Jun. 05, 2025
Packaging & Printing
Environment plays a big role in pretty much everything and labels are no exception. Will your labels be used indoors? Outdoors? Both? Will there be moisture, condensation, grease or dust? Will they be subject to temperature changes, abrasion, friction or intense sunlight? Determining the possible scenarios your labels may find themselves in will help you to determine whether you need a paper or a poly substrate, lamination or varnish or something even more durable, like screen printed or domed decals.
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A phrase you might hear from a custom printer is: the quality of the end printed result is in direct proportion to the quality of the supplied art file. We always want the best possible output for our clients therefore we strongly recommend providing your art in a vector format, such as an AI file or EPS. There are cases when a high res bitmap, such as TIFF or PSD or JPEG will work, but raster graphics are harder to adjust for color output, clearance requirements and can contain artifacts which print pixelated, so what you get is what you get.
Hey, we get that color is important – it’s branding! And there are thousands of colors out there, some with dramatic variance and some so subtle it takes side-by-side examination in natural light to notice a difference. What you need to decide is how important is color to you and your label? If you feel that it’s 8 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being not important at all and 10 being absolutely paramount) then you need to provide your printer with two things: PMS values for the important colors and a fully vector graphic. PMS stands for Pantone Match System and you’ll find printed swatches with thousands of number-coded colors at graphic design offices and print shops.
If this is your first time ordering custom labels, you may not know what to expect in terms of cost. Are they going to cost me $0.10 per label or a $1.10 per label??? Well, cost is determined by A LOT of factors, such as size, shape, substrate, ink options, finishing specs and quantity for starters. As a general rule, the smaller, simpler and less durable your label is, the more cost effective it will likely be. For example, pieces of a 2” circle on a matte gold foil paper with black ink is going to cost less than a pieces of a 3” x 4” rectangle with consecutive barcodes on reflective vinyl with gloss lamination. However, there are lots of ways to create beautiful, inexpensive labels, especially when you start with great art. But you do need to bare in mind that custom printing is not cheap and the more you order, the lower the unit cost will be, so small-run orders of 100 labels tend to be on the pricey side.
There’s lots of ways that labels can be finished: rolls, sheets, singles, fan-folded, 2-up, 3” cores with a rewind direction of 4 and so on. If you are applying your labels by hand then it might not matter, but if you plan to distribute them for marketing purposes, you may prefer to have them supplied to you in singles, or if they are being machine applied, then you need those specs to supply to your printer. It’s common practice for a press operator to finish orders however they want, unless otherwise specified by the client. So don’t expect perforated rolls of 500 unless you ask for them!
If you’re in business, you know labels are important, and that they are critical to your company’s daily functions. But you just might take them for granted and think of them as simply a “commodity.” That could be costly in two ways. It could cause:
Designed properly, custom labels keep your products looking great, and your business moving. But that “designed properly” part is more than just a cute graphic or (for logistic operations) getting the numbers or bar code right.
There are six questions you need to ask to ensure that your custom labels will perform the way you need them to. Let’s look at those questions now.
This, of course, will determine your costs in terms of “quantity discounts” and printing efficiency. The method of printing and the machinery involved can differ greatly based on the size of the label and the quantity desired.
These factors, too, will help determine the most appropriate printing process and the projected costs. Certain stocks require specific printing equipment, and some ink colors require special handling.
The surface to which a label will be applied to can impact many other aspects of the printing job. Labels might be applied to wooden crates, metal components, cardboard cases, glass containers and many other materials.
Each might require a different paper stock for the label itself. And the adhesives required would be quite different in almost all those cases. Poor label adhesion is a common but avoidable problem.
It is critical to ensure that your labels stick.
This might be the biggest “wild card” of all.
Is the label likely to encounter water, solvents or dust? What about temperature extremes due to weather or heating/refrigeration requirements?
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Custom Consumer Products Labels. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
What about potential rough handling? Some labels will be protected inside a case until display. Others will need to survive on the outside of a shipping container subject to repeated loading and unloading and multiple means of transport.
These factors directly affect the type of label being used.
For machine labeling, core size and roll quantity and direction must be determined, as well as whether label rolls will be inside or outside wound.
Labels to be applied by hand are chosen for ease of application and accurate positioning.
It is also necessary to know the expected end processing and distribution of the labels. Do they need to be shrink-wrapped? Will they be drop-shipped to the end users?
Based on usage patterns, different case quantities may be required. That impacts shipping and handling charges.
Some labels face increased performance scrutiny. In agriculture, the produce traceability initiative (PTI) imposes stringent demands on the entire supply chain. PTI labels provide quick and easy tracking of shipments from farm to store in case of contamination or defects.
In healthcare, tamper-evident labels help ensure secure medicine handling and sanitation.
Labels on automotive components must endure high engine heat and grime and continue to display critical information for the life of the vehicle.
For consumer products we can offer an incredible variety of attractive stock labels and a literally unlimited ability to create a premium custom label that delivers an engaging and memorable look for your brand. Virtually any shape is possible, as are foil imprints and embossed designs.
For nearly 100 years, Superior has worked with businesses to add efficiency to every part of their operation. That certainly includes labels. Our custom label pros are happy to provide solutions to any label problems you are experiencing, or design one to meet your needs and exceed your expectations.
For labels, or anything else you need printed, you have no better resource than Superior.
Recently named Best of Print and Digital for the fifth consecutive year. And our ISO certification is unusual in our industry, but a critical factor in our exceptional customer service.
Contact award-winning Superior sales team from the link at the top of this page or reach out to Superior directly with our Contact Us page to ask for help in creating the perfect custom labels for your organization.
Both your products and your bottom line will look a lot better.
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