Shipping Tag Size Chart: #1 to #8 Manila Tag Dimensions and Stocked Tags
Manila shipping tags are numbered #1 (2 3/4 x 1 3/8 in) through #8 (6 1/4 x 3 1/8 in), with #4 and #5 the everyday sizes for inventory, shipping and receiving. The chart gives each standard number's dimensions and use, then lists every stocked shipping, inventory, Tyvek and merchandise tag by size and type with case counts and the lowest cost per tag.
Standard shipping tag sizes: #1 to #8
Manila shipping tags are numbered by size, and the numbering is the same across brands: #1 is the smallest at 2 3/4 x 1 3/8 inches, and each step up adds half an inch of length and a quarter inch of width to #8 at 6 1/4 x 3 1/8 inches. The number is what buyers and printers ask for, so it is worth knowing which number a tag on the bench is before reordering.
| Tag number | Size (L x W in) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2.75 x 1.375 | Key tags, jewelry, small parts, price tags |
| #2 | 3.25 x 1.625 | Small parts bins, samples, electrical |
| #3 | 3.75 x 1.875 | Tool crib, mid-size parts, plant tags |
| #4 | 4.25 x 2.125 | The general-purpose tag: inventory, shipping, repair |
| #5 | 4.75 x 2.375 | Shipping and receiving, pallet ID, lumber |
| #6 | 5.25 x 2.625 | Larger shipments, machinery, drum tags |
| #7 | 5.75 x 2.875 | Bulk containers, furniture, appliances |
| #8 | 6.25 x 3.125 | Pallet and skid tags, crates, freight |
Stock, thickness and attachment
- 10 pt manila (0.010 in cardstock) is the standard shipping tag; 13 pt is stiffer for tags that are handled repeatedly or written on with a ballpoint.
- Tyvek tags are tear-proof and waterproof; use them on anything stored outdoors, in coolers or around solvents.
- Pre-wired tags have a 12 in wire twisted through the eyelet and are the fastest to attach to pallets, cages and machinery; pre-strung tags use cotton string and are for goods the wire would scratch.
- Unstrung tags are cheapest and are used with a tag gun and plastic fasteners on apparel and soft goods.
- Reinforced eyelets (a fiber patch around the hole) stop the tag tearing off in transit; all stocked shipping tags have them.
Choosing a tag
- Pick the number by what has to be written. A #4 fits a part number, quantity and date; a #5 or #6 fits a full address block or a barcode; #7 and #8 are for pallet-level information read from a distance.
- Pick the stock by the environment. Manila indoors, Tyvek outdoors or wet, colored manila for status coding.
- Pick the attachment by the surface. Wire on metal and wood, string on finished goods, tag gun on textiles.
- Print or stamp before attaching; thermal transfer labels on a tag are faster than handwriting at volume, and the labels per roll chart lists the 2 x 1 and 3 x 2 label sizes that fit #4 and #5 tags.
Tags share the receiving bench with the label size chart, the cable tie size chart for attaching tags to bundles, and the pallet sizes chart for the loads #7 and #8 tags ride on.
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Frequently asked questions
What size is a #5 shipping tag?
4 3/4 x 2 3/8 inches. It is the common shipping and receiving tag, with room for an address block or a barcode label.
What are the standard shipping tag sizes?
Numbered #1 through #8: 2 3/4 x 1 3/8 (#1), 3 1/4 x 1 5/8 (#2), 3 3/4 x 1 7/8 (#3), 4 1/4 x 2 1/8 (#4), 4 3/4 x 2 3/8 (#5), 5 1/4 x 2 5/8 (#6), 5 3/4 x 2 7/8 (#7) and 6 1/4 x 3 1/8 inches (#8).
What is the difference between 10 pt and 13 pt tags?
Card thickness: 10 pt is 0.010 in, the standard manila shipping tag; 13 pt is 0.013 in, stiffer for tags that are handled often or need to stand up on a hook.
Pre-wired or pre-strung tags?
Pre-wired tags attach fastest to pallets, cages, metal and wood; pre-strung cotton string is for finished goods a wire would mark. Unstrung tags are cheapest and go on with a tag gun.
Are Tyvek tags worth the extra cost?
Outdoors, in coolers or around oil and solvents, yes: manila tags soften and tear when wet, Tyvek does not. Indoors on dry goods manila is fine.