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Guide To Pairing Electromark Digits & Holders

Selecting the right combination of characters (markers) and holders can feel overwhelming given the wide variety of materials, sizes, and styles available. This guide breaks down the coding logic behind Electromark part numbers so you can confidently pair markers with the correct holders every time.

1. Quick Orientation Guide: Portrait vs. Landscape

Before selecting a holder, determine whether your digits are portrait ("skinny") or landscape ("fat"):

  • 1.0″ Digits: Available in both Portrait (S) and Landscape styles.
    • Portrait (S) digits fit vertically (e.g., HOLDAL1V7) or horizontally (e.g., HOLDAL15).
    • Landscape digits fit exclusively horizontally (e.g., HOLDAL15).
  • Digits Larger Than 1.0″: These are always Portrait style. Pair them with horizontal holders (e.g., HOLDAL2H5) for horizontal layouts, or vertical holders (e.g., HOLDAL2V5) for vertical layouts.

2. Decoding Electromark Part Numbers

Both digit and holder part numbers follow a standardized structure that reveals their material, size, orientation, and capacity.

Decoding Digit (Marker) Part Numbers

Example: SLIDEKS3S4

Segment Position What It Represents Example
Material / Type First characters Code for Material Type (see more options below) SLIDE
Color Second segment Code for Colorway: Character color ON background color (see more options below) KS (Black-on-yellow)
Size Third segment Character height, in inches 3 (3" character)
Style Fourth segment S (Skinny / Portrait-style) OR F (Fat / Landscape-style) S (Skinny)
Character Final segment The actual letter, number, or symbol 4 (Digit '4')

Other Material / Type codes might be:

  1. SLIDE: Embossed Aluminum slide-in markers
  2. SLIDE_AR: Reflective Embossed Aluminum slide-in markers
  3. FLAT: Flat Aluminum slide-in markers
  4. FLAT_AR: Reflective Flat Aluminum slide-in markers
  5. FLAT_PB: Polyethylene slide-in markers
  6. ET10: PermaGrave® slide-in markers
  7. REFL: Engineer-Grade Reflective adhesive markers
  8. INT: High Intensity Reflective adhesive markers
  9. SUN: SunBright® High Intensity Prismatic Reflective adhesive markers

Other Colorway codes might be:

  • KY: Black character on yellow background
  • KS: Black character on silver background
  • YK: Yellow character on black background
  • SK: Silver character on black background

Here are some part number examples. There are slight variances in the coding strategy behind each digit family, but there are some consistencies:

Decoding Holder Part Numbers

Example: HOLDAL2H5

Segment Position What It Represents Example
Material / Type First characters Code for Material Type (see more options below) HOLDAL (Aluminum holder)
Character Height Second segment Compatible character height, in inches 2 (Fits 2" characters)
Orientation Third segment V (vertical), H (horizontal), VH or omitted (both) H (Horizontal)
Capacity Final number Total number of characters the holder accepts 5 (Holds 5 markers)

Other Material Type codes might be:

  • HOLDAL: Aluminum holder
  • PERMAHOLD: PermaGrave® holder
  • PAN: PocketPanel
  • HOLDPL: Polyethylene holder

Here are some part number examples. There are slight variances in the coding strategy behind each holder family, but there are some consistencies:

3. Common Digit & Holder Pairings

Note: The asterisk (*) in digit part numbers represents the specific character (0–9, A–Z). The asterisk (*) in holder part numbers represents character capacity. Matching is determined by material type, size, and orientation—not the specific character or holder length.

Aluminum Holders

Best for embossed metal slide markers and flat metal slide-in markers (reflective and non-reflective).

Character Part # Character Height Orientation Holder(s)
SLIDE1F* 1" Vertical HOLDERAL1*
SLIDE1S* 1" Horizontal or Vertical HOLDAL1* or HOLDALV*
SLIDE2S* 2" Horizontal or Vertical HOLDAL2H*, HOLDAL2V*, or HOLDAL2SH*
SLIDEKYAR3* 3" Horizontal or Vertical HOLDAL3H* or HOLDAL3V*

Polyethylene Holders

Best for polyethylene slide-in markers.

Character Part # Character Height Orientation Holder(s)
FLATKYPB1S* 1" Horizontal HOLDPL1*
FLATKYPB1F* 1" Vertical HOLDPL1*

PermaGrave® Holders

Best for PermaGrave® slide-in markers. Available in Plastic (PL) and Aluminum (AL).

Character Part # Character Height Orientation Holder(s)
ET1041KY1S* 1" Horizontal PERMAHOLDAL1* or PERMAHOLDPL1*
ET1041KY1F* 0.625" Vertical PERMAHOLDAL1* or PERMAHOLDPL1*
ET1053KY2S* 2" Horizontal PERMAHOLDAL2SH*
ET1051KY3S* 3" Horizontal PERMAHOLDAL2H*
ET1630F8KY3S* 3" Horizontal PERMAHOLDAL3H*

PocketPanel Holders

Best for Engineer-Grade, High Intensity, and SunBright® High Intensity Prismatic Reflective adhesive markers.

Character Height Holder(s)
1" PAN1.0VH*
2" PAN2.0V* or PAN2.0H*
2.5" PAN2.5V*, PAN2.5H*, or POT0121HXBC0

Still unsure which holder fits your application? Contact our Customer Service team for personalized assistance.