We make the labels and signs a data centre needs, from the room ID on the door to the valve tags in the plant room. Send us the label schedule as a spreadsheet and we engrave every rack, cage, asset and panel label from it, proof the full set back to you, and deliver it to site anywhere in the UK.
This page is for data centre fit-out contractors, M&E and electrical contractors, panel builders, and data hall operators and colocation providers labelling a new hall, a new cage or a refit. Everything is made in-house in our workshop in Cradley Heath, West Midlands, where we have been engraving industrial labels since 1965.
Planning a fit-out and not sure what to order? Our guide to what labels a data hall actually needs walks through a hall in build order and maps every line to a product.
What we make for a data centre
Most of the identification in a data hall is engraved two-ply laminate, the material still often called Traffolyte. The lettering is cut through a coloured top layer to reveal a contrasting core, so it cannot fade, smudge or peel. Signs for walls, corridors and safety go on printed rigid board.
| What you need | How we make it | Order it |
|---|---|---|
| Hall, room and suite ID signs | Engraved laminate door plates, or UV-printed ACM or foamex boards for larger signs | Wayfinding signage |
| Cage and suite ID plates | Engraved laminate plates with drilled holes for tying or screwing to the mesh, or adhesive-backed | Engraved laminate labels |
| Row-end and aisle plates | Engraved laminate, colour-coded by aisle if you want hot and cold to read differently | Engraved laminate labels |
| Rack and cabinet labels | Engraved 1.6mm two-ply laminate with 3M 467 adhesive backing, set out from your spreadsheet | Engraved laminate labels |
| Asset tags | Engraved laminate tags with sequential numbers, barcodes or QR codes; engraved or marked metal where laminate is not tough enough | Asset tags |
| Power distribution legends | Engraved laminate legends and charts, colour-coded by feed if your scheme uses A and B colours | Control panel labels |
| Equipment nameplates | Engraved laminate nameplates, screw-fixed or adhesive-backed | Engraved laminate labels |
| Plant-room valve tags | Engraved laminate discs from 25 to 100mm, on ball chain, numbered in sequence or engraved from your valve schedule | Valve tags |
| Safety signs | UV-printed safety signs on foamex, Correx or ACM | Safety signage |
| Wayfinding and site signs | UV-printed boards, or engraved plates to match the rest of the hall | Wayfinding signage |
Engraved labels at a glance
| Material | 1.6mm two-ply engraving laminate, laser engraved |
|---|---|
| Colours | Text on background: white on black, black on white, red on white, white on red, white on blue, white on green, white on orange, black on yellow, yellow on black, and black on brushed silver, gold or rose gold |
| Sizes | Any size up to 1200 x 600mm, cut as rectangles, circles or a custom outline |
| Fixings | 3M 467 adhesive backing, drilled holes for screws or ties, plain, or ball chain for valve tags |
| Your data | Upload a CSV, XLS, XLSX, ODS or TXT schedule, or give a start number for a sequential run |
| Codes | Sequential numbers, barcodes and QR codes on asset tags |
| Proofing | Every set is proofed and approved before anything is engraved |
| Turnaround | 3 to 5 working days standard after proof approval, with 1 and 2 day options |
| Minimum order | None - one label is fine |
Ordering from a spreadsheet
You do not need artwork, and you should not have to retype a thousand rack references. Send the schedule and we work straight from it.
- Export your label schedule. Send a spreadsheet with one row per label - a CSV, XLS, XLSX, ODS or TXT export from your DCIM tool, asset register or drawing schedule is fine. Put the exact wording in the cells, plus quantity, size and colour if they vary.
- Tell us sizes, colours and fixings. Say what size each label type should be, which colour combination each one uses, and how it fixes: adhesive-backed, drilled for screws or ties, plain, or on ball chain for valve tags. If you are not sure, tell us where each label goes and we will recommend one.
- We set out and proof the whole set. We lay out every label from your data, match the type across the set and send a proof back. Nothing is engraved until you approve it, so a typo in the schedule gets caught before it reaches the hall.
- We engrave and print in-house. Everything is made in our workshop in Cradley Heath. Standard production is three to five working days after proof approval, with one- and two-day options when a handover date moves.
- Checked and delivered. Each set is checked against the schedule and delivered UK-wide by tracked courier, or collected from us. Engraved labels, valve tags and printed signs for the same project can be quoted and dispatched together.
Any layout works as long as each row is one label. If you are building the schedule from scratch, columns like these save a round of questions:
| Label ref | Line 1 | Line 2 | Size (mm) | Colour | Fixing | Qty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-A01 | DH1 ROW A | RACK 01 | 100 x 30 | White on black | Adhesive | 2 |
| R-A02 | DH1 ROW A | RACK 02 | 100 x 30 | White on black | Adhesive | 2 |
| PDU-A01-A | PDU A01-A | FED FROM RPP-A1 | 80 x 25 | White on red | Adhesive | 1 |
| CG-07 | CAGE 07 | SUITE 2 | 200 x 75 | Black on white | Drilled, 2 holes | 1 |
Your numbering, your colours
We engrave your identifiers exactly as they appear in your schedule, whether that is a simple rack number, a floor grid reference or a TIA-606-style identifier your designer has specified. Colour-coding works the same way: many sites use one colour for the A power feed and another for the B feed, or distinguish hot and cold aisles, or give each colocation customer their own colour. Tell us the scheme and we apply it across the whole set.
Do not send us these
We would rather tell you now than have you find out after placing an order. We make rigid engraved and printed identification. We do not make:
- Cable markers. No heat-shrink sleeves, clip-on markers or cable-tie tags for individual cables.
- Wrap-around, self-laminating or flag labels for power cables, fibre, patch cords or copper runs.
- Printed paper or thermal-transfer labels, including patch-panel port strips.
- Vinyl. No vinyl stickers, floor graphics, floor-marking tape or pipe-marker tape.
- Illuminated signs, including lit emergency exit signs.
- Label printers, tapes or labelling software.
- Designing or certifying your labelling scheme. We engrave your identifiers exactly as scheduled. We do not write labelling standards or certify compliance with TIA-606 or any other standard.
For cable and patch-cord labelling you need a specialist cable-labelling supplier. For everything on the racks, cages, rows, panels, plant and walls, we can do the lot.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make a batch of rack labels from a spreadsheet?
Yes, that is the normal way to order them. Upload a CSV, XLS, XLSX, ODS or TXT file in the engraved laminate configurator, or email it to us, with one row per label. We set out every label from the data, proof the full set back to you, and engrave it exactly as the spreadsheet says - no retyping, so no transcription errors.
Should a hot aisle label be engraved laminate or a printed sticker?
For anything that has to last the life of the hall, engraved. The lettering is cut through the top layer of a two-ply laminate to reveal a contrasting core, so there is no ink to fade, smudge or peel, and it survives cleaning chemicals and years of handling. Printed stickers are cheaper and fine for temporary marking during a build, but we do not make them - if that is what you need, a sticker supplier is the right call.
Can the tags carry a QR code or barcode that matches our asset numbers?
Yes. Send your asset numbers as a spreadsheet, or tell us the start number for a sequential run, and we engrave each tag with its number and a matching barcode or QR code. Tell us which code type your scanner or DCIM system reads. There is no minimum order, so you can order a single tag first to test on your scanners before committing to the full run.
How fast can a label schedule for a hall be turned around?
Standard production is three to five working days once the proof is approved, with one- and two-day options when a deadline moves. Setting out and proofing happens before that and depends on the size of the schedule, so for a full hall we confirm a realistic date with the quote. Tell us your handover date and we will tell you honestly whether we can hit it.
Do you supply the plant-room valve tags and the hall signs together?
Yes. Engraved rack and cage labels, asset tags, panel legends, plant-room valve tags and printed safety and wayfinding signs are all made in our own workshop, so one supplier can cover the whole hall. We can quote and dispatch them together against a single schedule.
Do you work to TIA-606?
We engrave whatever identifier scheme you give us, including TIA-606-style rack, cabinet and port references, exactly as they appear in your schedule. We do not design labelling schemes and we are not certified to TIA-606 or any other labelling standard - the scheme and its compliance stay with your designer or operator.
Do you make cable labels or fibre labels?
No. We do not make heat-shrink cable markers, wrap-around or self-laminating cable labels, fibre or patch-cord flag labels, or printed thermal-transfer labels. Those need a specialist cable-labelling supplier. We make the rigid engraved and printed identification: racks, cages, rows, equipment, panels, valves and signs.
How do rack and cabinet labels fix?
Most rack labels are supplied with 3M 467 adhesive backing for a peel-and-stick fit on cabinet doors and frames. Labels can also be drilled for screws or cable ties, or supplied plain. Valve tags come loose or on ball chain.
What colours can the labels be?
The two-ply range includes white on black, black on white, white on red, white on blue, white on green, black on yellow, and brushed silver, gold and rose gold. Many sites colour-code by power feed, by aisle or by customer - tell us your scheme and we will match it across the whole set.
Can data centre contractors get trade pricing?
Yes. We are a trade manufacturer, so fit-out contractors, M&E firms, electrical contractors and panel builders can apply for a trade account with trade pricing, and approved accounts can work on Net 30 credit terms. We supply unbranded, so labels can go straight to site.
Send us your label schedule
Email your spreadsheet to contact@tradeengraving.co.uk, call us on 0121 667 0311, or use our contact form. We will come back with a price and a realistic date. For a small batch, you can also order straight from our engraved laminate labels configurator and upload the spreadsheet there.
Working across several sites or projects? Apply for a trade account for trade pricing and Net 30 terms.