Your source for high quality label products from laser labels, inkjet labels, direct thermal labels & thermal transfer labels!

Blog

Posts Tagged ‘blank label’

Understanding The Language Of Color In Custom Label Design

Sunday, January 13th, 2013

When making or ordering custom labels for your products, services or even just for just a special event you’ll be celebrating, there are actually no hard and fast rules to follow.  Except for certain products that have to comply with specific labeling guidelines provided by the law, you have all the liberty to choose from various shapes, sizes, and colors of blank labels.

Needless to say, you still have to make sure that your label attains some visual appeal so that potential end users get to pick your product from the shelf. Similarly, when making personalized inkjet or laser labels for your special event, visual appeal plays an important role in enticing your guests to confirm their attendance.

Visual appeal defined

Visual appeal refers to a particular quality that elicits a strong interest or desire in someone or something. A person or an object may not necessarily be all that perfect, but it may have a certain level of attractiveness that can cause heads to turn. Often, visual appeal is the result of a play of different factors working together to paint a pretty picture.

“Eye candy” is a common slang term that best describes techniques or effects used to create visual appeal and draw mass attention to something. Like candy, the end result is something eye-catching and potentially addictive. And almost always, color plays an extremely important role on how visual appeal works to capture and sustain the attention of a wider audience.

Let’s take a look at how the simple choice of colors for custom-printed labels can help you come up with attractive and compelling labels for your products, services or special events.

What is it about the color of your label?

Ever wondered why McDonald’s, In-n-Out and Pizza Hut predominantly use red and yellow for their logos and brands? Well, it isn’t by accident that logo designers for these three leading fast food chains chose the two particular colors. This is the end result of extensive research conducted on the psychology of colors and how it elicits certain responses and reactions from human subjects.

Red, yellow, and the blending of the two to produce orange are generally colors that excite the senses. Red has been proven to capture attention, stimulate appetite and even trigger hunger. On the other hand, yellow fosters feelings of happiness and amiability. A combination of the two creates this visual-gustatory interaction that targets the specific market of these fast food businesses – people who are looking for fast and friendly food service.

In contrast, the colors blue, green and purple create just the opposite. These three hues are generally known as calming colors, which explains why you’ll see most of these colors used on health and beauty products that are formulated to pamper and relax you.

The language of color

Color is a language that communicates faster than words, shapes or graphics ever will. They work directly on our feelings and emotions so start off by knowing your market and identifying what appeals to them in order to generate a positive response from your target audience. Afterwards, check out your custom label options with a reliable online label supplier.

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.

Beyond Just The Name – The Different Functions of Product Labels

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

Custom labels play a huge role in the manufacturing and retailing industries.  Manufacturers must label their products while retailers extensively use thermal roll labels for pricing and inventory control in the business operations.

Labels are any type of written, electronic or graphic information used to communicate the important features and functions of a product to the end user. They may carry just the brand name or a great deal of information regarding the product.

Labels are typically incorporated into overall product packaging or may be employed separately for a distinct purpose. For instance, inventory control labels are used to indicate the completion of various procedures such as industry mandated testing or quality control inspections before products are shipped out to distributors and dealers. Similarly, different types of shipping labels are used to provide added information regarding special instructions or restrictions on certain types of cargo and packages.

Labels perform distinct functions so let’s take a look at the more common ones and learn what type of labels are best used for these specific purposes.

Brand Identification

The main function of labels is to identify a product or a brand. Different products use different types of labels. You can base your selection process on the label material to be used.  Matte or kraft labels, for instance, go well with products that are targeted at the environmentally conscious end user. On the other hand, foil, gloss and freezer laser/inkjet labels work well with products that are exposed to varying temperature or climate conditions.

Product Description

Certain products need to deliver pertinent information to the end user. There are products that require manufacturers and producers to provide consumers information on who made the product, when and where it was made, what the contents comprise of, and how it is to be used safely. For this purpose, you can select labels by size or shape so you find the appropriate one for your product.

Product Use

Alternatively, labels are also classified according to use. Hence you can find wine and beer labels, medical product labels, CD/DVD labels, shipping labels as well as bar code labels.

Product Grading

Certain items, especially fresh food as well as paper products, are graded accordingly. That’s why you see these small, circle labels marked A, B, or C on fruits and other food products.

Product Promotion

You can make use of attractive, custom-printed labels to make your product stand above the competition or to bring to the attention of consumers a particular limited time promotion you’re having on your product. Discounts, special offers and bargains may be conveyed to the end user using this type of label which can be tailored for your distinct purpose.

Custom-Printed Label Concepts For Start-Up Businesses

Saturday, July 14th, 2012

Custom labels serve different purposes and are extensively used to promote small and medium scale businesses and services these days. While custom-printed labels of the past were limited to address labels and shipping labels used to mail out envelopes, nowadays they have become an important marketing tool that can get a product into the shopping cart.

Custom labels can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary; hence they are also quite popular for personal use. In the recent years, you’ve probably seen personalized audio or video CDs using customized CD/DVD labels being given out as memorabilia for special events like birthdays, anniversaries or important life milestones.

Similarly, custom wine labels have become quite popular, particularly to add that personal touch to wine bottles being given out as wedding or birthday favors. A lot of small businesses also print out their company logos and other essential information on water bottle labels used as promotional items for their marketing campaigns.

You can think of so many uses for printed labels. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular uses for custom-printed labels.

Jar Labels

You’ll find them on homemade jam, jelly, pickles, peanut butter or sardines. Small, home-based or backyard food businesses will find good use of custom-printed jar labels for processed food items. They also make a superb gift idea to family and close friends for Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Cookie, Tart and Cupcake Labels

Do you bake for a living? You’ll find good use for custom-printed labels on cookie packages and cupcake boxes. You can purchase blank labels and create innovative designs on them. Inkjet and laser labels will be your best options since they work very well with conventional PC printers.

Beer Labels

Think of having your name on a beer bottle – Kevin’s Brew or Arthur’s Ale could sound pretty cool! Café and pub owners are starting to offer their home-brewed beer to customers and this is the reason why beer labels are growing to be quite popular these days.

Body & Bath Gift Labels (Personal Care Labels)

Small manufacturers of bath salts, soaps and gels as well as body scrubs and lotions make use of custom printed labels to mark their products. They are usually packaged together and make great gift items for special occasions such as Valentine’s or Mothers Day.

Gift Bag Labels

Specialty shops and small retail outlets might find it too expensive to have custom-made gift bags or gift wrappers. A practical alternative would be the use of customized labels that carry their brand or logo. You can use purchase inexpensive gift bags or simply use kraft paper to wrap gift items and stick laser printer labels with your logo to generate the desired effect.

Custom Labels For Use In The Home

Sunday, July 1st, 2012

Custom labels can be used across an extensive range of applications, particularly for purposes relating to your business, personal or home affairs. Custom labels are widely used on different products and merchandise and you’ll see lots of  labels made for food items, cosmetics and beauty products, wine and water bottles, and a lot more.

Using a complete array of color themes, images and graphics, custom printed labels can be used to differentiate your product or merchandise in order to make it stand above the competition. A well planned and designed label can catch a customer’s eye – it can make all the difference in getting your product off the shelf and into the cart.

There are many other practical uses of custom labels beside product identification, so let’s take a look at the more popular ones.

Custom Labels to Send Your Mails

Address labels are among the more popular custom printed labels used nowadays. Address labels save you the time and effort of having to write your return address each and every time you ship out a package or send out mail.

As an alternative to having your address directly printed onto envelopes, custom-made address labels give you the flexibility to affix them on various envelope sizes, parcels, packages or even mailing boxes.

Custom Labels to Categorize Personal Files

You will also put blank labels or custom labels to good use when organizing your paperwork at home. Laser/inkjet labels work well with home printers and you can print out colored labels to categorize personal files such as tax documents, family history records, bank statements, utility and credit card bills.

By using custom labels to segregate your records, you can establish an efficient system for record keeping and filing.

Custom Labels to Organize Your Home

Homeowners will also find labels a big help when organizing things in their home. The kitchen and you pantry can be better organized when you use labels to indicate where items should be placed. Printed labels on shelves and drawers in your pantry will help you locate stuff you might need to search through on occasion.

Labels on canisters, food keepers and bins that look pretty much alike will allow you to identify their contents. You can purchase pre-printed labels or use blank labels to print labels for cereals, coffee, milk, tea, pasta, and the like.

If you’re in the habit of keeping audio and video files in your home entertainment center, you can also purchase CD/DVD labels which are available in both laser and inkjet versions.  They also make great gift ideas or giveaways for special occasions like weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and special milestones.

Thermal Roll Labels for Convenience and Expediency

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

Thermal Roll Labels are utilized in a variety of applications in the modern world of today. With thermal roll labels, it is possible to print labels for barcodes, price tags, shipping labels, and many other purposes.  Other uses include applications like packaging, VHS tapes, part bins, shelves, diskettes, and many other uses. They are convenient to use and are available in many sizes to suit every need. These rolls are supplied in cores that fit the most popular thermal printers available on the market today.

Thermal roll labels are more preferable than sheets since they are easy to dispense and most thermal printers accept them without any problems. Thermal Roll labels are chiefly available in two forms – direct thermal roll labels and thermal transfer roll labels. The difference between these two roll labels is in the technology used. Though both rely on heat for printing, the direct thermal roll label is coated with a resin and wax combination that changes color when heated with the thermal printer head. Thus, when specific areas of the printer head are heated up by the printer circuitry, they form the characters by heating up the paper in a special way so that the paper becomes readable.

Thermal roll labels are usually coated with a suitable protective coating that prevents fading. In some inferior quality thermal roll labels, fading is a huge problem and you can be left in a situation wherein you lose your important data.  Therefore, it is better to inquire if the paper is coated to ensure that the printout stays intact for a longer time. Yet another benefit of the coating is to ensure longer printhead life as the coating does not allow paper residue to fuse on the printhead during the printing process.

Presently, there is a variety of thermal roll labels available on the market. You can easily pick up thermal roll labels, which are wound in or wound out depending upon the type of printer you have and your specific printing needs.  You can also purchase color thermal transfer labels or fanfolded thermal transfer labels as per your printing requirements. Yet another variety of thermal transfer labels is available in card stock form. You can create your own shelf signs, product tags, organizational placards, and a lot more with the help of these heavy-duty cards.

Thermal Roll Labels can easily be sourced from your favorite stationary store, or even from the Internet, where there are many sites you can choose from. However, you need to be careful that you are ordering from a reliable supplier as there are many traders who could provide you with inferior quality labels instead.

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.

© 2010 LabelsOnline.com. All Rights Reserved