When making a decision about the purchase of labels for your products, there are a number of factors to consider which will affect ease of use, durability, cost, and reliability. Speak with your manufacturer at length to ensure that you don’t make any of the following mistakes as you embark on the decision-making process.

1Don’t forget to consider the environment the label will remain in. Where are your labels going to reside? What is their life expectancy? You’ll need to determine whether your label will need to survive for a length of time in a facility that is wet or contains chemicals in order to decide between paper and film.

2Similarly, remember to let your manufacturer know whether your labels will be contained in a climate-controlled atmosphere or will remain outdoors. If you’ll be housing them in a climate-controlled environment, you’ll be able to keep costs down with a paper label.

3Of course, speak with your manufacturer about the temperature in your facility. Most labels can withstand temperatures as low as -32F and as high as 110/115F. But if you’ll be housing labels in temperatures outside that range, you’ll need a specialty product.

4Don’t neglect to tell your manufacturer about the material on which you’ll be applying labels. While corrugated boxes can use standard acrylics, plastic containers may need a special adhesive, as will metals.

5Considering whether or not your label needs to be permanent or removable makes a huge difference in the type of adhesive your project needs.

6Don’t forget to think about the condition of the product at the time the label is applied. Will the product be cold or wet when the label is applied? InSpec can provide you with labels which have the amount of initial tack to adhere in varying conditions.

7 Don’t ignore the issue of protective coating and label integrity. Does your label need a UV coating which will maintain the look of the label over time, even when exposed to light? Does your label need the heightened durability of laminate?

8 Matching is key. Speak with your manufacturer about the face sheet your products will need, and the adhesives which are appropriate for those specific face sheets.

9 Remember that overkill is unnecessary! If your product does not require much in the way of specialty materials or adhesives, less expensive solutions may be the way to go.

10Neglecting to match the correct ribbon to your label is a key error. You may be able to use a less expensive ribbon with a paper label, and you’ll want to ensure that you’re using the correct ribbon for different types of specialty labels.

Download our free guide in order to learn more about InSpec, about the products and services we provide, and the sales process which will allow you to think through your decision in order to make the optimal choice.