It is one thing to come up with unique designs for custom labels that suit your brand and products and another thing to select an ideal label material. You should consider these two vital factors if you want your brand labels to be a success. However, most people put so much emphasis on these two factors they forget to consider an equally important factor to ensure successful labels; the method by which to apply these labels on their products. There are two methods used for applying labels on products which include: by hand or machine.
It is no rocket science that applying labels by hand is less expensive than procuring label application equipment. However, applying labels by hand is limited by the amount of labels you have to apply at a particular time. For small orders, applying labels by hands is ideal since you need minimal manpower. This changes the minute you have to deal with large orders and shipments. You need to invest in label application equipment that suits your product designs. This article will highlight important tips you have to consider when applying labels whether you choose to apply by hand or use equipment to ensure that your labels look good and stick well.
Consider the Type of Adhesive to Use
If you are applying labels by hand, you need to understand that sometimes labels can come out crooked and this mistake has to be rectified. Consider using repositionable adhesive on your labels which have short term removability. They allow the label to be removed and then reapplied without affecting the adhesion power. This saves your business a lot of money since you can reapply a crooked label or even remove a wrongly placed label and apply the correct one. Using permanent adhesives in this situation would cost the company a lot of money trying to rectify such mistakes.
Take the Temperature into Consideration
What kind of environment do you package your products? Working under extreme temperatures can affect how well label adhesives stick on products. For example, if your labels need to be applied in temperatures under 50 F, you need to use an “all temp” or “cold temp” adhesive to ensure that the low temperatures do not affect how well a label can stick.
Work on a Clean Surface
You need to ensure that before applying a label on a product, the product surface needs to be clean. If you are applying a label on a box, bottle or even an envelope, you need to ensure that the product surface is free from grease and dust particles. This ensures that the label adhesive gets more surface area to bond better on the surface. This does not mean that surfaces need to be squeaky clean but they just need to be free of particles that may hinder the adhesive from holding well.
Ensure Surfaces are Moisture Free
Make sure that surfaces are free of moisture before applying a custom label. Moisture makes it hard for adhesives to bond well on surfaces when present. You also need to make sure that no bubbles form on the labels as you apply on a product surface. Unlike applying labels by hand, using labeling equipment ensures that no bubbles form when applying a label.
