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Archive for December, 2012

Customs Labels Have Gone A Long Way

Saturday, December 22nd, 2012

Custom labels were once used exclusively for shipping parcels and packages, but that isn’t the case anymore. Nowadays you’ll find labels in virtually every industry, owing to the fact that companies see labeling as an effective approach to organizing their businesses or marketing their brand or product.

The type of label most consumers are quite familiar with is the variable information printing (VIP) label. VIP labels are widely used in industry, retail and distribution for identification, monitoring, weighing, pricing and tracking purposes.

Unlike product labels that are usually produced in bulk, VIP labels are printed right before they are applied using either thermal printers or desktop printers. Commercial and industrial applications mostly work with POS printers using thermal roll labels while office applications rely on desktop equipment using inkjet and laser sheet labels.

Main end-use areas for VIP labels include small office and home office (SOHO) information labeling, logistic labeling as well as laboratory labeling. SOHO label applications include file and folder labels, name tags, record labels and CD/DVD labels.  Logistic label applications on the other hand cover various forms of transport and shipping labels which are generally printed using monochrome or color laser printers. Blank and pre-printed labels made of special materials are mostly used for laboratory label applications.

Particularly in the manufacturing and retail sectors, labels may seem quite diverse. However, they are all designed to serve a common purpose – to sell a product. Millions of dollars are spent in research, design and production of custom labels that aim to capture consumer attention, generate sales and eventually create customer loyalty.

Among the most widely used labels are beverage labels and wine labels, both of which are designed to achieve an elaborate appearance and optimum performance in various temperature ranges. Bottled water brands for instance use clear polypropylene label films which are totally transparent to give a clean and pure look. The same type of labels is also quite popular when bottling vodka and gin.

Beer and wine bottlers on the other hand opt for matte or metallic labels to create more visual impact. These labels are produced using a technique of over lamination to attain scratch resistance and withstand above average handling in all stages of production and on the display shelves. A lot of these labels are treated for alkali resistance and wet strength so they are able to resist wrinkle or bubble formation and withstand temperature and humidity fluctuations.

Health and beauty products as well as industrial chemical products also use custom printed labels quite extensively. Labels used on these types of products are generally conformable and highly resistant to water and moisture as well as oil and chemical substances.

Labels have gone a long way from just being used to indicate addresses when shipping packages. They have become an effective marketing tool for producers and manufacturers across a wide range of industries.

Choosing Custom Labels – A Few Basic Guidelines

Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

A well-designed, high quality custom label can make all the difference for your product. Brand and identity are vital and large companies spend thousands of dollars in the design process of logos and labels for their merchandise.

How customers see and identify your product will ultimately play a crucial role in initial and repeat sales, so it is important to explore all your options when deciding which type of label will suit your particular product.

Custom labels come in virtually any shape and size – you’ll find rectangle and square labels as well as oval and circle labels. Especially for small business owners, it is a welcome thing these days that digital printing technology has made custom-printed labels accessible for virtually anyone.

In the past, one had to order labels in the tens or hundreds of thousands just to get the cost at a reasonable level. A professional graphic designer had to be hired and label cost increased depending on the number of printing plates or tools that had to be employed. Nowadays though, you are able to design your own labels, order just the right amount you need and still get sensible pricing.

We owe all of these to revolutionary technology which has been the biggest asset in making custom label printing economical even for the small business owner. Let’s look into a few important guidelines which will help you with selecting the right type of labels for your merchandise.

Choosing the right label material

First, you will have to choose the appropriate material for your product label. The most common choices are laser and inkjet labels but you will learn that there’s a great deal of flexibility in labels when selecting material for certain products. There are clear labels and gloss labels and there are labels that can resist above average handling such as those made from squeezable film material. There are also foil labels, high temperature polyester or vinyl labels and holographic material labels for those needing specialized types of product labels.

Deciding whether you need a protective overcoat

You can also top off your label with either a matte or glossy overcoat. Over-laminates provide added protection from rough handling or extreme temperatures and a custom label supplier can help you choose which kind will best suit your product.

Selecting the proper label adhesive

The type of adhesive used on your product labels is also quite critical. There are a number of variables to consider such as the environment where the labeling will be done, whether labels are permanent or removable and whether packages and containers are to be filled in hot or cold temperatures.

Label adhesives come in various forms. There are cold temperature or freezer adhesives, static cling adhesives, permanent adhesives as well as removable or repositionable adhesives. In case you are applying your labels by hand, cold temperature adhesive is highly recommended since adhesive flow rate is generally slower. This allows for quick label relocation in case you may need to reposition a label before it finally locks onto the package surface.

It is best to speak with a reliable label supplier regarding your custom label requirements. Label suppliers can also offer you other essential labels such as inventory control labels and shipping labels which most product manufacturers will likely need.

Disclaimer

We do not sell Avery-Dennison Corp.® products and are not affiliated with Avery-Dennison Corp.® in any way. All product names, product numbers, trademarks and logos used here in are registered to their respective companies.

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