Typically, the regular forms will print to a printer that supports standard Letter or Legal sized paper forms such as a laser printer.  However, when it comes to printing tag forms, it's not as straight forward.  This is because the form being printed is usually a custom size and therefore is not directly supported by Windows. 

You are confronted with several options when printing tags.  You can simply design a form that consists of 'stick on' labels that you peal and stick onto tags that you hang, or you can design a form that prints directly onto the tags.  This second type of tag form can also consist of 'sheet' style forms that you can print to a laser printer, tractor feed or 'continuous' styles that are printed by a dot matrix printer, or 'roll' style tag forms that are printed with a thermal transfer printer.

These solutions all offer their own particular benefits and drawbacks.  For example:

Stick-on labels:

• The 'stick on' labels can allow you to continue to use tag stock that you currently may use and may not want to stop using.
• However, this approach requires that the label be stuck onto the tag form prior to use, and this can become labor intensive.
• It also can cause wastage of the label sheets when you need to use less than a full sheet.

Sheet Forms:

• Polyester sheets can be used with standard laser printers to print tag forms.  These can be purchased in differing layouts, so that 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 tags per sheet can be used.   Using this style of form can allow you to use the same printer that you probably already use.  You can then set up multiple printer bins and configure Redtag to print to the bin that contains the tag forms.
• However, this style of form also suffers from the 'wastage' problem of having to use an entire sheet for possibly only a single tag.

Continuous or Tractor feed forms:

• This style works well.  It also eliminates the problem with wastage that is prevalent with sheet style forms as described above.
• However, this style requires the use of dot matrix style printers that may be difficult to purchase new, or locate drivers for since they represent older and less popular technologies.

Roll style 'Thermal Transfer' forms:

• This style works very well.  It eliminates the wastage problem discussed above since the tag forms come in 'rolls' of at least 200 tags per roll.  Larger roll sizes are also available.
• The tag forms are manufactured with tough polyester plastic, and the inks used are special UV resistant inks that prevent fading if hung in direct sunlight.  These can be constructed to be compliant with the 50 lb. pull test.
• Thermal transfer style 'label' printers are used to print these tag forms.    The thermal transfer process literally melts the surface of the plastic as it prints the information to the tag form.  While the plastic is liquid, it transfers pigment from a specially constructed ribbon that produces highly visible and durable print on the tag form.

 

The following items represent solutions for printing your tag forms as discussed above.   Remember that these do not represent the only solutions that are available to print your tag forms when using Redtag pro.  They are shown here only because they represent some of the better solutions, and they can be purchased from us.

Thermal Transfer Printer:

• It prints to thermal transfer tags that can be manufactured to your specifications, and are highly durable and visible.

• It  has a small footprint and therefore can be easily placed next to the computer that will be used to issue Lockout/Tagout procedures. 

• It comes with a standard parallel printer interface and a USB interface, so can be connected to virtually any printer port on your pc or network.

• It produces virtually non-removable type on a highly durable tag substrate. 

• Since the tags are in rolls, there is no wastage if you only want a single tag, and they do not stick together as sometimes happens with sheet tag forms in a laser printer.

• Redtag will support as many tag printers as you can connect to your system, so you can utilize as many different tag form types as necessary by using one printer for each type of form that you may use.

• It's quick, printing up to speeds of 4 inches per second.

• It has a low cost of ownership.

• This is an  example of the tag form that is printed with the printer described above.  These tag forms are not purchased directly from us, however, you can purchase them from the manufacturer; the Electromark Corporation.  You can view their web site at www.electromark.com.  If you call them, tell them that you want information on the tag form for Redtag pro.  You can also view the layout in PDF format by clicking on the picture to the left. (note: you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.)

Tractor Feed continuous forms:

• These are made of durable Dupont Tyvek(R).  This is the same material that is used to make protective clothing and construction wrap.  
• The tags are 3.5"X8.0" so are easily seen and they come in 3 tags to a standard letter-sized sheet.
• They eliminate wastage...if you only want one tag you don't waste the remaining tags. 
• These tags come in boxes of 1000 tags.
• Call for current pricing.