Custom Valve Tags: Brass vs Plastic

Round and square tags - ANSI/ASME A13.1 service colors

"Professional label plates for a very good price. I needed to label house disconnects, and was going to use a sharpie, but the 'chat' suggested a real label plate instead. Panel Label's site was easy to use, love the live preview to really see it, arrived in a few days, and adhesive was already attached. Looks nice and professional!" - Bob C

What Goes on a Custom Valve Tag

A valve tag only earns its keep if a technician can act on it without opening a drawing. Three pieces of information cover almost every facility:

Round tags suit a number plus a short service abbreviation. Square tags fit all three lines at readable text height. Our tags run 1/4 inch to 1 inch text height, up to six lines, and up to 18 inches wide.

Sizing and Mounting

• Round tags: 1-1/2 inch and 2 inch diameter are the common facility standards.
• Square tags: 1-1/2 inch and 2 inch squares, sized to fit the longest line of text at your chosen character height.
• Mounting hole: 3/16" hole on every tag for beaded chain, stainless wire, or zip tie. Chains and fasteners are not supplied.
• Matching an existing set: send the hole diameter and position in the order notes and we will match it.
• Numbered sets: upload a spreadsheet with one row per tag for a full valve schedule in one order.

Brass Tags vs Stamped Plastic vs Engraved Acrylic

Brass tags are the legacy standard and many older specs still name them. The trade-off is legibility: a stamped character has no color contrast, so paint, grime, and oxidation eventually fill it in. Engraved two-ply Rowmark DurMark acrylic solves that by cutting the character through a colored cap layer into a contrasting core.

Spec | Stamped Brass | Stamped / Printed Plastic | Engraved 2-Ply Acrylic

How the legend is created | Stamped or etched into the surface | Ink stamped or embossed into thin plastic | Engraved through the top ply to expose a contrasting core

Legibility over time | Stamped characters fill with paint, grime, and oxidation | Ink wears off with handling and cleaning | The legend is cut into the material, so there is no printed surface to peel or wear off

Wet mechanical rooms | Tarnishes and patinas; still structurally sound | Can warp or become brittle | Moisture resistant, no corrosion path

Chemical exposure | Reacts with ammonia and some cleaners | Varies widely by plastic grade | Rowmark's guide lists sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide as generally safe at ambient conditions. Sulfuric acid and solvents aren't recommended. Send us your exposure details.

Color coding by service | Single metallic finish only | Limited colors | Seven standard color combinations stocked

UL recognition | Not applicable | Usually none | UL Approved under Yellowcard file E354751

Note: we do not supply brass tags. Panel Label Company engraves two-ply acrylic only, and we offer it as the modern replacement for stamped brass. If your project spec calls out brass tags, ask the engineer whether engraved plastic is acceptable as an equal. Many current specs allow it, and the color coding is usually the deciding factor.

Where Contractors Use Custom Valve Tags

Valve tagging usually lands on the mechanical or plumbing contractor at closeout, tied to the commissioning valve schedule. These are the jobs we tag most.

HVAC and mechanical rooms

Chilled water, hot water, condenser, and steam valves tagged with valve number, service, and normal position so techs can isolate a loop without tracing pipe.

Commercial plumbing

Domestic cold, domestic hot, recirculation, and fire protection isolation valves tagged to match the riser diagram and the building valve schedule.

Process and manufacturing

Compressed air, fuel gas, and process chemical lines tagged for lockout/tagout points and shutdown sequences.

Water and wastewater

Sequentially numbered tag sets for plant valve inventories, with color coded services and matching equipment nameplates.

Data centers and critical facilities

Redundant loop identification where an isolated valve on the wrong side of a header takes equipment offline.

Marine and outdoor piping

Exterior runs where UV and weather exposure would fade a printed tag within a season.

How to Order a Tag Set

• Pick round or square and choose a color combination aligned with ANSI/ASME A13.1.
• Enter the valve number, service, and normal position for each tag, or upload your valve schedule as a spreadsheet.
• Confirm text height, mounting hole, and quantity. Pricing updates live and bulk discounts apply automatically.
• Approve the on-screen preview and check out. Most sets ship in 1-2 business days.

Related Pages

• Valve Tags & Pipe ID - product page with tag styles, colors, and FAQs.
• Phenolic Tag Alternative - engraved acrylic tags for valves, pipes, and equipment.
• Industrial Acrylic Labels - the DurMark material spec in detail.
• Legend Plates - 16mm, 22mm, and 30mm plates for pushbuttons and selector switches.
• UL 508A Nameplates - control panel labels for UL 508A shops.

Custom Valve Tags - Common Questions

Brass valve tags vs plastic valve tags: which should I use?

Brass is the traditional choice and holds up mechanically, but the stamped legend fills with paint and oxidation and there is no color coding by service. Engraved two-ply acrylic keeps the legend legible because the character is cut through the top ply into a contrasting core, and the tag itself can carry the ANSI/ASME A13.1 service color. If your spec calls out brass, we can quote engraved acrylic as an equal, and many specs now accept engraved plastic.

What information belongs on a valve tag?

At minimum, a unique valve number that ties back to the valve schedule. Most facilities also add the service (for example CHW SUPPLY or FUEL GAS) and the normal position (NORMALLY OPEN or NORMALLY CLOSED). Square tags fit all three lines comfortably.

What size valve tags do you make?

Round and square tags are both commonly 1-1/2 inch or 2 inch. Text height runs from 1/4 inch to 1 inch and tags can be up to 18 inches wide, with a maximum of six lines.

How do custom valve tags attach?

Every tag includes a mounting hole for beaded chain, stainless wire, or a zip tie. Tell us the hole size and location in the order notes and we will match your existing tags.

Can you engrave a numbered set from our valve schedule?

Yes. Upload a spreadsheet in the designer with one row per tag and we will engrave the full set, including prefixes and suffixes. Bulk pricing applies automatically at volume.

How fast do custom valve tag orders ship?

Most orders engrave and ship within 1-2 business days from Clayton, North Carolina.

Ready to Tag Your Valve Schedule?

Live preview, instant pricing, spreadsheet upload for large sets.