A Brief Guide on Printing Your Own Product Labels
We often get asked about how small business proprietors can personally design and print their own professional-looking product labels. The answer to this question is: It depends on what you are looking for.
We have created some questions and guideline to help you start thinking about what you need from a label printer for your business.
What do your labels look like?
Full color labels are printed differently from black and white labels, so it is important to know which you need.
How many labels do you use per month/year?
The volumes of labels that you are currently purchasing will make a big difference when it comes to choosing the right digital printer.
What is the length of your current print runs?
Small print runs and medium print runs can likely be accomplished by desktop style digital printers. For longer runs, it may make sense to utilize analog presses that print large volumes at high speeds. These analog systems utilize printing plates in or to lay ink and cut shapes, and each label will need a different set of plates.
How many different types of labels do you have?
If you have a lot of different designs digital presses will make the most sense. If you only have one label design that never changes, analog printing methods may be a better option. Whatever your needs are it is important to make sure you have the right printing technology.
Do you need variable data? Consecutive numbers?
Printing custom numbers on labels generally requires a special digital printing technology to do so. A RIP software will help with this, as well ass help to reduce your turnaround time.
Essentials of Designing & Printing Labels
Know your product
Before you get involved in your product label’s printing, it is vital to understand that the label must work as intended for its use. For example, if you are printing labels for a bottled energy drink, you would want your label to be somewhat waterproof and incredibly adhesive. If not, then the chances are that your product label would eventually stand up to condensation or other forms of wear and tear. Believe us, the last thing you’d want is your label to fall off when someone touches it.
If you are trying to showcase a premium brand you will want to have a label that stands out from the rest of the labels on the shelf. This can be done either through the design, or the material. The main thing is that your product stands out from the rest of similar goods.
Choose the right label for your product
Understanding how your product will be used will help you choose the right type of label for the job. For people who are new to this, here is a quick guide on a few common types of label materials that can be used for custom label printing:
Thermal – these labels have solid adhesives that easily loosen and bond to other surfaces when applied with heat. They’re most commonly used in the food and beverage industry and are not suitable for products that might spend significant time on shelves or in hot temperatures.
Semi-gloss – common type of paper label that has a glossy, shiny finish. This label is excellent for economy uses and works best for complex colors and designs.
Vellum – a general-purpose non-gloss paper for printing labels. Ideal for mass production and mostly utilized for printing barcode stickers.
PVC (Vinyl) – it’s a highly versatile plastic-based label that is temp-resistant, durable, and flexible.
PET (Polyester) – This is a high durability materials that is used in chemical industries and other industries who need GHS compliance.
These are a few of the many types of labels you can use to print your own product labels on.
Utilize free resources
To print your own product labels, it is critical that you first have a professional-looking label. If you’re short on budget, luckily, there are numerous pro-bono resources on the web that can help you design a custom label for your product. You can watch videos on YouTube about designing your own, or visit websites like Fiverr to have someone create your label at low cost.
Choose a compatible digital label printer
Once you finalize the design, ensure that your labels are compatible with the printer you intend to utilize for your custom label printing. For instance, you’ll need A4 sheets of inkjet labels if you have an inkjet printer or A4 sheets of laser labels if you have a laser printer.
Different printers will require different materials to be used. That is why it is so important to ensure that you are purchasing the right printer for your materials, as well as the right materials for your printer!
Always print a sample
Always test print your label template onto a blank paper before you print onto your actual printing labels, so that you can easily correct any issues with your design or printer without wasting any label sheets or rolls.
This will ensure that all of your labels come out the way that you want them, without any problems that can cause waste.
Final proofing and printing
If you face any problems in the printed sample label or your printer, now is the time to get rid of all those glitches. Always be very particular and clear about your label requirements as the label should ideally outlive your product’s life span. Thus, before mass printing labels, consider the following factors:
Is the custom label printing temp-resistant?
Could there be any adhesion problems based on container shape and material?
And supplementary considerations depending on the requirements of your product.
Time to Get Started!
Designing and printing your own product labels can be difficult if you are a beginner but be rest assured that it isn’t impossible. With your dedication, vision, creativity, hard work, and the right guidance, you are bound to succeed. Digital label printing is the best way to print different label designs with ease.
We hope you find our guide on printing your own product labels useful and helpful in this endeavor! For more informative articles on custom label printing, head to our website!