Labels and stickers are a crucial part of optimizing your product packaging for a better customer experience.
Custom marketing stickers and identification labels are an excellent and cost-effective way of enhancing your packaging and setting your brand apart from your competitors.
However, there is much more that goes into label printing, apart from creativity and budgeting. There are some practical factors to consider as you prepare to print your labels and stickers. We’ve organized this short piece to guide you through the technical and legal maze.
Table of Contents
Adhere to All Labeling Laws
Understanding and adhering to labeling laws is crucial when you’re selling anything, especially beverages and food products. The FDA has various food labeling and nutritional information rules and guidelines that you need to follow when creating your labels. If you want to learn about all these guidelines, you should take a look at the FDA Labeling & Nutrition Site.
If your products are working on clothing, you will need to take a look at the FTC guidelines for care labeling. You’ll also need to look at the fabric and textile labeling Textile and Wool Acts of the US. What’s more, the US has laws governing the labeling of all products as well as the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act.
Think About the Implications of the Material of Your Labels
You have to consider the application of your labels. Will they be on the outside of the packaging? Will the product be stored refrigerated or frozen? Will it come into contact with any weather elements? The reason these questions are crucial is that the labels and stickers need to retain their integrity if they’re to serve their purpose.
If your products are going to be refrigerated or frozen, they need to be made of waterproof vinyl material and have stronger special adhesive to make sure they won’t come off prematurely. If they are exposed to the sun, high gloss UV paper labels would be perfect!.
For perfect application, we recommend using a label applicator. For this purpose, you can get custom roll labels that match the dispensing direction of your applicator.
An additional advantage of putting thought into the material is in the unboxing customer experience. If you choose materials that have unique textures and are memorable to the touch, you can impress your customers significantly.
For instance, polyester can be made to have a chrome, metal, or mirror-like finishing. Velvet gives your packaging a sophisticated edge as your customers interact with your labels and stickers. Shrink sleeve labels are made of heat-sensitive material that is placed around your product and seamed, leaving the top and bottom open. They are elegant and glossy.
Consider A Great Printing Process: Digital Printing
When you have a professional digital printing company do the work for you, they’ll help you print great label information that retains its integrity throughout its use. Digital printing machines provide incredible detail, smooth and vivid colors. There are also waterproof and weatherproof options with digital printing.
While each printing process has its own pros and cons, color matching time can be considerably reduced when you choose digital printing. This still does not replace the diligent work of a Prepress or print technician when setting up and confirming your file.
The digital data that goes into the process makes color matching easy and simple based on the original design. Therefore, the production can start faster, which interprets into quick delivery. Analog printing would require color matching before the onset of production while digital printing usually doesn’t.
Bottom Line: Get in Touch with The Pros
We’ve already clarified the importance of having the best possible labels. Therefore, you can’t go with an amateur at this point. Your important print job must have all the hallmarks of professionalism. A job that looks like it was done at home on a color laser printer won’t benefit all your business’ efforts.
The professionals will always have a helpful word in case you have any queries about your stickers and labels. Talk to printing houses with experience to make sure you get best value for your money.
