Archive for category: Vineyard Tags

Vineyard Row Tags: Why Material Matters

Vivac Winery (Dixon, NM)
Blu Dot Farm & Vineyard (Charlevoix, MI)

 

Metal vs. Plastic Vineyard Tags: Which Is Better?

Metal vineyard tags are best for long-term durability, while plastic tags are better for short-term or seasonal use. The right choice depends on your vineyard’s environment and labeling goals. At National Band & Tag Company, we manufacture both aluminum and plastic vineyard tags.

Durability and Customization

Our UV-stable black aluminum vineyard tags are designed for long-term outdoor performance and is guaranteed to last outdoors for 20+ years. They withstand extended exposure to heat, cold, moisture, and UV light, making them well suited for permanent row identification that will remain unchanged for many years.

Plastic vineyard tags are also widely used and perform reliably outdoors. Polyurethane-based plastic tags typically provide a lifespan of 3 to 10+ years, depending on climate and exposure conditions. They are often selected for larger-volume projects, when color coding is helpful, or in vineyards where layouts or labeling may evolve over time.

Both materials can be customized with row numbers, varietals, planting dates, logos, or barcodes. The primary difference comes down to expected lifespan and how frequently identification may need to change. Metal is often chosen for permanence and minimal replacement, while plastic offers dependable performance with greater flexibility.

Choosing the Right Material

The right tag depends on your vineyard’s operational plan:

  • Long-term, permanent rows → Metal
  • Flexible or developing layouts → Plastic
  • High-volume, budget-focused projects → Plastic
  • Minimal maintenance and extended lifespan → Metal

Both materials are purpose-built. The key is matching the tag to how long it needs to perform and the conditions it will face.

Vineyard Tags from National Band & Tag

National Band & Tag has supplied vineyard and horticultural identification solutions for decades. We continue to provide UV-stable aluminum and high-quality plastic vineyard tags, allowing growers to select the material that best fits their environment and labeling strategy.

See more Vineyard Tag samples and information here. 

Write-On Tags for Indoor and Outdoor Applications

If you need quick, on-site identification, then try Write-On Tags! These thin, flexible tags are made of aluminum or copper and can be engraved with a pen or pointed object. We have multiple shapes and sizes of Write-On tags that can be used for various applications. Write-On tags can be used indoors for industrial uses, such as labeling assets and equipment parts. Or, they can be used outdoors for labeling plants, trees, and other horticultural uses. We have multiple styles of Write-On tags to meet your needs.

The 2702 series comes in 3 different sizes and is available with or without copper wires attached. Made from aluminum stock wrapped around a stiff cardboard backing. This backing allows you to easily write on the aluminum with a pen or pointed object. This tag will last for years, even under harsh environments. The cardboard is biodegradable, but the aluminum “embossed” with your information remains.

The style 2725 wrap around write-on tag is popular because of it’s flexible tail. It’s great for wrapping around wires or plant stems. The tail wraps around the item, through the hole, and then pinches closed to help hold the tag on.

The 2729 and 2720 series are available with or without eyelets. We recommend getting the eyelets because they help reinforce the hole and will help the tag last longer. These two styles are also available with or without copper wires pre-attached.

Vineyard Row ID Tags

Tips For Designing Your Vineyard Row ID Tags

What info are you needing on your tags? We customize the tags with any information you want on them, so you will need to tell us what exactly you want. Usually, our customer’s tags feature info such as: block number, row number, clone, rootstock, grape type, year planted, logo, company name, etc. Knowing what text and artwork you want on your tags will help you in the next step, picking a tag style.

Which style tag should I get? We have multiple tag styles to choose from, but to help narrow it down for you, here are our most popular styles for Vineyard Tags.

  • RECTANGLE TAGS: Style #14ARBOR: 3″x5″ with 5/32″ holes top & bottom. (These tag blanks are kept in stock so they will ship out faster). Style #14: Rectangle with rounded corners, comes in multiple heights/lengths, with the most common being 1-1/4″ x 4″. (Holes are usually are on the left and right side so the tag can be bent around a post and nailed in).
  • ROUND TAGS: Style #116 (1-3/4″) and Style #93 (2″) are our two largest sizes for metal tags. If you want plastic tags, we offer Style #7366 that is 2-5/8″. There are limitations for the customization on plastic tags, but they do come in multiple colors. Please note that plastic tags will not last outdoors as long as our black UV stable aluminum. When ordering, please convey to your sales representative if you want radial or straight text.

Other Design Options:

  • All true-type fonts are available. If you don’t specify, we will pick a basic font for you.
  • Logos and artwork need to be a black and white, high resolution file. Learn more here.
  • QR Codes and Barcodes are also available on metal tags.

If you have any questions about your Vineyard Row ID Tags, please contact us at 859-261-2035 or email us at tags@nationalband.com, and one of our customer service representatives will assist you.

 

vineyard row ID tag

vineyard row ID tag

Share pictures of your Vineyard Tags in action for the chance to be featured on our website and social media!

Plastic Ear Tags, Not Just for Cows.

Did you know that there are many uses for cattle ear tags that aren’t for cows (or any other animal on Old McDonald’s Farm)? These versatile, plastic, bright-colored cattle ear tags can be customized for different personal and promotional uses, such as:

  • Identification for trees
  • Vineyard row post
  • Orchard Tags
  • Invitations
  • Luggage tags
  • Asset tags
  • Asset Color coordination
  • Wedding gifts
  • Keychains
  • Save the Dates
  • And more!

livestock cow ear tags for weddings and save the dates

NB&T resells plastic ear tags from popular manufacturers such as AllFlex, PermaFlex and Destron Fearing. Just pick your tag style, and let us know what text, logo, design, or numbering that you want on your non-ear, ear tags for a free quote.

View more ideas, and Follow us on Pinterest.

Vineyard Management Tags – I.D. Your Grapes and More

Custom etched Vineyard Tags come in a variety of styles, sizes, and shapes, but for material, we recommend using our Black UV Stable Aluminum Tags, which are guaranteed to last outdoors for 20+ years. Here are a few examples from past customers of the ways they customized their tags, and how they use them around the vineyard.

Vine Information I.D. Tags

clone and rootstock vineyard row tag

Any information that you want to keep track of can be custom etched on your Vineyard Tag with text or barcodes. Above is an example with the grape variety, clone and rootstock information, and the year it was planted.

Listing the type of wine or grape variety on the tag is popular for vineyards that have a lot of tourists. Vineyards more interested in tracking rootstock (a plant with an established, healthy roost system) for grafting purposes that may need this information listed on the tag. Clones (a cutting of vine, a second plant that will be genetically identical to the first) can also be important to list on your tag so that specific traits from clones can be closely identified. This is all helps with management, research, and improving vine growth.

Row and Fence Post, Large Numbered Tags

numbered row tag

Row Tags go on the end of posts to identify each row. Large, bold numbers make it easy to read, even from a distance. Numbered vineyard rows can be helpful when trying to instruct employees or visitors where to go. For management purposes, numbered rows can make sure records are accurately kept about specific rows, with no confusion due to human error counting what number row they were in.

Block and Irrigation I.D. Tags

block tag

This customer uses different types of irrigation for different blocks. Drip Irrigation is popular among viticulturist because each vine has its own individual dripper, giving more control over how much water each grapevine receives, while overhead irrigation is more of a sprinkler system. Hole sizes can be customized in our tags in case you need to put the tag on a hose or machine.

Are you one of our Vineyard Tag Customers? Comment below on how you use your tags!

Vineyard Row Tags – Metal VS Plastic

NB&T Metal Tags AllFlex Cattle Ear Tags
(Distributed through NB&T)
metal vineyard tag plastic vineyard tag
How long will they last? Our Black UV Stable Aluminum will last outdoors for 20+ years, even in harsh environments These polyurethane tags can last anywhere from 3 – 10+ years. Different environments (extreme hot/cold) will affect them differently.
How many colors are available? Black is the only UV Stable color currently available. In regular aluminum we offer 10 other colors. It will depend on the style of ear tag you choose. The largest style (Global Super Maxi Female) has 8 colors, Blue, Red, Yellow, White, Black, Orange, Green, Light Pink
What can I put on them? Logos, barcodes, numbering, text, graphics, and more. Logos, barcodes, numbering, text, graphics, and more.
How much do they cost? Roughly $3-$5 dollars a tag (quantity discounts available) Contact us for a quote. Roughly $1-$2 a tag. Contact us for a quote.
What’s the largest size? 3” x 6” (can be horizontal or vertical) show in picture above. Other sizes available. Global Super Maxi Female
3” x 4-5/8”. Shown in picture above. Other sizes available.
Are there any minimums? $25.00 per order $25.00 per order and 25 tags per pack
How do I attach them? 1/8” hole standard. Custom holes and slots available. Can use a nail, screw, strapping, etc. 3/16” hole – can use a nail, screw, twine, etc.

How To: Use a QR Code for Educational Walking Trails

Are you looking to use QR (Quick Response) Codes to create an educational walking trail in your museum, arboretum, botanical garden, school, or park? QR Codes are a great way to provide more information about an item by sending people to a website. NB&T is here to help guide you through the process of getting your website into a QR code and onto a tag.

barcode scan

Follow these easy steps to complete your educational walking trail and get people scanning your QR Coded tags!

Prep your QR Code Information:

  1. Determine what you want to have a QR Code on (plants, statues, trees, posts, memorial sites, exhibits etc.)
  2. Create and design a separate web page for everything you want to have a QR Code on. (Ask your webmaster for assistance with steps #2 and #3 if needed).

Example:
Tree 1 – QR Code goes to www.tree1.com
Tree 2 – QR Code goes to www.tree2.com

3. Optional – For best scanning of a QR Code, use redirects for extremely long URLs.

Design Your Tag:

  1. Browse through our website to determine the tag style, size, material, and hole size you want.
  2. Sketch up a mockup, or layout of how you want your tag to look, along with any other information you want, such as company name, logo, item name, year, etc.
  3. Send info from #4 and #5, along with quantity of tags you need to tags@nationalband.com for a free price quote.
  4. Once ready to order – send your complete tag info to us using our Data Transfer Instructions. It is important to send us your info correctly so none of your tags are off. We will turn your web page URL into a QR Code!

Setting up Your Walking Trail:

  1. Set up all your tags in a visible place where people can easily scan them.
  2. Encourage people to use their smart phones to scan the tag for more information on the item they are looking at.
  3. Maintenance – you can change the info on your web pages as much as you need. As long as the URL doesn’t change, you won’t need to replace your QR Coded tag.
Send us pictures of your completed walking trail!

Example: NC Coastal Reserve

nature trail tag educational trail tag with QR Code

  1. Determined they had 22 places throughout the walking trail on the reserve that needed a QR Code.
  2. Created their 22 web pages that in this case, held audio files.
  3. This customer used tinyurl.com for their redirects.
  4. They chose a style 14 tag, 3” x 4” inches, in UV stable black aluminum material, with an 1/8” inch hole on the top and bottom of the tag.
  5. They decided they wanted for their tag layout the QR Code first, then “Audio Trail Interpretation Station” the URL, and their company name smaller at the bottom.
  6. Sent the info to us for a quote.
  7. Sent their data transfer Excel sheet to us using the correct format.tiny url pic
  8. Used screws to hang their tags into posts along the trail.
  9. Promoted scanning their new tags through social media.

nature trail social media posts

What type of plant label will work best in your garden?

The first step to finding the plant label that will work best in your garden is to know what your identification goals are. Are you looking to color coordinate, sequentially number, or write on the tag yourself? Do you need something simple or do you need something with a high end polished look? Another factor to keep in mind is the environment; are these temporary for the summer, or do they need to last year-round where the tag will be subjected to harsh weather?

National Band & Tag has a variety of plant labels available to meet your identification needs.

Plastic Plant Labels
Plastic plant labels are helpful in the garden when you want to color-code your plants or have bright visible labels. Plastic plant labels can be written on with a sharpie, or our recommended All-Weather Marker. These tags can also be custom laser etched with your company’s name, logo, and a barcode. Plastic plant labels come in a variety of sizes, from a small potted plant all the way to a large shrub or bush, we have the size to fit your plant. They are versatile and can work for an at-home gardener or a garden retail store. Plastic tags are great for temporary use or 1+ years outdoors, depending on how harsh the weather is. Available in Pink, Orange, White, and Yellow.

plastic plant markers

plant markers

plastic plant stakes

Write-On Plant Tags
Write-On Tags are made from a thin metal (aluminum or copper) that you can engrave on yourself with a pen or sharp object. The 2702 series has a biodegradable cardboard backing to assist in writing on the tag. These tags are helpful when you need to engrave on the spot and want something durable to last outdoors.

write on tags

write-on wrap around tags

write on tags

Metal Tags
Metal plant tags are helpful for gardeners looking to identify a lot of information about one plant, such as their name, species, genius, care instructions, etc. Metal plant tags come in a variety of materials, but we recommend the UV Stable Black Aluminum material, especially if you need the label to last for years outdoors. QR Codes can be laser etched onto metal tags for those who want to create an education walking trails like an arboretum or botanical garden.

tree tag

florist tag

tree tag educational walking trail tag with QR Code

Wood Pot Labels and Wood Stakes
Both plain and treated wood pot labels are available in multiple sizes depending on the size of the potted plant you are trying to label. Wood Pot Labels are great for labeling plants for sale at a garden store or nursery. Wood Stakes are helpful for labeling trees, plots of land, rows of trees, and bushes. They can be written on with a sharpie or our All-Weather Marker shown above under plastic tags.

wooden plant stakes

Questions? Call us at 859-261-2035 to talk with one of our tag specialists, or leave us a comment below!

18 Uses for Write-On Tags You May Not Have Thought Of

write-on aluminum tagsOur Write-On Tags can be used for a variety of applications ranging from heavy machinery to plants and trees to electrical wires. With the ability to be engraved with a pen on the spot makes these tags a perfect candidate for those who know they need to identify their assets, but aren’t sure what they want the tag to say yet. Check out these 18 different ways our current customers are using Write-On Tags!

  1. Labeling equipment
  2. Marking wires and cables
  3. Numbering inventory on a shelf in a warehouse
  4. Identifying valves and pipe contents
  5. Labeling large pieces of machinery
  6. Identifying plant species in nurseries and botanical gardens
  7. Labeling flowers and plants for sale at garden centers
  8. Numbering trees for research purposes
  9. Identifying products for different landscaping projects
  10. Labeling furniture for sale
  11. Labeling pottery with artist’s name
  12. Tool checks
  13. Labeling painting assets
  14. Marking fences and gates to be installed
  15. To number RV refrigerators that are ready to be shipped out
  16. Label large industrial fan parts
  17. Home organization designers
  18. Concrete products for construction jobs

Comment below, how do you use Write-On Tags? Share your pictures!

wrap around write on tag

watering can write on tag

copper write on tag

aluminum write on tag

Blank Tags

hand stamps

Hand Stamp Set – Great for engraving your blank tags!

Did you know that at NB&T any tag or band we make can be produced blank?  On our website, you can view over 150 tag shapes and sizes that come in multiple materials and thicknesses. Buy our blank tags and custom stamp or laser etch them yourself. Blank tags can be used for everything from art and jewelry projects, to identification of equipment, to color coding trees. Need your own stamping set? Check out our Hand Stamps, great for putting serial numbers, dates, and more on your tags.

Want to quickly engrave your own tags as you need them? Try our Write-On Tags! The aluminum tags have cardboard backing to give you a hard surface to “engrave” on. Use a pen or sharp pointed object and write normally on the aluminum to create a readable, engraved look.

Multiple industries need blank tags for multiple reasons. What will you use them for?

 

blank tags

These are just a few of the 150 styles of tags we have. Need a different shape? Click the image to view more options. Still don’t see what you need? Call us! 859-261-2035

NEW! Blank Tags Quick Ship

National Band & Tag’s newest service for the industrial marketplace is the Industrial Blank Tag Quick Ship!

This new service allows customers to order sets of 100 blank stainless steel tags, up to 10 sets (1,000 tags) and they will be quickly shipped within two business days! As a manufacturer, we produce all our tags in-house, and it typically takes at least a week to manufacture blank tags. But we listened to our customers and we responded, with a way to get your blank tags faster!

We currently have three different sizes available for the quick ship service: 1” x 3” inches, 1.25” x 3 inches, and 1.5” x 3” inches.

Our .030” stainless steel tags have a type 304 2B finish, which is dull, not attracted to magnets and is non-corrosive.  Tags also come with two 1/8” holes on the right and left side. This is our most popular hole size and is great for making tags easily attachable to pieces of equipment, pallets, shelves, and other assets.

Blank tags allow you to stamp or engrave your own information on-site when you need it, such as serial numbers, dates, inspection checks, inventory counts, and more! Click the link below to be taken to the online order form for the Industrial Blank Tag Quick Ship!

stainless steel rectangular blank tags

 

Time to Harvest the Grapes – Vineyard Tags

vineyard tagsWine harvesting season is upon us as the summer comes to a close and the leaves begin to change, fall is right around the corner! Each wine is harvested at a different time through the months of August to October in the northern hemisphere. The time depends on the grapes of course, but each one ripens during specific weeks throughout this time period.

How can National Band & Tag Company help with your harvest?

To distinguish between the multiple rows of differing grapes, some form of identification is needed. Our custom vineyard labels have been the solution for numerous winemakers. These vineyard tags come in many styles and materials including polyurethane and UV Stable Black Aluminum. Our UV Stable Aluminum is fantastic for outdoor uses such as this and will stand up against time and weather. These tags can be laser etched, bar-coded, or can come with logos and graphics.

vineyard tag

vineyard tag

vineyard tag