How To: Print on Tags

If you're like me, you'd like to use those white round metal tagson your web pages, but how the heck do you print on them?

Recently, I discovered a new technique that works pretty well. Most of the white round metal tagsyou buy at a craft or scrapbook store are 1" in diameter, but you can get varying sizes and shapes. Using a 1" diameter tag, create a design on your computer (I generally use Adobe Illustratorfor this task, but any layout program, even Microsoft Word, will do). Make sure, using the rulers in your program, that the design does not exceed 1" wide by 1" tall. If you plan to use the hole in the tag, also make sure that you've left some room in the design to punch the hole in the tag.

Next, print out the image on acid free paper -- preferrably a lightweight paper, not cardstock. Using a 1" circle punch, turn the punch upside down and insert your design face up so that you can see the design in the punch area. Center the design, then punch it out.

Then, using a Xyron sticker machine, Xyron 150 sticker machineput the cut out circle in the machine, face up. Pull the circle to the other side to create a sticky back to the cut out. Pull the circle off of the sticker backing and center it on a white round metal tags. Using a 1/16" hole punch, punch out the circle on the tag. Mount to your scrapbook page using ribbon, string, or a sticky foam dot.

Tada! You're done!

Now, here's the shopping list of items you'll need for this project:

• white round metal tags
  
• acid-free paper (not cardstock)
  
• Xyron 150 sticker machine
  
• 1/16" hole punch