Tag size, material, engraving depth and how much contact information actually fits on a 25 mm disc.
A pet ID tag has one job: be readable by a stranger who has found an animal. Everything else about the specification follows from that, including the size, the material and how the text is applied.
The two common failures are text that has worn away and a tag that is too heavy for the animal to wear.
Laser engraving removes material rather than adding a coating, so there is nothing to rub off. Stamping presses the characters in, which is deeper but limits how small the text can go.
Printed tags look good in a photograph and lose legibility within months of daily wear. For ID information that is the wrong trade.
On a 25 mm round tag, a pet name on one face and a phone number on the other is comfortable. Trying to fit a name, two numbers and an address makes all of it too small to read.
A bone shape at 38 x 25 mm gives more width, which is what keeps a full international phone number on one line.
Aluminium tags from 20 mm suit cats and small dogs, where weight is the constraint and a breakaway collar is being used. 25 mm is the general purpose size. 30 mm suits larger breeds with wider collars, where a small tag looks lost.
Iron gives more weight in the hand at the same size, which some buyers prefer for presentation but which works against you on a cat.
Anodised aluminium is coloured in the metal surface, and engraving cuts through that layer to show a bright contrasting mark. That combination is both durable and legible.
Glitter enamel tags sell better on a display but the engraving area has to be kept clear of the glitter fill, which is a tooling decision made before production rather than a counter decision made afterwards.
| Cats and small dogs | Aluminium from 20 mm. Light, rust free, breakaway collar. |
|---|---|
| General purpose | 25 mm round, aluminium or iron, engraved both faces. |
| Large breeds | 30 mm round or bone. Wider collars need a larger tag. |
| Maximum text width | Bone shape at 38 x 25 mm, for a full phone number on one line. |
| Marking method | Laser engraved or stamped. Not printed. |
| Colour | Anodised aluminium or glitter enamel with the engraving area kept clear. |
A pet name and one phone number. More than that becomes unreadable at tag size.
Engraving resolves finer text. Stamping gives a deeper mark in fewer characters.
20 mm to 25 mm in aluminium, on a breakaway collar.
Yes, provided the engraving area is kept clear of the glitter fill, which is set at tooling stage.
No. Aluminium does not rust, which is why it is used outdoors.
Send the artwork and the quantity. We will tell you which process suits it, and the first sample is free either way.
