Costs of Poor Label Choices
A lot of factors need to be taken into consideration when you’re ordering custom labels, it’s not as simple as choosing a design and printing onto adhesive backing paper.
Choosing the right label material, adhesive, size, shape, and application method is essential to ensure that your product stands out in a crowded marketplace to accurately represent your brand or is fit for purpose.
The wrong choice in label will result in potential issues such as labels falling off, not providing the right amount of longevity or has the wrong aesthetic for your product.
Aren't all Labels the Same?
It’s no secret there are endless suppliers of blank or custom overseas label suppliers to order from online – and sometimes at a fraction of the cost of an Australian label manufacturer. But as it turns out, most stock labels you buy online don’t consider the multitude of environmental factors that go into creating a high-performing label.
STOP! (We don’t mean to yell, but this is a critical decision), before you go any further, consider the following.
It’s easy to skimp on label cost and opt for a lower cost per label, but the long-term cost for your brand may suffer and you may need to reprint or rework your labels - potentially costing you thousands of dollars. Imagine if you had distributed all your product only to find out your labels were scuffed and damaged during transit, were rubbing off – or worse, falling off your product!
Preventing costly mistakes is the job of your label manufacturer, which is where knowledge and experience make all the difference. By understanding which factors will impact your product label, a skilled label manufacturer will be able to uncover the right information that provides you with a label that performs as expected and required.
Label Considerations
Although not an exhaustive list, to help you build the right label for your specific application, an experienced label manufacturer should ask questions that provide the following information:
- Appearance and purpose of the label: Does it need shelf appeal, or is it informational in nature?
- Application: What type of surface will the label be applied to?
- Exposure to elements: Where is the final product being stored?
- Application method: How is the label being applied?
- Quantity and budget: Can you achieve better cost per label through label design or roll quantity?
- Adhesive type: Does your label need to adhere immediately or do you need to reposition it?
- Label material: Is the final facestock material available to suit the adhesive you need?
As you’ve just discovered, custom labels aren’t all the same. But the great news is you don’t have to navigate this process alone. An experienced label manufacturer will guide you through these questions and more to help you get the best out of your design, materials, regulatory requirements and suggest money-saving strategies that will give you a label that looks professional and performs as required.
