If you dig labels—and frankly, who doesn’t—the following may help to inspire new sales and recall past successes, as manufacturers look at some of their most successful, profitable and coolest label designs.
Winning Ticket
Donna Fisher, marketing communications specialist for Continental Datalabel, Elgin, Ill., observed that while many customers are familiar with the extensive line of products in the company’s Compulabel catalog, not as many know that Continental Datalabel specializes in customization. A client serving a national retailer recently submitted an order for uniquely sized labels for use on a variety of surfaces. The products required a special removable adhesive and laser toner coating technology. “Continental Datalabel was able to manufacture the products to the client’s unique specifications, and then help manage distribution by shipping the inventory to [our] distribution centers across the country,” she explained.
As for stock items, Fisher said Compulabel raffle tickets “are cool, fun and one of our best sellers.” End-users can create their own raffle tickets in portrait and landscape formats, and personalize them with logos and clip art images. “The tickets are 21⁄8x51⁄2", and fit eight per sheet. A package includes 50 sheets (for a total of 400 tickets), as well as software, instructions and a template sheet,” she explained. More than 100 preset templates are included, as well as 73 clip art images and more than 70 text effects. Refill packets of 100 sheets are also available. “Users even have a variety of options for numbering tickets,” she added.
For more information, visit www.compulabel.com.
Take Control
Headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., TLF Graphics’ product line includes fade- and abrasion-resistant screen-printed label products in a variety of materials for durable and outdoor applications, including engine compartments, fuel lines, equipment nameplates, warning labels, safety instructions and passenger cautions.
Constructed from polycarbonate and polyester substrates, screen-printed control panel overlays typically feature custom die cuts and aggressive adhesives. They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to meet any industrial/mechanical application.
For more information, visit www.tlfgraphics.com.
Patented Profitability
Ward/Kraft, Ft. Scott, Kan., provides premium quality prime labels printed with a patented system, resulting in high-color images that are better than photo quality. A wide variety of special coatings and laminates helps labels create brand presence and attract consumers’ attention.
Additional design elements include aggressive hot-melt adhesive, paper and poly face stocks and laminates, as well as UV and textured coatings.
Ward/Kraft’s duplex shipping label is a uniquely constructed, all-in-one, two-sided shipping label and packing slip combination, which end-users can run through a duplex laser printer to print both sides of the label. This allows for ease of use, and eliminates waste and hard-to-handle plastic pouches.
Said Gina Holt, VP, business development/sales, “It is a patent[ed] product, so this helps to maintain [distributors’] reorders. Suggested markets include manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, mail-order houses, computer supply companies, parts supply companies and furniture and appliance manufacturers.”
Ward/Kraft’s patent-pending RealCard with labels is created inline by joining two materials in a proprietary, one-step production process, resulting in a plastic card that can be variable image 100 percent on the face and back. “This gives ... [end-users] a duplex- or simplex-printed product with the entire face and back of the card exposed,” explained Holt. Suggested markets include the insurance, financial, education and healthcare industries.
For more information, visit www.wardkraft.com.
Material Witness
From the Wov-In Line division of Universal Strap, Jackson, Wis., come labels, stickers and patches fashioned from woven polyester in up to eight colors. Stickers featuring pressure-sensitive adhesive backing are available in standard oval, circle, rectangle and square shapes, as well as custom die cuts.
The products easily adhere to any surface, and are perfect for one-time events—particularly for clothing-friendly name tags. Semi-permanent iron-on patches and permanent sewn-on patches for durable, long-term wear serve a variety of apparel applications, while reinforcing brand and logo exposure. Woven designs are replicated—not duplicated—and the economical yet effective products clearly display small text and fine details.
For more information, visit www.wov-in.com.
Adhere to the Basics
Experienced, quality label manufacturers are typically up for any application challenge—provided they have full, accurate information about the job. Although it is stressed time and time again, manufacturers continue to encounter situations where label requirements have not been fully discussed with the end-users. Key questions include the type of printer system the end-user has, such as impact, thermal transfer, direct thermal, laser or ink jet; adhesive requirements, including permanent, removable, cold-temperature and hot melt; liner requirements; whether the labels will be hand- or machine-applied; and the exact type of environment the labels will need to perform in.
Other considerations with roll formats are whether end-users need them to wind in or out, and the required core size of the roll. And remember, particularly with label sales, samples rule—not only in selling to end-users, but for helping manufacturers guarantee customer satisfaction. Enjoy!
Screen-printed label products from TLF Graphics are available in a variety of shapes and sizes.
End-users can reinforce their brand with stickers from Wov-In Line.