Tagging aluminum cans and foil-lined products

Products made with metal, whether it is canned drinks or foil-lined packaging, should be tagged with a Metal-Safe Flag Tag. You will see the Drink Tag and Metal-Safe tag in the dashboard when ordering tags. These are the same tag type. We call it the Flag Tag.

Before we dive in, let's take a look at the anatomy of the Flag Tag:

This tag cannot be folded. You want the flag section to be up and off the product.

A Metal Safe Tag will allow the flag to be placed up and away from liquids and any metal, which is critical in order for the tag to be read by the store's antennae. The flag tags are our most popular tag type due to their versatility and ease of merchandising.

Note: This photo shows examples of products that require a metal-safe tag and is not intended to demonstrate proper merchandising

What Products Need a Metal-Safe Tag?

Any products made out of metal will need a metal-safe tag (AKA a flag tag). Here are examples of products that need a metal-safe tag:

  • Chips
  • Energy bars
  • Pickle Bags
  • Yogurt

However, always follow best practices:

  • If the tag has the potential to be microwaved, use a microwave-safe tag
  • If the tag will be placed directly on metal, use a Metal-Safe Flag Tag
  • If the tag will be placed on a liquid, use a Drink Flag Tag

No matter the tag type, you need to be aware of the general practices when placing your tags.

Flag Tag Application Tips

  • You should not remove the white paper backing. This can accidentally cause the tags to stick to the product or other tags.
  • Apply the tag so the adhesive is vertical and is covering as much area as possible on the product and apply pressure on the adhesive. This improves adhesive strength.
  • The flag tags cannot touch each other products. They can inadvertently cause the flags to block each other from reading.

For smaller products, place the tags so that the flag is alternating between sides. This will prevent the flags from reading each other and will improve tag reading.
  • The flags should peek above/away from the product. It must be up and off the product to ensure it can read above the liquid/metal that would block the flag from reading.
Tip: Make sure there is air space between the flag and the product. This includes other products near the flag. Ensuring there is proper air space to allow the antennae to read the flags

Test your Knowledge!

ANSWER
B, as this tag is placed so the flag is up and above the product. While tag A won't have any issues reading by itself, it could have issues if it becomes hidden among product.

ANSWER
Neither! The tag on A is too low on the product. The tag on B is using the wrong tag type. Both of these products will have issues reading if they read at all.

ANSWER
B is best. The flag tag on A will not read consistently due to its placement. Tag A is too low.

ANSWER
No, this is not following best tagging practices. The seaweed's packaging is made out of aluminum foil. The tag will not read because the metal will block it! A metal-safe tag is absolutely needed.

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Tagging heatable entrees

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