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How to Choose the Right Label Adhesive

Saturday, August 20th, 2011

Do you get frustrated when someone answers a question, by asking a question? Well, then, you may find choosing the correct label adhesive a little frustrating! When engineering a label specification one of the most important decisions is which label adhesive to use. There are more than a hundred different label adhesives available. Choosing the wrong adhesive can lead to poor application (lowering production efficiency), re-work / waste, and poor package aesthetics. Often, the end consumer is affected if the label adhesive fails after retail. Worst case a product recall may be initiated because a label (with critical consumer information) does not adhere to the package.

Types of Adhesives
It’s glue, just pick a glue that sticks, right? We wish it were that simple! Modern label adhesives are manufactured several ways (hot melt, solvents, emulsions) and using a few different materials (rubbers, acrylics, etc). But no matter which method or material is used for manufacturing - they need to perform.

Adhesive Performance Criteria
There are four basic criteria of performance that an adhesive is evaluated on:
- Printer converting (die-cutting and stripping)
- Initial tack (how well does the label stick initially)
- Long term bond (after setting up, how well does the label perform)
- Consumer use (in shower, under sink, outdoor, etc)

Specialty Adhesives
Scientists have taken the basic types and engineered very specific adhesives - each aimed at a performance specialty. Examples of these special uses are:

All-Temp: Very good adhesion across a wide range of temperatures.
Cold-Temp: Engineered to have strong adhesion in very cold temperatures.
Wet-Stick: Adheres well to moist application surfaces.
Tire Adhesive: A very aggressive high-coat-weight adhesive for adhesion to porous surfaces.
Removable: Can be removed from some surfaces. Testing strongly recommended.
Ultra-removable: Can be removed from most surfaces even after long term bond.
Repositionable: Weak initial tack, strong long term bond. Allows the label to be removed and adjusted during application.
Soak and Remove: Adhesive is formulated to be removed when soaked in warm water.

Questions to Ask
Custom Label can help you select the correct adhesive:

What container, product, or surface is the label being applied to?
Is there any moisture or residue on the application surface during labeling?
What temperature is the room where the label will be applied?
Once the label is applied, will it need to be repositioned or removed?
What temperature will the label endure during storage, distribution and end use?
Will the label encounter unusual humidity during application, distribution or end use?

Even after answering those questions, an adhesive recommendation is exactly that: a recommendation. There is no guarantee that the adhesive will perform exactly as desired. Custom Label strongly recommends adhesive testing prior to production - give us a call and we’ll expedite label samples for your testing!

Posted in Custom Label, Digital Label Printing, Entrepreneur's Corner, Flexo Labels, Labels 101, Materials, Quality | Comments Off

Four Color Process, “Spot Colors”, and PMS Matching

Sunday, June 5th, 2011

Color drives consumer behavior. That indisputable fact has guided marketing teams for a century as they seek packaging that evokes in consumers a feeling that matches their products. See if you can identify these modern companies who have used color to define their brand:

A certain red can of cola
A tractor that has defined a shade of green
The simple red bullseye used by a department store
A multi-color peacock for a TV Network

For a printer, being able to exactly match a customer’s color is critical to success. But there are many paths to that goal. As electronic (emailed) proofs have become commonplace, color matching has become more difficult. Every computer monitor and desktop printer is unique in it’s rendering of colors, and calibration of that equipment is challenging at best. The designer/customer and their printer must work diligently to avoid misunderstandings. Let’s take a look at a few strategies for developing color.

What is a PMS Color?

The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a proprietary color system that allows graphic designers and printers to achieve common color objectives. A designer can use a PMS “Color Bridge” to select colors from a physical swatch book. Printers can then use the PMS formula to create that particular PMS color. Using a PMS color as the target gives both the designer/customer and the printer a common standardized color goal.

What is a “Match Color”

While PMS formula books cover many colors, they are not all inclusive. In cases where a current PMS color does not match the desired hue, a “Match Color” can be mixed by a printer. This process involves both science and trial-and-error. Once accomplished, the color’s formula can be documented and duplicated. Customers often request match colors when they have a physical sample (”match my dog’s fur…”) or are trying to match another printer’s label (for shelf consistency).

What is a Spot Color?

Spot Colors are blended inks that are formulated to match a specific color. A spot color can be black, white, red, blue or any other color in the spectrum. The Spot Color is blended and matched prior to printing, in which the press operator uses the pre-mixed ink to print the customer’s target color.

What is Four Color Process?

Four color process is a system that uses Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow and Black together to create a broad range of colors. This method is often referred to as 4 C/P, CMYK, or Full Color printing. To prepare plates for 4 C/P printing the artwork is separated (digitally) into CMYK “separations”. When done correctly a printer can print a very wide range of colors and very accurately match original artwork. The image below shows the four color separation and final image for a label.

My label only has green and purple, why does my quote say “4 Colors”?

For many color matching situations, we will propose 4 color process printing to achieve your PMS Colors or color match. Our digital printing press utilizes 4 color process almost exclusively to reduce setup times and ink costs.

Posted in Custom Label, Digital Label Printing, Entrepreneur's Corner, Flexo Labels, Labels 101 | Comments Off

What is “Copy Position” / “Unwind Code” and why does it matter?

Sunday, May 29th, 2011

If you are searching for a supplier of Custom Labels, you will hear the terms “Copy Position”, “Unwind Direction”, or “orientation”. What is it, and why does it matter? The simple answer is that Copy Position is a visual representation of how the label is oriented on the roll of labels. For Hand-Applied labels, copy position usually doesn’t matter - but for Automatically Applied labels the wrong copy position can shut down production! When a machine applies the label, the production line is often only set up to To help you understand this, we should talk about how label applicators work.

For pressure-sensitive labels, the adhesive-backed label adheres to a “carrier” or “liner” that is coated with silicone. When the liner is pulled around a straight edge, the label wants to “shoot” off the edge. That is how automatically applied labels are dispensed. Here is a picture of a label applicator head:
Typical Label Applicator

The label web is pulled over the Peel Plate, and labels are dispensed off the edge. What does this have to do with Copy Position? This Label Applicator Head is usually above or beside a production conveyor. As product moves buy the label is shot out onto the bottle, vial, or box. So the orientation of the label artwork in relation to the product is critical. With the wrong Copy Position, the label might be upside down on the container!

Let’s look at the Industry Standard Copy Position Chart:

So how do you know what Copy Position you need? If your company does it’s own labeling, check with your production team. The equipment they use should be specified for a Copy Position. If you utilize a Contract Packager or private label manufacturer, give them a call. They will often have a Copy Position specification for each type of product they manufacture. You can always call Custom Label and ask for any Customer Service Representative. We are ready to help you with your labeling needs!

Posted in Custom Label, Entrepreneur's Corner, Labels 101 | Comments Off

So you only need 100 labels?

Saturday, May 7th, 2011

At Custom Label, we cheer for small businesses and start-ups! Sure, we love our big customers too, but it’s great to see a new company knock it out of the park. We were all a “small fry” at one point, right? With Custom Label’s digital printing capabilities we ar often approached by pre-market start-ups wanting to produce their first labels. Each week we are approached with the question “How much for 100 labels?” Or 50, or 10, or…. This blog entry is devoted to answering the question: “When is an order too small?”

At the risk of answering with a question, “How much can you spend per label?”. We can print an order of just 1 label, but the cost for that 1 label will be very high. At Custom Label, we have state-of-the-art digital printing cabilities, very economical for printing small runs. That press, however, is not a simple machine. For all of our orders we must “prep” the art, obtain customer approval of the proofs, calibrate the press, print the labels in roll form, and die-cut and laminate them in a second machine. You can see how the labor hours add up even on a small order. For that reason it is common that the total order cost doesn’t vary much for orders under 1,000 labels. The chart below shows this concept. Buying 500 labels only costs an extra $15 versus an order of 100!

For this hypothetical label, the pricing for 100 Labels is $3,600/M (per 1,000 labels) or $360 for the order. Most of the cost is set-up of the machinery. For 500 Labels, the cost is $750 /M or $375 for the total order. Once the machine is setup and running, it doesn’t cost that much more for 5 times as many labels. As quantities grow, however, the setup costs are “amortized” and the material costs and run labor become more important. See how the 5,000 Label run drops to $ 130 / M, or only $650 for the total order?

What do I do if I really only need 100 Labels?

It all depends on the goal of your label. If your label is going to the boardroom to show your CEO a mock-up of your product, by all means a professional label is needed. Custom Label can produce a 1st Class prototype label for you. But what if you only need 100 labels to test our your new product at a local Swap Meet or Famer’s Market? Here are some less expensive solutions:

Desktop Printer Label Sheets: The major office supply stores all carry label sheets in many sizes for printing on your desktop inkjet or color laser printer in both paper and film versions. The printing will sub-professional and the materials will be inferior, but may be fine for your simple requirements.

Specialty Label Printers: Office supply stores also sell simple inkjet and thermal printers from manufacturers like Dymo and Brother, that plug into your computer. They are limited in the size of label media they can print and most only print with Black. Many simple printers like these are under $150 - but the consumable costs can be very expensive.

Industrial Thermal Transfer Label Printers: If your label requirements are significant and black printing is acceptable you can purchase an industrial thermal transfer machine. These high-end desktop printers plug into your computer, and are controlled by specialty software. Up to 1200 dpi printing can be obtained, but be ready to spend several thousand dollars on hardware and software.

Give us a call at Custom Label and we can help you decide the best path for your labels. Even if you use one of the alternatives above to get started, Custom Label will be ready to jump in when your quantities climb and you need a High Quality label solution!

Posted in Custom Label, Digital Label Printing, Entrepreneur's Corner, Penny Pinching | Comments Off

How Important is Color to YOU?

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

In the most recent blog I cited a study which found that people make a subconscious evaluation about a person, environment or product within 90 seconds of their initial viewing (source: CCICOLOR “ Institute for Color Research) and that more than 62% of that assessment is based on color alone! We are all programmed to react with emotion to different colors. It seems clear to me that a product’s color has more to do with our purchasing behaviors that we are aware of. On a subconscious level we connect specific colors with feelings, fears, emotions, and sensations. Brand managers and entrepreneurs must pick their colors carefully to make sure their brand colors match their brand image.

There are other reasons to pick packaging colors carefully. In another research study color was found to increase brand recognition by up to 80% (source: University of Loyola, Maryland). That is a big number! Coca-Cola versus Pepsi is a clear example of this phenomenon. Same can, same artwork layout, but if I asked which is red, and which is blue you wouldn’t need to phone a friend. What about Pepto Bismol? Easy to remember when you have an upset stomach?

d004 Custom Label is all about Color. Your Color. We have more than 30 years of experience working with customers to match your exact color not once, but every time you place an order. Our flexo label presses are multi-color platforms that support up to 10 individual colors run in a single pass. Each print station can print a different PMS or custom-match color. We can provide color draw down samples or conduct a live press-check proof where you can be involved and confirm the perfect color for your label and product. Our digital press uses up to 6 colors to create a process blend that emulates the traditional PMS colors. We can come very close for a large percentage of PMS colors. For those colors that do not translate to process printing, we can order PMS match colors for the digital press. Whether your need is short run digital labels or a long run flexo job, we will make sure you are happy with the color. Your success depends upon it!

Posted in Custom Label, Digital Label Printing, Entrepreneur's Corner, Flexo Labels, Labels 101, Quality | Comments Off

It Just Makes Sense

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

For many of our customers the retail store is their battleground. As a consumer approaches your product’s aisle the vast majority of shoppers do not know what brand of product they will buy that day. Oft-quoted marketing research claims that 70-75% of consumer packaged goods buying decisions are made at the shelf. That’s a scary statistic if you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, trying to gain sales momentum through retail distribution. Jane or Joe Consumer doesn’t realize how hard you’ve worked to develop your recipe or formula. They have no idea that you spent endless hours with a designer until your package design and product label conveyed the perfect brand message. In the blink of an eye, that consumer will make an impulsive decision whether to choose your product or Product X. It’s not fair! Why doesn’t the consumer see how much better your product is?

Fear not. Thankfully, your product is not defenseless against a whimsical and fickle consumer. Consumer buying behavior has been studied and analyzed by a multitude of researchers, scholars, and consultants. We can learn from their work to get a glimpse into the consumer’s mind. So what influences a shopper as they stare at the options? As you know, human beings have many senses. Some of our basic senses are sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. All five basic senses can influence a consumer to say “I am going to buy Product X!” But which of our senses is the most important? At the risk of sending perfume testers and food samplers to the unemployment line, I’m pretty sure it’s the sense of Sight. Research has determined that 92.6% of consumers put the most importance on visual factors when purchasing products (source: Seoul International Color Expo 2004). In a separate study, they claim that people make a subconscious evaluation about a person, environment or product within 90 seconds of their initial viewing (source: CCICOLOR Institute for Color Research). Not much time for your packaging to give it’s silent sales pitch!

So as a packaging engineer, entrepreneur, or small business owner what can you do? I have a simple, albeit biased, suggestion: Focus on your product’s packaging. Look through this checklist and honestly evaluate your packaging:

Emotion:

Does your package evoke an emotion that stimulates a purchase?

Efficacy:

Your labeling should communicate the benefits and effectiveness of your product.

Up-to-date:

Even iconic brands must be changed regularly to stay fresh

Unique:

Does your brand stand out on a me-too shelf?

Information:

Make sure your label gives the consumer the info they seek

Give us a call today at Custom Label. Let us help you build the optimum packaging for your brand and product. That’s why our tag line is:

YOUR PRODUCT - OUR PURPOSE

Posted in Custom Label, Entrepreneur's Corner, Labels 101, Materials, Packaging News, Penny Pinching, Technical Articles | Comments Off

Varnish or Lamination - Which one is right for you?

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Often, after asking the question “would you like a varnish or a lamination”, our customers will ask “Do I need one?”. That’s a difficult question to answer, as the label supplier. While there are applications that require no additional protection the vast majority of applications we see at Custom Label require either a varnish or lamination. These coatings offer both aesthetic character to the package and a layer of protection to the printed label.

Varnish Basics
Varnishes are liquid coatings that are “printed” onto the label surface. Water-based varnishes dry through evaporation and are often called “aqueous varnish” or “press varnish”. UV Varnish is a uv-cured varnish - often with a very high gloss sheen. Varnishes can protect the label from abrasion and scuff, while added interesting aesthetics with different finishes. Gloss, Matte, and Satin finishes each deliver a unique image. Computer Imprintable varnish allow for thermal transfer printing in an end-use environment. Food-Safe varnishes are safe for secondary food contact in most applications. If the varnish is used for label detection, a varnish with extra Optical Brightener can improve your manufacturing line efficiencies.

Lamination Basics
Laminations are thin layers of film that are adhered to the label surface, providing an actual plastic barrier between the label and the environment. There are two main types of lamination: self-wound lam and linered lamination. Self-would laminations have adhesive on the lam, but are wound on themselves like a roll of transparent office tape. This is economical, but can leave air bubbles and irregularities in the finished label. Linered laminations are created much like other pressure-sensitive materials - with a release-coated liner separating the adhesive. Linered laminations are more expensive, but have a higher-quality look with better clarity, particularly if applied to a film label substrate. Similar to varnishes, laminations are available in gloss, matte, and imprintable versions.

Which is Right for Me?
Both varnishes and laminations provide protection to your label. Laminations can “cheapen” the look of the label, with a “plastic” appearance. However, if your label is exposed to oils/solvents/agents or is in a high-scuff environment, lamination might be a safer choice. To choose the best coating for your label, call Custom Label. We will guide you through selection of best materials for your label!

Posted in Custom Label, Digital Label Printing, Entrepreneur's Corner, Flexo Labels, Labels 101, Materials, Quality | Comments Off

What is a “Corner Radius”? Do I need one?

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

“Corner Radius”(CR) describes how rounded the corners are on a rectangular die-cut. The term “corner radius” refers to the radius of the circle created by extended the corner arc to form a complete circle.

What is an RCR?

Rounded Corner Rectangle (RCR) describes a rectangle with a corner radius greater than 0.0 (the radius of a square corner).

Why Do Labels Have a Corner Radius?

1) The need for high speed automatic label application led to Pressure Sensitive Labels - labels with adhesive already on them adhered to a carrier liner. The liner is pulled across a sharp edge, causing the label to dispense onto the container. A square cornered label does not release as easily from a PS liner - thus corner radius is used to help ease automatic application.

2) Graphic Designers will often choose rounded corners or square corners to enhance a design concept. For example, many wine labels have square corners to evoke the look of old-school cut and glue labels. Other designers use large radius rounded corners to differentiate their products on the shelf against traditional 1/8″ corner radius labels.

How do I measure the Corner Radius of a label?

Click the thumbnail on the right to open a full page Corner Radius Chart. Print the page and hold the label against the corner radius examples until you find a match.

What Corner Radius should I use?

This is a matter of preference. The packaging industry standard is 1/8″ corner radius. This size radius is not unsightly, but allows ease of manufacturing and application. For customers desiring “square corners” we often recommend 1/64″ (0.015625″) as the smallest CR we can consistently convert. For machine application projects Custom Label recommends consulting your production team or contract packager before purchasing labels with less than a 1/8″ CR.

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What is a Pressure-Sensitive Label?

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

rotary-loop-applicator Conventional wisdom indicates that during recessionary periods, new businesses appear at a higher rate. Terminated employees strike out on their own, determined to take control of their future. For many an entrepreneur, they are in un-chartered waters. Custom Label works daily with these heroes of industry. We are often contacted with the generic question “I’ve got a bottle and I need to put a label on it!”. Just this week I was contacted by a start-up, and the owner said “my bottler told me I need a pressure-sensitive label, whatever that is!” In this blog entry I will answer that question, and help you understand how we ended up with this product called “pressure-sensitive”.

Early Labels:
For thousands of years mankind has placed identification on containers. As modern-day printing was developed it wasn’t long before a “gummed” label was marketed. As early as the beginning of the 19th century printing presses were used to manufacture paper labels. A gum adhesive was placed on the back and dried. It could be re-wet and applied to a product. In the 1840’s, for example, “self-adhesive” stamps exploded in popularity! While they were a novelty item then, their basic construction is not far from the “lick and apply” gummed stamps from a couple decades ago.

Automatic Application: Glue-Applied
With the industrial revolution manufacturing plants sought ways to automate their production lines. Hand-applying labels was too slow to keep up. To increase output, machines were invented that could apply glue to a label and then stick it to the product. For 50 years this basic technology developed into a high-speed method for applying a non-adhesive paper label to a package. Soup cans are an example of a “Glue-applied’ or “cut and stack” label. Glue-applied labels are very inexpensive, but the application process is unreliable, has low accuracy, and significant maintenance costs.

Pressure-sensitive (PS) Labeling is born:
Seeking an alternative to glue-applied labels, many sought a self-contained label solution that did not require a glue to be applied. In 1935 Stanton Avery began manufacturing self-adhesive labels. These materials had adhesive coated on the back of the label, and could be delivered on a release-coated liner. The liner was pulled around a metal “peeler tip”, causing the labels to shoot off the applicator. If placed close to the container (as it passed by on a conveyor) the label could be accurately adhered onto the product.

PS Labeling Today:
While nearly every aspect of package labeling has changed in the past 75 years the basic concept remains the same. As a printer we purchase material from suppliers who pre-coat the adhesive and create the PS “sandwich”. The material we receive has 5 layers:

Ink-receptive Coating
Label Substrate
Adhesive
Silicone Release Agent
Liner

Here is a graphic showing how a Pressure Sensitive Label is dispensed:

labelhead1

So do you need a pressure-sensitive label? If you are hand-applying your labels a PS label give the highest quality and aesthetics for your package. For automatic-application, your contract packager or manufacturing plant can tell you if they will be using pressure-sensitive label applicators. Or give us a call at Custom Label and we can help you figure out whether pressure-sensitive is right for you!

Posted in Custom Label, Digital Label Printing, Entrepreneur's Corner, Flexo Labels, Labels 101, Materials | Comments Off

Custom Label - Fighting Crime!

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

We recently had the opportunity to help a customer and friend of Custom Label, the Alameda County Sherrif’s Department. Gerald Verbeck from the Sheriff’s office called and asked if Custom Label could help them with labels for a training and fund-raising event. We were happy to help, donating design help and a production run. We produced two digital labels for the Sheriff’s Deparment - one custom wine label and a separate logo label.

wine-labels-k91 The custom wine label was produced to commemorate an international training event hosted by the Alameda County Sheriff’s department. 60 Police Dogs and their handlers came from across the United States and 4 countries. An example of the international delegation, the Phillipines sent two canine officers to learn the latest canine training techniques. They say that since Sept. 11, 2001 police dogs have become a very important weapon against their war on terror. Custom Label was glad to donate this short run of custom digital labels to the cause - celebrating the Alameda County Sheriff’s Deparment’s role as a leader in canine law enforcement.

The other label we provided was a simple gold label for the K-9 unit. This short run was used for promotional items at the conference, but we just received a call from the Sheriff’s Department asking for longer run quotes. It seems the labels were a big hit and many of the officer’s were asking for a few printed label rolls to carry with them. Great handouts for children who come in contact with the K-9 Officers!

Here’s a local news video that covered the training event.

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