Custom Labels – No Custom Dies

Posted on December 21, 2011 by admin

With technology constantly changing in all industries, The Label Rack has jumped in with both feet. Enhancing the custom label run capability by going digital is the name of the game when looking at high quality short run custom labels in any shape and size. The problem in the past has been the cost of custom dies to make an attractive label that will let your brand stand out. Dies can run over one thousand dollars and if you are looking at only needing five thousand labels, then this cost prohibits any creative design in your label.

The answer is high speed digital die cutting in a linear web instead of the typical rotary dies used in rotary die cutting stations. Using a linear die cut station inline, diagonal cut speeds can reach well up to fifty two inches per second. This is a great speed for short run custom label jobs.

When you merry this technology with digital printing capabilities, all of the up-front costs of making custom labels has been eliminated. The main deterrent for many marketers to create fancy and unique designs has been the excess costs in setting up the dies and plates for the job. We explained above that a die can be over one thousand dollars. The custom plates can cost up to sixty dollars apiece for spot colors and even more for process color print jobs.

The use of digital printing eliminates the cost of printing plates. This greatly reduces the cost of short run jobs. Marketers can now get as creative as they want too and The Label Rack can become the source for test runs on labels, small market sampling, creating targeted messages to different target audiences, custom wine labels for events, new product launches, where demand is not known yet, and many other applications.

As the technologies of digital die cutting and digital printing are combined here at The Label Rack, turn around times have been improved greatly. A custom die can take up to five business days to have made. Plates can take a day or two to have made. All of these create an unacceptable lead time to many customers and that is all before the first label can be run. Now with the digital technology in place, the lead time is hours instead of days.

The customer just has to Continue reading →

Food Processing Labels and the Process Expo

Posted on October 28, 2011 by admin

Next week is the Process Expo in Chicago where end-to-end food processing and packaging suppliers meet to show off their new food processing equipment. This show will feature seminars like the Green Sustainable Technology and the Electrolyzed Water Subject of Cadence Technologies Seminar. Many food companies will be in attendance. One of the most vital elements of food processing is the packaging. Making sure the processor has the right labeling and branding to make their product stand out among the other competitors in their industry.

As food processors flock in to attend the show, they may or may not see a lot of custom label producers. Today’s label technology has come a long way and attendees should keep a look out for short run label capabilities. The short run market has become very large. With the ability to change products and test products on the fly, having a small run of custom labels will prove very valuable to the success of a product introduction.

In the past, labeling a new product would be very expensive due to the plates and dies involved. A typical die could be $600-$1000 and the plates could be $45-$65 a piece per color. This is just part of the setup. If a change is made, then that cost can double. And this is without printing a single label. So think if all of this cost can be avoided when trying to test a new label in the market. These factors can determine whether a test will even get off the ground.

With today’s digital age in label making, all of these up-front costs are wiped away. Think of both the time savings and the cost savings in a new product launch. Ordering labels on demand instead of guessing what the demand will be and investing in a large run, dies, and plates.

New salad dressings, spaghetti sauces, wine brands, and spices can be test marketed with different looks to measure effectiveness. Think of the options of testing 5000 with one look and 5000 with another look just to see which is more appealing to the customer. Then move into a full run as the volume takes off. This flexibility allows for great success especially in the food and drink label market.

Standard tests are usually done with standard label sizes as well. This is to avoid the cost of special dies. When you find a digital printer that can also digital die cut, then you can also work with many creative shapes for your labels. This is especially helpful with food products.

Lamination or no lamination? This really depends on how long the product will sit on a grocers shelf and whether the product has a chance of dripping onto the label. Most inks are water based. Lamination can help with UV protection preventing the label from fading over time, and lamination can protect against moisture. There is also protection against tearing when a label is laminated. All of these factors can benefit food and beverage products.

Check out your label suppliers’ digital capability and make sure they can turn your small runs into great product opportunities for your future product lines.

Which Barcode Label Printer Is Right For Me?

Posted on May 15, 2009 by admin

Just added to the offering is a clear description of barcode label printers stating the differences based on the volume of labels printed in a day. There are many brands of printers, but Zebra is by far the most prevalent in the US. Built to last and supported right in Vernon Hills, IL, Zebra backs its product all the way.

To make a proper selection for a barcode label printer, first determine how many labels you will be printing in a day. Based on this, the selection becomes fairly easy. In most cases, to make custom labels with your printer, especially barcode labels, a 203 dpi printer will work. Although most models come with an option to move up to 300 dpi if need.

OK, here is the breakdown on printers. The entry level will be the tlp2844 model which is about to be replaced with the GK420t. This model is perfect if you are planning on printing 5oo labels per day or less. The printer sits right on the desc and has a very small foot print.

The next step would be to go with the S4M model. The price is still low on this and it contains a lot of plastic, but it is a tough label printer that can do up to 1,500 labels per day in production. This is a table top model which takes up a little more room then the 2844 model, but is ment for more label printing in a day.

If you require a quantity up to 3,000 labels to be printed in a day, then the model for you will be the ZM400 model which is a little beafier and is made to handle big jobs. This printer has both plastic and metal parts and has speeds up to 10 inches per second.

Many customers still require more and for this demanding customer, the 105SL is a good match. This is a fully metal construction that is rated to print up to 5,000 labels per day. Another in the series of industrial printers that sits on a table top and allows for multiple connection interfaces.

The final solution for the most demanding production needs is the 140xiIII Plus printer which is for continuous 24 hour duty cycles. This printer does not need a rest. It can print all day and night non stop. Well, you will have to change the ribbon and add more labels from time to time.

All of these printers have multiple models with cutter attachements, rewind options, and print head dpi options.