Hang tag cardstock types shape the character of a brand almost as much as the logo does. The same design looks completely different on bright white coated board, on kraft, or on a dense black sheet. Whether you're choosing material for your first swing tags or refreshing existing ones, here is a complete reference: how each board looks, how it prints, how it takes foil and spot UV, and which brands it suits.
Material directory
1. Coated board (C1S / C2S, art board)
What it is: board with a mineral coating on one side (C1S) or both sides (C2S). The surface is smooth and closed, so ink sits on top instead of soaking in.
Look and feel: bright, saturated colour and sharp detail. Available in gloss or silk (satin) coatings.
Finishing: the best base for spot UV and lamination; foil also lands beautifully.
Best for: brands with photography or full-colour graphics on the tag, sportswear, kidswear.
2. Uncoated board (offset)
What it is: board without coating, with a natural, slightly porous surface.
Look and feel: soft, papery and pleasant to touch. Colours appear more muted because the ink absorbs.
Finishing: excellent for embossing and debossing; foil looks refined. Spot UV soaks in and loses its effect, so skip it here.
Best for: minimalist labels, shirts, dresses, lingerie, the "quiet luxury" look.
3. Kraft board
What it is: unbleached brown board, often with recycled content.
Look and feel: natural and rustic with visible fibres. White ink is hard to print and light colours almost vanish, so artwork should be dark – black, deep brown, navy.
Finishing: black or gold foil looks great; embossing is softer.
Best for: denim, workwear, handmade and eco-minded brands. Pairs nicely with natural buttons and cotton cord.
4. Textured (designer) board
What it is: board with an embossed texture – linen, laid, felt, leather-grain or a handmade-paper effect. Often coloured through.
Look and feel: luxurious and tactile; people instinctively run a thumb across it.
Finishing: foil needs care, because a deep texture can break up fine lines. Large, simple shapes work best.
Best for: premium collections, eveningwear, gift ranges.
5. Coloured-through and black board
What it is: board dyed in the pulp, so the colour runs through the whole sheet and the edge is coloured too.
Look and feel: deep, solid colour. Black board is the classic choice of luxury houses.
Finishing: CMYK ink barely shows on a dark base, so the design is carried by foil (gold, silver, white pigment), screen printing or embossing. Black-on-black – black board with matte foil or spot UV over a laminate – is a seriously elegant effect.
Best for: luxury and niche labels, menswear, leather goods.
6. Duplex and triplex
What it is: two or three sheets bonded together. Each side can be a different board or colour.
Look and feel: very rigid, 600–1000 gsm, with a visible layered edge.
Finishing: each face is finished separately, so you can have foil on the front and a barcode on the back with no pressure marks.
Best for: hero products and brands that treat the tag as part of the unboxing experience.
Cotton herringbone tape light gray HR0014
Green organza ribbon OR0005
Cotton herringbone tape white HR0001Comparison table
| Board | Full-colour print | Foil | Spot UV | Embossing | Price level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coated / art | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Low |
| Uncoated | Good, muted | Very good | Poor | Excellent | Low–medium |
| Kraft | Limited (dark colours) | Good | Poor | Good | Low–medium |
| Textured | Fair | Good on bold shapes | Poor | Good | Medium–high |
| Black / coloured | Poor | Excellent | Good over laminate | Excellent | Medium–high |
| Duplex / triplex | Depends on face sheet | Excellent | Depends on face sheet | Excellent | High |
Choosing in five minutes
- Define your positioning. Mass market – coated or uncoated 300 gsm. Mid-market – uncoated or kraft 350 gsm. Premium – textured, black or laminated.
- Look at your logo. Fine lines and tiny type? Avoid heavily textured boards and coarse kraft.
- Decide on the finish. Want spot UV? You need a coated or laminated base. Want embossing? Go uncoated or black.
- Match the rest of your trims. Kraft talks to metal buttons and rivets; black board to black woven labels and dark metal; white uncoated to satin ribbon.
- Ask for a sample. Board is chosen with your hands, not on a screen.
Tip: use the same board for your hang tag and the thank-you card in the parcel. Consistency makes a small brand look established.
Eco considerations
More and more brands want the tag to back up their sustainability story. A few practical pointers:
- Recycled content. Kraft and many uncoated boards come with a high share of recycled fibre. Ask for the actual percentage rather than printing a vague "eco" claim.
- FSC or PEFC certification. This shows the wood comes from responsibly managed forests. To print the certification logo, the supply chain itself has to be certified.
- Skip the laminate. Plastic lamination film makes recycling harder; embossing and ink on uncoated board is the cleaner route.
- Natural attachment. A cotton or jute string instead of a plastic fastener completes the story.
Keep claims specific and verifiable – vague green messaging is under increasingly close scrutiny in the EU.
Matching board and string
The tag material also dictates the attachment. Kraft and uncoated board look best with natural cotton or waxed cord. Black board pairs with black satin or grosgrain ribbon, while coated board suits a thin coloured string. You'll find hang tag strings in our Labels collection and a wide choice of ribbons in Ribbons.
Tags in your own design
Bul-tex manufactures and supplies garment trims – from woven labels to buttons and ribbons – and accepts custom orders for brands. If you need hang tags on a specific board, send us a message with quantity, size and the finish you have in mind. For more branding ideas, see our label articles.
