Needle gun in trade: functions, comparison, price

Tagging Gun — is a device used for attaching price tags and labels to products. A tagging gun helps automate product labeling, thereby speeding up the sales process. It is used in stores and manufacturing: in supermarkets, souvenir shops, garment and textile production, toy stores, shoe and bag shops. Mechanical tagging guns do not require connection to an electrical network.

Functions of a Tagging Gun:

1. Attaching price tags and labels to products or packaging.

2. Marking promotions and discounts.

3. Theft prevention — secures protective tags on products. This helps prevent theft and simplifies the checkout process at store exits.

4. Product dating — marks the date of product arrival in the store and its expiration date.

5. Product identification in manufacturing — labels products or packaging with tags indicating specifications: size, color coding, weight, or other identifying information.

6. Branding — frequently, manufacturers attach a label to each item during production.

How Do Tagging Guns Differ, and How to Choose One?

Type of Fabric a Tagging Gun Can Work With, Needle Thickness, and Length

The main function of a tagging gun is to pierce the material and insert a fastener through the hole for a label without damaging the product. Every material has unique properties: some fabrics are delicate, thick, thin, soft, or dense, with padding or without. It is essential that the gun does not damage the fabric, makes discreet holes, and securely attaches the label to the product. Therefore, different needle thicknesses and lengths are used for different materials:

• Thin needle: 1.2–1.3 mm in diameter and 4–8 mm effective length — for delicate fabrics (silk, satin, lace, synthetic fabrics, batiste, tulle, thin or soft polyester, chiffon), used for labeling evening and wedding dresses, luxury and delicate products, swimsuits, blouses, shirts, and other lightweight clothing.

• Standard needle: 1.9–2 mm in diameter, 8–13 mm effective length — for medium-density materials (thin and medium-density denim, cotton, polyester, nylon, soft leather, thin fur), used for tagging soft toys, fabric shoes, bags, clothing, and textiles.

• Thick needle: 2.1-2.3 mm or more in diameter and 8-21 mm effective length — for dense materials (denim, leather and fur, thin plastic, polyethylene, other polymers, polyester and wool on a rubberized base, rubber), used for labeling carpets, automotive mats, linoleum and other PVC products, toys with dense stuffing, bags, rubber products, shoes, leather jackets, belts, rubber accessories and components, flexible plastic pipes, and more.

Body Material, Size, Weight, Construction, and Price

Tagging guns are operated manually, so the weight, body material, and trigger mechanism stiffness significantly affect hand fatigue, labeling speed, and worker efficiency. It is crucial to select a gun that is comfortable in size and weight. Some tagging guns come with a wrist strap to reduce hand strain. A good tagging gun can be purchased for around 300 UAH.