving. iPhone barcode asset tags scans are not always as accurate as we would like for the tiny metal 1D barcodes. Please call us for details and samples.

Clean the surface first. In some cases, you may even want to rough up the surface with a scouring pad. This can help increase adhesion. Make sure that the application surface is free of dirt, dust and oils. We often say “sticking a label to a dirty surface is like trying to paint a dirty drainpipe – in these cases, the paint or the asset label will not “stick”. Then, when you apply the label try to avoid touching the adhesive side of the label. The oils from your hand may decrease the adhesion of your label by up to 40%. Once stuck, we also recommend the use of an application roller or squeegee. These handy and affordable plastic squeegees or rollers assure a tight bond and reduces the danger of "flagging". Note that the full cure time for these industrial adhesives is 48-72 hours. For some more hints see our video.