Form/label combinations offer unique design challenges and high sales margins
By Eric Fiedler
Form/label combinations are a favorite product for distributors to sellbecause they really don't have to do much selling.
"It's one of those products that sort of sells itself because when a customer contacts us through the Internet, they are already trying to solve a specific problem, and they've already figured out it's a form/label combination that they need," said Ron Woodrell, president of Cal-West Business Forms, a Fair Oaks, Calif.-based distributorship.
"With this product you go back to what you're supposed to be doing with every order, which is solving a problem and genuinely helping a customer save time and money," said Frank Geisler, CFC, President of Proforma Printnet, Marina, Calif.
As easy as they may be to sell, however, most form/label jobs are highly customized, and require that the designer take a number of variables into consideration.
"In the old days, we were limited because we would come up with a creative solution, but weren't able to find a manufacturer who could handle it," said Patrick Bossio, CFC, branch manager of RBF, Livonia, Mich. Bossio said that advancements in manufacturing processes, such as blown-on labels, have allowed him to design with only the customer solution in mind. "The possibilities with this product are almost endless," he said.
When designing form/label combinations, Bossio said RBF uses a team approach to channel all the possibilities into the most effective design. "The designers add all the bells and whistles, then we try to come up with a solution from a customer's perspective, merge the two and come up with a hybrid," he said.
Bossio said the first thing to consider when designing a form/label product is the application. "You may have a slick looking form/label that saves the client a little money, but if the application takes twice as long to utilize, then it doesn't make sense," he said.
The next thing Bossio concentrates on is the type of machine on which the product will be printed. "Whether it's a laser application or pinfed application will drastically change the design of the document," he noted.
- Companies:
- RBF
- Places:
- Fair Oaks
- Marina, Calif.