Stringing That Delivers Hang Tags Knotted and Ready to Tie On
The finishing service that threads a cord through your hang tags, bottle tags, key tags, and badges, then knots it off, so every piece leaves 4OVER4.COM ready to hang. Pick the product, pick the cord, and we do the threading.
Stringing threads a cord through a punched or die-cut hole so a printed piece can hang or attach. At 4OVER4.COM it is an in-house finish added after printing and shaping. Choose cotton string, stretch-loop elastic, waxed cord, satin ribbon, or a chain, and we thread and knot every piece in your run. Your hang tags, bottle tags, key tags, and event badges arrive retail ready, with no assembly on your end.
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Stringing in one paragraph
Stringing is the finishing step that threads a cord through a hole in a printed piece so it can hang or attach. At 4OVER4.COM it happens in-house, right after printing and shaping. You choose the product and the cord, from cotton string to waxed thread to satin ribbon, and our finishing team threads and knots every piece in the run. The result ships retail ready, so your tags, badges, and bookmarks go straight to work with no threading left for you to do.
Why a string is the detail that finishes the piece
A printed tag with no cord is only half done. It looks the part on your screen, then it lands on a table and just sits there, because there is nothing to hang it by. The string is the small, easy-to-forget step that turns a card into something a shopper can pick up, a bottle can wear, or a badge can carry.
Stringing is one of the finishing services 4OVER4.COM runs in-house, right after printing. That matters because the alternative is threading hundreds or thousands of tags by hand, or shipping to a second vendor and waiting. Instead, your hang tags come off the press, get their cord, and go in the box. You can browse the whole hang tag range and know every one of them can be strung before it leaves our Queens facility.
This page covers what stringing is, which prints it fits, the cord options you can pick, and how it pairs with the rest of our finishing services. If you already know what you want, jump straight to the specs and live pricing below.
What is stringing, exactly?
Stringing is the process of threading a cord through a hole in a printed piece and tying it off so the piece can hang or attach. The cord can be cotton string, stretch-loop elastic, waxed thread, satin ribbon, or a metal chain, and the hole is either punched or die-cut during production. Once the string is on, the item is ready to use with no further assembly.
It applies to more prints than people expect. The obvious ones are standard hang tags and bottle neck tags, but the same finish suits event badges on a lanyard, key tags on a ring, and bookmarks that call for a tassel. If a piece has a hole and needs to hang, stringing is the step that gets it there.
Because stringing is a finish and not a product on its own, it rarely travels alone. Most orders pair it with another in-house service, so a tag might get water sealing for durability or shrink wrap for a clean retail pack before it ships. If any term here is new, the printing terms glossary keeps plain definitions on hand.
What stringing does for your product
The first thing it does is make the piece work without any effort on your side. A strung tag is retail ready: it goes on a garment, a bottle, or a shelf hook the moment your team opens the box. For a product launch or a busy season, that saved labor is the difference between shipping on time and staying up threading cord.
The second thing is perceived value. A tidy knot in the right cord reads as care, and shoppers notice. A waxed cord on a boutique tag or a satin ribbon on a gift box signals a price point before anyone reads the copy. Cheap or missing string does the opposite, so the cord is worth choosing on purpose rather than by default.
The third thing is consistency across a kit. When your clothing tags, key tags, and badges all carry the same cord and the same knot, the whole set reads as one brand. Set the look once in our online designer and repeat it across every run.
Cord and string options, and where each one fits
The cord you choose changes both the look of the finished piece and the way it attaches. There is no single best option, only the right one for the product and the setting. Cotton string leans natural and casual, elastic is fast and clean for retail, waxed cord feels premium and holds up, ribbon reads as a gift, and a chain or ring handles heavier daily use.
The table below lines up the common choices so you can match cord to product at a glance. If you are printing a shaped tag, remember the hole placement is part of the design too, which is why die-cut hangtags and kraft hangtags let you set exactly where the string sits.
| Cord | Look and feel | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton string | Natural, matte, easygoing | Kraft tags, gift tags, food and artisan brands |
| Stretch-loop elastic | Clean, snug, fastest to attach | Retail hang tags, apparel, high-volume runs |
| Waxed cord | Sturdy, faintly glossy, premium | Boutique clothing, leather goods, keepsake tags |
| Satin ribbon | Soft, decorative, gift-forward | Wedding favors, luxury packaging, seasonal tags |
| Ball chain or split ring | Durable, hardware feel | Key tags, luggage tags, event badges |
Which prints we can string
Stringing fits any piece built with a hole for a cord. In practice that covers a wide slice of the catalog: the full hang tag family in kraft, die-cut, and shaped versions, plus bottle neck tags sized for wine and spirits, clothing hang tags for apparel and accessories, event badges that ride on a lanyard, and key tags on a split ring.
Bookmarks are a quieter member of the same family. A tassel is just stringing by another name, and it turns a plain bookmark into a keepsake. You can see the range of what people make on our bookmark printing page and pick the format that suits a tassel.
If your piece is part of a larger campaign, stringing sits neatly next to the rest of your marketing materials, so tags, cards, and signage can all come from the same order.
Stringing plays well with other finishes
Because stringing is the last step, it layers cleanly on top of everything that came before it. You can print a tag, foil-stamp it, die-cut it to shape, and then string it, all in one pass through our shop. Nothing about the cord limits your choice of stock, coating, or shape.
It also sits comfortably beside our other finishing services. A run of tags might pick up water sealing so the cord and card survive a damp environment, or shrink wrap so a set of strung pieces packs together neatly. Larger display work leans on finishes like PVC banding for banners and signage. The full menu lives on the services page.
Not sure which combination your project needs? Order a set of free samples to feel the stock and cord in hand, or reach our print experts and describe the finished look you are after.
Step by step
How stringing works, from press to box
Four steps take your artwork from a flat printed sheet to a strung, retail-ready piece, all under one roof at 4OVER4.COM.
Specs and pricing
Hang tag specs and live pricing
Stringing is added to the product it sits on, so the total scales with the tag itself. Here are the live specs and price-per-unit for standard hang tags at 4OVER4.COM, straight from the configurator.
| Quantity | Price Per Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50.5¢ | $25.27 |
| 100 | 28.6¢ | $28.56 |
| 200 | 15.9¢ | $31.86 |
| 300 | 12.4¢ | $37.35 |
| 400 | 10.2¢ | $40.64 |
| 500 | 8.79¢ | $43.94 |
| 600 | 8.24¢ | $49.43 |
| 700 | 7.53¢ | $52.73 |
Ready to string
Products we string most
Wally explains stringing
The last little step that makes a tag feel finished
Wally thinks of stringing as the handshake at the end: the printing and die-cutting are done, and the cord is what lets your tag actually hang, attach, or ride a lanyard. Pick cotton for a natural look, elastic for fast retail, waxed cord or ribbon for something premium, and 4OVER4 threads and knots every piece so it lands in the box ready to use.
Add stringing to your tags →See it in use
Strung and tasseled work, printed in-house
Bookmarks show stringing at its most playful: a tassel is the same finish under a different name. Here is real customer work from our Queens facility.
Get Started
Ready to get your tags strung?
Bring your artwork to 4OVER4.COM, pick the product and the cord, and we thread, knot, and ship it retail ready. Adjust every option and watch your price update live.
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Where to go next
By the numbers
Finishing you can count on at 4OVER4
Common Questions
Common questions about stringing
What is stringing in print finishing?
Stringing is the finishing step where a cord, elastic, waxed thread, or ribbon is threaded through a punched or die-cut hole in a printed piece so it can hang or attach. It is what turns a printed hang tag, bottle neck tag, key tag, or event badge from a flat card into a finished item you can put straight to work. At 4OVER4.COM the stringing happens in-house after your piece is printed and shaped, so everything ships together.
Which products can 4OVER4.COM string?
Anything with a hole meant for a cord. That includes the full hang tag range (standard, kraft, die-cut, and shaped), bottle neck tags for wine and spirits, key tags, event badges that ride on a lanyard, and bookmarks that call for a tassel. If you are not sure whether your piece can be strung, our print experts can tell you before you order.
What kinds of string and cord can I choose?
The common options are cotton string for a natural matte look, stretch-loop elastic that snaps on quickly for retail, waxed cord for a sturdier premium feel, satin ribbon for gifts and keepsakes, and ball chain or a split ring for tags that take heavier handling. Each cord changes both the look and how the piece attaches, so it is worth matching the cord to the product and the setting.
Do I have to attach the string myself?
No. That is the whole point of the service. We thread and tie the cord on every piece in your run before it ships, so your tags and badges arrive retail ready. You skip the slow, repetitive threading and your team can move straight to using them.
Can I combine stringing with other finishes like foil or die cutting?
Yes. Stringing is the last step, so it layers on top of the printing and shaping without any conflict. You can string a die-cut hang tag, a foil-stamped tag, or a spot-UV tag. It also sits alongside our other finishing services, so a single order can pass through more than one finish before it reaches you.
How is stringing priced?
Stringing is a finishing add-on to the product it sits on, so the total scales the way the base product does: quantity, size, stock, and the cord you pick. More pieces bring the per-unit cost down. The clearest way to see the number is to configure the tag or badge you want and watch the price update live as you adjust the options.
What is the difference between stringing and eyeletting?
They solve two different parts of the same problem. Eyeletting sets a metal grommet into the hole to reinforce it, which matters on stock that will take strain. Stringing is the cord itself, threaded through that hole so the piece can hang. Many tags use both: an eyelet to protect the hole and a string to hang from it. You can see the full set of finishing options on our services page.
Legal Disclaimer
Gold Standard guarantees apply to all standard orders placed through 4over4.com. Price match requires verifiable proof of a competitor's published price for an equivalent product with matching specifications and turnaround time. Satisfaction guarantee covers manufacturing defects and print quality issues. Contact support with order number and documentation. On-time delivery rate based on tracked orders 1999 to 2026. Individual results may vary based on shipping carrier performance.
