Forms Plus Labels Equals Profitability

Effective tools when independent of one another, forms and labels partner up for dynamic results.

Forms and labels come together in a few ways to accomplish all sorts of nifty things for businesses.

Kansas City, Missouri-based GRI (Graphic Resources Incorporated)—formerly Dial Business Forms—has been specializing in form/label combinations for 25 years, with particular emphasis on solutions for the health-care industry. For instance, a form and tamper-proof label combination provides added value in processing samples for drug testing.

At Genforms, a division of Ennis that's headquartered in Cerritos, Calif., forms featuring integrated labels are a core product. The lion's share of the orders are for packing list applications with built-in customer service and promotional marketing elements that are used in business-to-consumer environments.

Each of these products utilizes a very different design approach to achieve streamlined efficiency for end-users and significant profitability for distributors.

Combo Deals

Form/label combinations account for more than $200,000 in sales at GRI, and President Jack Schall said that that figure is growing. Manufactured in a traditional sandwich style—consisting of the substrate, adhesive and liner—the label is printed using a two-color Mark Andy press. "We don't have much call for a lot of color on the labels—usually just one or two colors, at most," said Schall. The label's permanent liner then sticks to the form by being blown on using a Quadrel label affixer that has extremely close tolerances.

The equipment's tremendous accuracy allows GRI to handle a lot of tight registration applications and can be a solid sale-closer for distributors. "Because end-users want as much value as possible out of the form, they tend to fill it up with as much printing as they can, leaving only a very small area for the label to be applied," he said. Once attached to the form, the label is simply pulled off of the liner and applied as needed.

Schall pointed out that the thickness of the blown-on label is quite a bit greater than that of an integrated label. "This fact used to be touted as a great selling point for integrated products, promoting their ability to go through printers more easily," he continued. "But, today's printers are much more forgiving and will accommodate regular blown-on labels just as easily. And, the blown labels are beefier and don't curl up in your hand when removed—a point of dissatisfaction for some end-users of integrated products."

Approximately 5 percent of GRI's form/label products are produced as cut-sheets, 10 percent as unit sets and 85 percent in continuous formats, with order sizes ranging from 1,000 to 500,000 pieces.

Schall stressed that it isn't so much the combination design, but rather the addition of bar codes, mod and jumbo numbering, and even color coding that heightens performance value and profit margins. "With the sensitive medical-oriented solutions that we provide—such as the drug test sample processing forms—bar coding and numbering help the end-user eliminate errors and potential lawsuits," he explained. "To ensure our products' accuracy, a bar code verification system on the Quadrel affixer scans the bar code on the form and label, and the machine will shut down if there is any type of mismatch."

All in One

Genforms General Manager P.J. Quinlan pointed out that with integrated products, the accuracy of the form and label elements are intrinsically assured. Tamarack equipment built into a flexo press is used to apply a liner with adhesive—referred to as a patch—onto the back of the printed form. "We then build a label in whatever shape is needed directly into the form by diecutting the face of the form down to the liner. The die-cut shape can then be removed and used as a label," he explained. He added that utilizing a single printed substrate not only avoids errors when matching numbers and bar codes, but it can offer cost savings, as well.

With order sizes ranging from 10,000 up to several hundred thousand pieces, the majority of the integrated products that Genforms manufacturers are value-added packing lists for companies that sell products via the Internet. They are typically produced as cut-sheets that will eventually go through a laser printer for processing.

For instance, in addition to the packing list, the product may contain user instructions, re-order information with free shipping tips, and bar-coded or numbered return labels for processing unsatisfactory goods. The products also provide terrific opportunities for advertising special offers and reinforcing logos and branding.

Whereas business-to-business applications are more straightforward, Quinlan noted that the consumer-oriented nature of these packing lists brings aesthetics into play, including everything from simple spot-color jobs to eye-catching four-color process designs and higher print quality. "A packing list can become an effective selling tool," he said. "You already have the consumer's attention, so why not take the opportunity to include information about special offers, discounts or even promotional codes to drive Web site traffic?" In some instances, custom-printed liners that showcase logos or brand names once the label has been removed lend additional profit-boosting potential for all involved.

Know It All

As always, understanding the application—whether offering integrated or combination products—is key to customer satisfaction.

Quinlan stressed that the end-users' software drives the decision of whether or not to use an integrated label. "Normally, there is a system already in place, and distributors will duplicate whatever the software requirements are," he said. "Operating software runs businesses today, so we don't often see distributors going out and creating a sale from scratch. It's more a case of seeing if the ability exists within the operating software to accommodate the product. Or, if not, what is the customer going to have to do from a programming standpoint to get it off of the ground?"

With form/label combinations that will be variably imaged, laser printers will require cut-sheet products, while impact printers call for pin-fed continuous forms. Schall observed that end-users more often than not dictate design specifications, but distributors must still ask probing questions to determine the type of label that is needed—such as smudge-proof, tamper-proof, image-through and non-image labels—as well as adhesive requirements. "For instance, labels applied to a blood bag or a test tube require a permanent adhesive or one that causes the label to disintegrate if someone tries to pull it, while a removable adhesive may be required for labels that will be moving through several different operations," he advised.

Temperature extremes also impact the choice of adhesive. Even with integrated products, Genforms typically uses a standard hot melt, permanent adhesive. But, Quinlan added that specialized aggressive adhesives are optional.

Both manufacturers stressed that selling opportunities abound for dynamic form and label duos. Said Quinlan, "The integrated label design offers any company the perfect vehicle for turning a lowly packing list into an effective selling device."

In addition to medical-oriented form/label combinations, Schall noted, the automotive industry, automated warehousing operations, and any business dealing with inventory control and invoicing are strong prospects for form/label combos. "Selling opportunities exist wherever there are operational inefficiencies," he said. "The imagination can take that label anywhere it wants to go."

By Maggie DeWitt