Cable and wire markers are useful to identify wires, cables, and electrical components in numerous applications. They help with cable identification in data centers, telecommunications, residential electrical installations, industrial settings, and other environments. Cable labels and wire markers are made with various materials including plastic, vinyl, and metal. They can be adhesive, clip-on, tie-on, and heat shrinkable. A labeling system can improve organization, safety, aesthetics, and timesaving. They may fulfill labeling standards and maintain compliance. Wire markers can assist with traceability to keep record of wires in complex systems. Use our handy guide below to answer various questions you may have about cable labels and wire markers.
- Why Use Cable Label Products
- Why Wire Markers Are Important
- What Wire and Cable Markers Do
- Ensuring the Safety of Your Wire and Cable Markers
- Cable Tie Labels
- Dispensers Keep Your Wires in Order
- The Many Uses of Cable Labels
- Cable Installation Don'ts
- Benefits of a Wrap Labeler
- Types of Wire Markers
WHY USE CABLE LABEL PRODUCTS
Tired of trying to figure out which cable is a USB, which is a FireWire®, and which are your network jacks?
Cable labels are a way to provide a quick, easy method to clearly identify your cables. It's an affordable method for labeling cables on the backs of terminals or desktop computers — or for cable identification in cable connecting boxes.
A label will make your wire easy to read in hard-to-reach areas like behind computer desks and crowded wiring closets. The marking surface can be rotated 360 degrees for easy viewing for some labels.
WHY WIRE MARKERS ARE IMPORTANT
Wire markers and cable markers attach to wires and cables. Wire marking and cable identification has become a vital component in most electrical system installations. This is because of the ever-increasing demands for: security, maintenance upgrades, and traceability.
Wire markers and cable markers differ widely in terms of product specifications. For example:
- • Heat-shrinkable sleeves are often made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), or fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP).
- • PTFE or FEP sleeves are well-suited for applications that require high resistance to chemicals, solvents, or ultraviolet (UV) light.
- • Flex-tag wire markers are designed for bendable wires and cables.
- • Rip tags are installed with cable ties instead of with adhesives. These are a good choice for wire marking or cable marking applications in areas that are subject to spills of fuels, lubricants, or solvents.
- • A hot stamp wire marker allows operators to use one wire guide for a range of harness wires.
- • A bench top laser wire marker is designed to process both single core wires and multi-core cables.
WHAT WIRE AND CABLE MARKERS DO
Wire markers and cable markers attach to wires and cables to help you identify them. Many different types of wire markers and cable markers are available. Basic wire marker and cable marker categories include:
- • labels
- • sleeves
- • tags
Specialized products include the following, with some more commonly used than others:
- • laser wire markers
- • insert markers
- • tie-on cable markers
- • hot stamp markers
- • number kits
- • heat shrinkable sleeves
- • shrink-tag markers
- • cable identification marker plates
- • flex-tag wire markers
- • rip tags
Wire markers and cable markers are used in a variety of application and industries. Some products are designed for use with valves, laboratory instruments, motors, and industrial components. Other wire markers and cable markers are designed for computer cables or electrical wires. Wire marking and cable marking products for specialized application such as rail transportation are also available.
ENSURING THE SAFETY OF YOUR WIRE AND CABLE MARKERS
Wire marker and cable marker suppliers are located across the United States and around the world. They comply with a variety of safety and quality standards from organizations such as:
- • Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
- • UL Solutions (Formerly Underwriters Laboratories) (UL)
- • Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
- • International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
- • National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
- • International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
- • American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
- • European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC)
- • European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC)
- • Deutsches Intitut für Normung (DIN)
- • Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS)
- • International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Wire and cable markers that meet U.S. military standards feature a MIL-SPEC, MIL-STD, or MIL-DTL designation.
CABLE TIE LABELS
Cable tie labels are labels designed primarily for use on cables where labels are seldom moved.
The cable tie attachment enables the tag to be affixed securely to any size cable and be held in a relatively rigid position for ease of viewing, depending on the tightness of the cable tie attachment.
DISPENSERS KEEP YOUR WIRES IN ORDER
Labels on your cables and wires should be legible, durable, reliable, and easy to use. You do not want labels to unwind, fall off, or become tangled or mixed up. Label dispensers can help you achieve this. This Wire Marker Dispenser is among the most user-friendly portable wire marker system available on the market today. Each dispenser contains 10 rolls of marker tape, labeled zero through nine. Each roll contains 76 individual markers with a pre-determined length to accommodate most common wire sizes. Each individual marker is mounted on a silicone release liner and has an acrylic adhesive. This item is small enough to be hooked on a tool pouch or carried in a shirt pocket.
THE MANY USES OF CABLE LABELS
Cable labels can be used on many varieties of wires. Some examples include:
- • Gaming Systems
- • Computers and Laptops
- • CD Players
- • RCA Cables
- • Video Cables
- • Cell Phones
- • AC Adaptor Cables
- • Digital Camera Cables
- • Extension Cords
CABLE INSTALLATION DON’TS
Before you slap a cable label or wire marker on those cables, you must install them. When installing cable in your home or an industrial setting, there are a few rules experts say should always be followed.
Before you slap a cable label or wire marker on those cables, you must install them. When installing cable in your home or an industrial setting, there are a few rules experts say should always be followed.
Do not allow cables to be stretched, pinched, or kinked. Data may otherwise travel more slowly. Do not additionally tie tie-wraps around cables too tightly — they should ideally be able to slide around a little.
BENEFITS OF A WRAP LABELER
Labelers can put clear crisp scannable bar codes, graphics and human readable text on boxes or other items. There are industrial wrap labelers that will label both the corner and the side of the product. The benefits of this are two-fold:
- • It reduces label and machinery cost.
- • It allows for product identification on two sides.
TYPES OF WIRE MARKERS
The type of wire marker you use should depend on where you use them and with what printing technology you use.
For example, for bench/desktop wire and cable markers, it's best to use blank labels, sleeves and tags that can be printed using a higher volume printer.
For pre-printed wire and cable markers, it's best to use blank or pre-printed labels you can write or print on. Label marker sleeves are an economical and durable solution when you only need two or three digits for identification.
And for portable printer wire and cable markers, use blank labels, sleeves and tags that can be printed using lower volume printers.
Shop here at CableOrganizer® for our full selection of cable identification products.
