1. Is the cable already terminated?
If the connector is not on yet, you can use a heat shrink sleeve: it slides over the wire end and, once shrunk, never comes off. If the connector is already on, use a marker that wraps: a self laminating wrap marker or a flag.
2. How thick is it?
Wrap markers fit cables from 2 mm diameter. The thicker the cable, the longer the clear tail has to be, because it must go once around the jacket. For flags, thinner wires and very thick cables, start from the label size you use now. If you are not sure, add the cable diameter to your request.
3. How dense is the bundle?
In an open run, a wrap marker is easy to read and nothing sticks out. In a full patch panel, an ID wrapped around a jacket often faces away from you. A flag sticks out to the side and reads without turning the cable.
4. Who prints the ID, and when?
If IDs are decided on site as the cabling goes in, you need blank rolls and a thermal transfer printer on site. If every ID is known in advance, the labels can be printed to your list before they ship.
Quick decision table
| Your situation | Marker |
|---|---|
| Round patch or power cord, already terminated | Self laminating wrap marker |
| A full patch panel or a dense bundle | Flag label |
| Wire or cable you terminate yourself | Heat shrink sleeve |
| Rack, cabinet or panel row | Rack and panel label |
Four mistakes to avoid
- Clear tail too short. On a wrap marker, the clear tail must go at least once around the cable. Too short, and the print is left uncovered and wears off.
- One end only. A cable labeled at one end has to be traced by hand from the other.
- Flags behind doors. In a tight space, a flag catches and tears. A wrap marker belongs there.
- Heat shrink planned too late. Sleeves go on before the connector, so the ID list has to be ready before termination starts.