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Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

The foolproof way to getting it right, and keeping your budget. Get the best custom labels for your products.


Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

 

Are You Printing Custom Labels?

Read This First.

 

Yep, it’s the other way around: More money, less problems. Stop making these custom label mistakes, and watch your savings grow.

 

 

1. The label before the container gig

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via carlygoogles.blogspot.com

  GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

Unless you’re a heritage brand like Angostura, carrying a fascinating story dating back to the 1800s (with the disproportionate label-to-bottle ratio that is now their trademark, a quirky feature that makes the brand instantly recognizable), printing custom labels nowadays with “Salvation Army Style” lowers the perceived value of your products.

 

Why should you look shabby when you can look professional and stylish? And reprints and re-layouts for another set of new labels will definitely cost more (think designer’s hours, added printing cost, old labels wastage).

 

Who knows, you might even end up spending less if your labels actually need to be smaller?

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: Fit labels properly by taking all dimensions of your container (and where your labels need to be applied), or send us your sample container if you need help working this out. All labels are made-to-measure, with no extra charges–custom shouldn’t cost you more.

 

 

 

2. This confusing custom label

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via www.cookingpanda.com

 

  HIRE A PRINT PROFESSIONAL.

The more sets of eyes that review your labels mean more valuable feedback. Other people can throw in their two cents, helping you debut your products in their best, final label version.

 

Unless you’re doing extremely simple CMYK text label designs, you actually save more money in the long run (time and effort, for sure) if you go ahead and hire a print designer.

 

You’re paying for a keen eye for design and years of experience—don’t cut corners on design or your brand image will suffer. Lots of experience with this one, believe you us.

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: Before printing custom labels, ask a colleague to refer you to a designer: Check their portfolio for style, and get a packaged design price. The technical stuff (like bleed, dpi, TIC) will have been taken cared of, and it will be less likely that you’ll need to reprint your labels.

 

 

 

3. The one-label-to-rule-them-all mentality

 

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via www.dharmatrading.com

 

  YOU’RE CALLING THE SHOTS, SO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF IT.

While it takes a bit more effort, that bit goes a long way in making your product look like a million dollars versus plain generic.

 

Same content, a bit of re-layout—Big and small versions that look truly meant for their containers.

 

Points for presentation! Printing custom labels mean investing in building your unique brand.

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: Sometimes, the cost of a simple re-layout beats the cost of printing “too big” labels for smaller containers, in volume. While you may argue that these would be different print runs and could even out total cost, you can’t deny the instant value a tailor-fit label brings to your product.

 

 

4. The sheet and roll call

 

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via www.goodlifer.com

 

  MATCH YOUR LABEL FORMAT WITH YOUR PRODUCTION LINE.

If it’s your first time printing custom labels, it’s easy to dismiss sheet vs. roll. It’s all the same, right? Yes, and no.

 

Look at both the shape and surface of your container (rounded or flat). There will be more control with manual application if your container isn’t flat.

 

If you’re equipped with lots of manpower right now (and don’t have tight deadlines before dispatching new product batches), this could even be more cost-effective than buying a labeling machine.

 

Manpower could even mean friends and family who can help while you’re still starting out!

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: If you’re doing everything manually on one product, both formats could work well. But if you’re looking at 20+ different products and having all those rolls around, that can turn into a mess (instead of easy sheet label organization).

 

 

5. This label can’t muster the energy to hold on (example photo only!)

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via www.jeanettemeetsmark.com

  CONFIRM YOUR STICKY SITUATION.

Yeah, ok, so this really isn’t showing a label that is barely holding on (it is actually being removed for bottle recycling) but you get the idea. Labels = Permanent branding. Even if you’re in a rush, always remember: Always clean the surfaces of your containers before you apply your labels for best tack!

 

Correct artwork setup and label material are great, but if your adhesive doesn’t perform well, you’re looking at money down the drain.

 

Unless your labels are general purpose and don’t require superpowers, you need not worry about special adhesive. Most of our labels come with permanent acrylic adhesive (with options for heavy duty freezer adhesive) and won’t let you down.

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: Before printing custom labels, verify at what temperatures your products (and labels) will be stored and handled. Storage is also important in keeping your labels’ adhesive at its best. Adhesives become weaker over time if you store it at cooler temperatures (lower than 10oC) and this will greatly affect the tack or adhesion of your labels.

 

 

 

6. This label is falling apart

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via www.simpleispretty.com

 

  THINK BEFORE YOU RUN.

Print label runs shouldn’t be expensive if pricing is good and your labels hold up in the conditions they will be in.

 

They are “worth it” depending on the longevity of your label material (and of course the value of the aesthetics of your chosen label finish). And it doesn’t mean you should spend more to ‘upgrade’ them. The devil is in the details, always.

 

Your product needs to be refrigerated? Label stock must be waterproof. Product will be placed in a bag and will be subject to some scuffing? Choose label stock with laminate (gloss is more protective than matte). Printing custom labels but still worried about the outcome? Drop us an email and we’ll be happy to consult for free.

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: Even with the most suitable adhesive, if your label stock and finish don’t fit the requirements of the job, you’ve got money going down the drain.

 

 

 

7. This label gets you an appointment with an eye doctor

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via www.douglasderda.com

  DO A TEST PRINT.

And do it in the correct scale, a.k.a. the actual size as per your artwork.

 

If you must use smaller text, don’t waste money on doing a full run right away. Request for a sample print first (what we call a “hard proof”). If you’re happy, we’re happy… And we start printing!

 

Sometimes you get tunnel vision with a zoomed-in screen version of your awesome label design, and forget that your container is an inch across. Nice onscreen but uncomfortable on print. Pass the ant vision goggles, will you?

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: If you have a beefy font, with good spacing in between letters (a.k.a. “kerning”), you can probably get away with a font of 4-5pt. It really depends on the style of the font, but keep it generally readable at 6pt. NOTE: Thin italic fonts would usually need to be a minimum of 7pt.

 

 

 

8. The custom label makeover flop

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via supershrinkme.com

 

  NEW VERSIONS NEED NEW EYES.

“Versioning” is what’s called when you update an old design. If you’re working on or need to approve many label designs (and have a tight deadline), don’t sacrifice speed over TLC. 

 

Artwork that changes hands can cause trouble, and default formatting might change the overall look of your new labels. Pull someone in the office to double check for details and textual errors that you may have missed.

 

Like we said in #1—get it right the first time.

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: If you’re currently employing a designer, keep him or her as your go-to artist as he or she would already know the ins and outs of your label design and business branding. At our office, we always do Prepress checks even on new artwork versions to ensure everything is perfect before we send to press.

 

 

9. The dangerous label

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via www.cehs_.siu_.edu

 

  LABELS DIFFERENTIATE YOU FROM COMPETITION—MAKE THEM WORK FOR YOU.

In this example, cost-cutting is obviously underway. However, while it may seem like a prudent decision to simply use extra labels and black them out with pens, it’s way better to plan smart by taking a correct stock inventory of your production and delivery so you know when to replenish.

 

It is always best to produce what you need, and reprint more labels for other products.

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: Don’t waste labels, but don’t reuse them for other purposes either. When printing custom labels, what could start as a well-meaning way to save labels can end up hurting your brand image, and more importantly, your customers.

 

 

 

10. This packaging label just rolled out of bed and went to work

Printing Custom Labels? This Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars.

via www.tumyeto.com

 

  INSIST ON A SOFT PROOF, AND DON’T PRINT UNTIL IT’S PERFECT.

This happens to labels as well when you don’t check for alignment (the focus is not on the name, btw) and text gets cut off. 

Take advantage of a professional printer’s artwork setup and trimming machine. Get your money’s worth and check the soft proof of your label artwork to make sure nothing gets cut off and everything is good to go on your labels.

 

While the example above may seem ok to you, on front-and-center labels this would be a disaster.

 

INKABLE LABEL CO. TIP: On soft proofs, the blue line denotes the “Safe Zone”, where important text and images should be (if you don’t want them to be accidentally cut off), and the black line denotes the “Trim”, which is where our machine will cut off your labels. Always check before printing custom labels, and we’ll make the necessary adjustments for you. In terms of your brand name? We’ll leave that to you. 🙂

 

 

 

Printing custom labels but need more muscle getting your custom labels ready to showboat your products and build your brand? CONTACT US FOR A FREE CONSULTATION and let’s get printing!

 

Inkable Label Co.

  • At Inkable Label Co. we are passionate about printing custom labels. We work hard so you get personalized, professional results without breaking the bank. Our doors are are always open if you need any custom quotes, artwork preparation tips, or just label printing advice.

    We’d love to hear from you at service@inkablelabel.com.

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