The rush to get your luggage after getting off a plane or train can lead to mistakes and worry if your luggage isn't labeled. While you might think that your bag looks unique or that you'll have no trouble spotting it, that's not guaranteed. Your bags need labels that can't be easily removed and that can be easily spotted. You can make custom tags stand out in three ways.

Bright Colors

Most people will have airline-provided paper tags or clear plastic tag cases that might have a colored border. You need a brightly colored tag that you can spot across the luggage carousel. Instead of using paper or one of those clear cases, get a metal tag that is all one color. You can get these now in red, bright blue, roadwork orange, highlighter yellow, and many other colors. You can also get more understated colors if you prefer, but keep in mind that those may be harder to spot as luggage tumbles onto the carousel.

Thick, Engraved Metal

That suggestion to get a metal tag is a serious one. Paper tags can crumple up, and plastic tag cases can become opaque with cracks, making it harder to see the name and address. Metal lasts longer, won't fold up, and if it's engraved (rather than simply having printing on its surface), it won't end up with half the name and address scratched off after several trips. The thicker the metal plate used for the tag, the better.

Serif Fonts

Oddly, the font that you use for the name and address could make a difference. Serif fonts, which are fonts where the ends of the letters have these little hooks and lines, such as Times New Roman, as opposed to Arial or Helvetica, which are both sans serif fonts, make reading a physical piece of text a lot easier as your eyes glide from letter to letter, facilitated by the serifs. (A sans serif font is better online.) If you can read the text on the tag quickly, you can spot your luggage more easily.

Laser-engraved, metal luggage tags are actually very easy to get. You do want to order ahead; giving a company a rush job is possible, but it can cost you more. For the best combination of price and delivery time, order tags when you first know you might go on a trip rather than in the weeks right before you leave.

To learn more about your options, contact a supplier that sells custom luggage tags.

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