How to make name tags and show cards
“How much is this one?” “What does it taste like?” Put the name, the flavour, the allergens and the price on a card so nobody hesitates and walks on. Here is what to write for each kind of shop, how to print it and where to stand it.
Five kinds of shelf card
Every trade has its own names for them. Choose by what goes on the card and where it sits.
- Name tag / name card
Name, description, allergens and price, set in front of bread, cakes and anything handmade
Where · Bakery cases, buffet counters
- Show card
A card propped in front of the goods to catch the eye
Where · The counter, the new-arrivals table, the tasting stand
- Price tag / price list
A label with the price and the quantity, clearly
Where · Clothing rails, ordinary shelving
- Mini POP
A small ad on the shelf that pitches an offer or a pick
Where · Sale tables, seasonal corners
- Label / shelf tag
A long, narrow price tag that slots into the shelf rail or a holder
Where · Supermarket and convenience shelving, wine racks
What to write, shop by shop
Pick your kind of shop to see what the card must say and where it works best. If you like it, start from that template straight away.
Made with 100% French butter, 72 folds of crisp pastry
- Allergens: wheat, milk, egg
- Baked and sold the same day
The right size for an acrylic L-stand or a clip.
Bakery & dessert name tags
Name the bake, say what it tastes of and list the allergens, and people choose without having to ask.
Where · In front of the tray, on the glass shelf, clipped to the bread basket
Must include
- Product name — The name of the bake, bold enough to read from a distance
- Flavour & ingredients — French butter, a natural starter — whatever makes this one yours
- Allergens — Wheat, milk, egg, nuts and the like
- Price — One big, clear number
Printing and standing them up
A few cheap stands and the shop printer are all it takes to look neat.
Four to a sheet of A4
When you download a PDF, turn on ‘Several per A4 sheet’ to get four to a sheet with cross-shaped cut lines. Print on the shop printer and cut.
Clear acrylic stands
For a showcase or a flat counter, a cheap acrylic L- or T-stand looks tidiest. Oil or a splash of drink wipes straight off.
Clip stand
Clip a stand to a basket rim, a wire display or a wine rack. It stays put when someone lifts a product out, and you can turn the card to any angle.
Print, don't handwrite
Printed text looks cleaner and reads more easily. Always print allergen information so nobody misreads it.
Before it goes on the shelf
A card that looks good on screen can look different under your lights and on your shelves. Check these four things first.
Where the stand covers the card
Leave these areas clear so the stand doesn't cover your words
Clip stand · top 10–15mm
That's where the clip bites, so keep your headline and logo out of it. On postcard POP and A5 the editor marks it with an orange dashed line.
Acrylic L-stand · bottom 8mm
The card slots into a groove in the base, so leave the bottom edge empty or the text disappears into it.
Shelf rail & bottle-neck tag · 3mm · 30mm hole
Supermarket PVC rails take 3mm top and bottom. A tag that hangs on a wine bottle needs a 30mm hole in the top centre, so leave that area empty.
Paper weight
Weight decides whether it stands on its own and survives damp air.
- 70–80 gsm copier paperDroops and ripples in damp air. Use it for test prints only.Poor
- 150–180 gsm cardFine in an acrylic stand, but it bows if it has to stand alone.Fair
- 200–250 gsm coated cardStiff enough to stand on its own, and colours print at their cleanest.Recommended
- 220 gsm kraft boardThe paper texture shows, which suits an organic bakery or a roastery.For character
Glare and damp
Stop the glare and keep the damp out
Use matt lamination
Right under a ceiling spotlight, or behind showcase glass, the glare is strong. Gloss lamination throws the light back and the text disappears; matt lamination stays readable from any angle and holds fewer fingerprints.
Condensation in a chilled case
Dessert and cake cases bead with water because of the temperature difference. Laminating the card stops the ink running and the paper buckling.
Customers' eye level
Choose the text size and the stand angle by how high the shelf is.
Eye-level shelf · 120~150cm
People look straight at it, so ordinary text sizes (14–18pt) read well. An upright T-stand or a slim clip suits it.
Below-waist display · 40~80cm
People look down at this one. Make the title and the price at least 30% bigger and stand it in a backward-leaning L-stand, and nobody has to stoop to read it.
Name tag & show card templates, ready to use
Tap one to open it in the editor, then just change the name and the price.