We often receive inquiries from visitors to our blog on how they can start printing their own full color labels. While we are always willing to help, we figured that making a blog post on what is required to get started might help a lot of visitors.
One of the common misconceptions about digital label printing is that you have to spend a lot of money to get started. However, this isn’t always the case.
Depending on the volumes of labels that you need to print, there are a wide variety of printing options that may work for you!
The first question that you need to ask is:
What kind of label do I need to print?
Arrow Systems, Inc. at Graphics Canada
This is an important first question because it will help determine what kind of printer will be ideal for you. For instance, we wouldn’t recommend an expensive press like the HP Indigo for someone who is trying to print a few hundred address labels. Likewise, we would recommend a small Epson printer for a converter trying to run a million labels per day.
Every digital press will have it’s own benefits and drawbacks, so it is extremely important for you to understand what you need from a label printer.
The next questions you should think about is:
What is the correct printing process for our labels?
Now this questions is something that you will likely need some guidance with, and our team at Arrow Systems, Inc. is willing to help you figure out exactly what you need for your label production.
Fact of the matter is there are a number of different printers for labels and packaging, and unless you know exactly what you are looking for it is easy to get overwhelmed.
Some of the main points to consider are:
Do you need your labels on a roll or will sheet labels work for your needs?
Do you need high resolution or high quality images? Or are they basic black and white mailings tab?
How big or small are the labels?
Do you have a lot of variable data that needs to be input into the label design?
How many of each sticker do you need to print?
Asking yourself these questions will help you understand what it is you are looking for from a label printer, and whether a label printer is even necessary!
Inkjet vs Toner vs Flexographic Printing
This is a great debate that goes on in the label printing industry and it is something that you should factor in to your search for the right printing technology.
Each of these options has its own benefits and drawbacks. Choosing the right one will be crucial to your success in bringing your label printing in-house.
Inkjet will be one of the easiest and fastest methods to get started in printing your own labels, with toner being a close second. There are benefits and drawbacks to each technology, and finding the right one may take some time to weigh the options.
Inkjet printing and toner printing are both digital options, so if you need a lot of custom labels and stickers they will likely be the best option.
Flexographic printing has its place for high volume production, but even that is being shifted towards digital due to the short set up times and easy interchangeability between jobs.
For more information on the differences between digital and flexographic printing you can check out our blog post on it HERE!
Is custom label printing necessary for your product?
Not every product requires customs stickers, but for the ones that do you need to have some kind of digital label printer to allow for running variable data.
Digital technology allows customers to bypass the traditional printing plates and allows for a more streamlined workflow. Having the ability to select options and colors to change, or add sequential product numbers to a file can only be accomplished with digital technologies, and is a huge advantage for companies who want the ability to change on the fly.
While traditional flexographic presses can run millions of labels per day, the majority of consumers don’t need that kind of volume.
There s a wide variety of digital technology that allows customers to load their files and click print and have a beautiful label come out of the other side.
We made a guide for the latest and best label printers for 2021 which you can find HERE which details some of the newest and best label printing technology on the market. We have received a lot of feedback about how helpful this particular post was in helping break down different label and sticker printers for a broad audience, and we hope that it can help you in your search for the right technology.
Ready to talk Label Printers?
If you’ve read through this article and feel that you are ready to start looking at label printers for your business reach out to our knowledgeable sales staff for a free discovery call. We will help you find the right technology that fits your budget and your labels.
We have a wide variety of equipment that can help your company succeed. Whether you are printing 50 labels per day or 50,000, we have the perfect solution for you!
Contact us at any time and we will be more than happy to help you find the right solution!
