If you have any questions about our labels you may find what you are looking for here in this frequently asked questions guide.
Q What label shapes do you offer?
A We supply both plant labels with a spiked foot for inserting in the ground and hanging labels with a supplied aluminium attachment wire. For more details on these label shapes see our blog post Tree vs Plant labels.
Q What size are the labels?
A The labels are large! The main rectangular face is 10 cm wide by 5 cm high (4 inch by 2 inch). The total height of the plant label is 20 cm (8 inch) which includes the foot.
Q How large is the lettering on the label?
A This is one of the great features of these labels. We optimise the font size to give you large easy to read lettering. For two lines of text the height of the text row should be about 8mm high.
Q How do the personalised labels work?
The really unique feature is that we laser engrave your label from a large range of fonts that you can preview to ensure that you get the personalised label you want. Most of the fonts have been selected to ensure that they are easily readable from a distance so you or visitors to your garden don’t have to crouch down to read the plant labels. This is a common problem we’ve seen visiting gardens that have hand written labels or labels produced with a small or indistinct font.
Q Have you any advice on how to layout a plant label?
A See our blog post How to write a plant name on a label which provides clear advice on Latin names, common names, cultivar names and family names.
Q Can I put any text on the label?
A In most cases absolutely yes but we can’t print copyrighted material or trademarks that you don’t own.
Q What colour is the lettering?
A The laser engraving process will expose the aluminium layer and will show a silvery white colour that has slight variability in tone and that may change somewhat over time as it naturally weathers. It offsets the black label background very well with excellent contrast.
Q How strong are they?
A Quite strong! When we designed these labels we purposely chose 1.4mm thick aluminium (actually 1.5 mm nominal) which gives the label so much more rigidity then other labels on the market which are often 0.8mm or 1mm thick. They are possible to bend but you will have to go out of your way to do so. The plant label has a foot which should easily insert into most soil types unless it is very stony or summer baked clay. The hanging label has a 1.25 mm diameter aluminium attachment wire that won’t rust over time.
Q What are they made from?
A The labels are made from black architectural grade anodised aluminium which is naturally corrosion proof. The aluminium alloy is the same as that used to make aircraft which nicely illustrates both the strength and durability of the material! The aluminium is fully deburred before being anodised to avoid any nasty sharp edges. The label may have minor surface pits and blemishes that are, in our experience, imperceptible from a normal reading distance and we don’t think detracts from the premium look of the label. You will be obtaining a label with excellent contrast between the black label and the silvery white text. Aluminium labels unlike wooden, plastic or steel labels are very hard wearing and will not rot, become brittle or rust.
Q What precautions should I take with Hardy Products?
A The plant labels have a sharp point at the end to assist with inserting into soil so care must be taken when handling them. Children may want to use the labels but adult supervision is required, they are not intended as playthings and should never be used as such. The wires provided for tying the hanging labels onto a tree or other structure are sharp and need to be securely twisted onto the support so that the ends do not protrude.
Metal structures are heavy and should be suitably placed to remain stable on the ground and should not be used to support other structures or climbed upon no matter how tempting the view from the top might be.
Q Where are the labels manufactured?
A The sheet metal is mostly manufactured in France. All other manufacturing steps which include laser cutting, deburring, anodising and laser engraving are all done in the U.K. to ensure that the labels are high quality.
Q How are the labels engraved?
A We individually typeset each label to ensure maximum readability and after you have approved the design via email we use a specialist laser engraving machine to individually engrave your bespoke design.
Q How long will it take to make?
A Please see our Ordering and Delivery page