Hang tags and header cards are among the most flexible and expressive pieces of brand collateral a small retail brand can produce. They carry your logo, your story, your care instructions, your price, your social handle, your brand philosophy — in a format the customer holds in their hand and reads. Here is what to know before you order.
Types we source
Hang Tags
Standard rectangular hang tags — the default format. Printed front and back on a cardstock of your choice, with a punched hole for a string, cord, or safety pin attachment. Can be portrait or landscape orientation.
Die-cut shaped hang tags — custom-cut to a shape that reflects your brand identity. An oval, arch, rounded rectangle, house-shape, circle, or any custom silhouette. Die-cutting adds a setup cost but dramatically differentiates the tag from standard rectangular formats.
Multi-layer hang tags — two or more layers of card stock laminated or tied together, creating a booklet-style hang tag. Used for brands with more information to communicate — ingredient lists, brand story, usage instructions, and care guidance — without compromising the front design.
Kraft hang tags — printed on uncoated brown kraft cardstock for an artisan, natural, or eco aesthetic. Often left with minimal print — a logo, a product name, a short tagline.
Foil-stamped hang tags — a metallic foil logo or brand element pressed onto the card surface. Gold, silver, rose gold, or copper. Dramatically elevates the perceived value of the tag and the product it is attached to.
Embossed / debossed hang tags — a logo or design element pressed in relief into the card surface (raised = embossed; recessed = debossed). A tactile premium finish that communicates craft and quality.
Soft-touch laminated hang tags — a velvet-feel matte laminate over the printed surface. One of the most popular premium finishes for beauty, jewelry, and lifestyle brands.
Wristband hang tags — a flexible, loop-style tag that wraps around the product or its packaging without a separate string. Common in apparel.
Seed paper hang tags — hang tags printed on embedded seed paper that the customer can plant after use. A genuinely functional sustainability story for eco-aligned brands.
Header Cards
Standard retail header cards — a die-cut card attached to the top of a poly bag, clamshell, or blister pack to create a retail-ready hanging product. The header card carries the brand identity and product information; the product hangs below it on the peg hook.
Euro-slot header cards — a header card with a standard euro-slot punch for hanging on retail peg hooks. The universal format for peg-hook retail displays worldwide.
Folded header cards — a header card with a fold at the base that wraps around the top of the product packaging, creating a sleeve or saddle-style top closure. Common in apparel, accessories, and packaged gift products.
Paper stocks and weights
350–400 GSM coated art board — the standard for most printed hang tags; crisp, smooth, and excellent for full-color printing
300 GSM uncoated board — a slightly softer surface with a matte, natural feel; used when the design aesthetic is understated or editorial
Kraft board (various weights) — natural brown, uncoated, with excellent texture for artisan brand aesthetics
Cotton rag / textured board — premium uncoated papers with visible texture; used for luxury jewelry, fragrance, and fashion brands
Attachment options
Natural jute string — the most common and versatile; an earthy, artisan feel
White or black cotton string — cleaner and more refined; suits contemporary and minimal brand aesthetics
Satin ribbon tie — a premium alternative to string; a narrow satin cord looped through the hole
Safety pins — for attaching to garments without piercing the fabric
Twist ties — for packaged food and cosmetic product attachment
Every other piece of packaging is seen. A hang tag is read. It is the moment of brand communication closest to the customer — at the point of purchase, at the moment of gifting, or in the quiet moment of unpacking a new product at home. It carries the most concentrated version of your brand's voice and values in the smallest possible format.
For wholesale brands selling through boutique retailers, a well-designed hang tag also serves a critical function: it tells the retail buyer that you are a shelf-ready brand. A product without a hang tag, or with a generic or poorly printed one, signals that the brand is unfinished. A premium tag signals that the brand knows what it's doing.
Shape Bend Form is a sourcing service built specifically for small and micro retail brands in the US, Canada, and Mexico. We work with vetted manufacturers in India and China to produce custom retail packaging, display stands, and brand extras — then ship everything direct to you via air freight. Think of us as your dedicated packaging sourcing team: we find the right manufacturer, negotiate your price, manage production, and get your order to your door.
No. We are sourcing specialists, not a factory. This is actually an advantage for you — because we work with multiple manufacturers across India and China, we can match your specific project to the supplier best suited to your materials, format, quantities, and timeline. You get access to a wider range of capabilities than any single factory could offer.
We currently serve retail brands in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
We work with micro and small retail brands across a wide range of product categories, including skincare and beauty, jewelry and accessories, specialty food and artisan beverages, candles and home fragrance, apparel and lifestyle, and subscription box businesses. If you sell a physical product and care about how it's presented, we can likely help you.
Sourcing overseas manufacturers on your own requires significant time, supplier vetting experience, language navigation, and quality oversight that most small brand founders simply don't have the bandwidth for. We already have established relationships with reliable factories, know how to read and negotiate quotes, and manage the production process so you don't have to. You focus on your brand — we handle the sourcing.