Labels

Super-sizing products and production capabilities is hugely successful for some manufacturers With regard to size, bigger is definitely better, according to both Xpanded Label Technology, Appleton, Wis., and Hub Labels, Hagerstown, Md., In the case of the former, it is the super-sized dimensions of its label products that set the company apart, while the latter boasts a large, 110,000-sq.-ft. plant housing extremely diversified printing methodologies to leverage multiple production capabilities. Here, Jim Volkman, executive vice president of Xpanded Label Technology, and Jonathan Freed, director, southeast, for Hub Labels, discussed their companies' unique operations and how they help distributors add value. Volkman explained

Distributors can profit from end-user mailing and product identification needs. What's not to love about laser labels? The adhesive-oozing, printer-jamming and label-curling snafus have, essentially, been eliminated, the technology is more affordable than ever, and customers find them indispensable products for a variety of home and office uses. Although emerging technologies can wreak havoc on some traditional product lines, for the foreseeable future, suppliers such as Continental Datalabel, Elgin, Ill., and North Mankato, Minnesota-based Label Works expect laser labels to hold their own. "They are definitely a valuable product line for us," noted Katherine Bjorndahl, marketing coordinator for Label Works. "Sales remain steady,

Forget the back burner — it's time to deal with the inevitable. Standards are being ratified, chips are being built, inlays are being designed, and printers and readers are being tested. At this point, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is just looking for trouble. As Bill Allen, director of strategic alliances for Dallas-based Texas Instruments (TI), stated, RFID, in most cases, is a solution waiting for a problem. He pointed out that for many people, RFID is just coming onto the radar screen, so they imagine that it's an emerging technology. "In some markets it is," Allen said, "but there are many mature markets

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

Top performers in industrial environments, tags also have a softer side. Samples sell. They also inspire. In fact, distributors looking to increase their tag sales can get great ideas for value-added designs, as well as potential new customers, by simply perusing suppliers' sample packets. For instance, materials from Midlothian, Texas-based Ennis' tag and label manufacturing division in Wolfe City, Texas, include products utilized in manufacturing, retail, maintenance, customer service, public safety, property management, and warehousing and shipping, just to name a few. "We even have a distributor who places orders for toe tags used in morgues," said Barbara Woodruff, office manager. "We are one

A long-established printing technique, silkscreen reigns supreme over the durable label market. Ancient Egyptians were using papyrus stencils and pigments to duplicate images as early as 2300 B.C. However, modern screenprinting likely stems from patents applied for in the early 1900s. And except for the introduction of photographic stencils around that time, and the impact of computer technology in the '80s, the process remains relatively unchanged. So does the fact that a screenprinted label is the most durable product on the market. "The key," explained Mike Evans, marketing manager for Omaha, Nebraska-based Lancer Label, "is that compared to other printing techniques, screenprinting lays down

With new technology and processes, silkscreened labels continue to hold their own in an ever-changing industry. Silkscreened labels continue to stand the test of time. Known for their durability and staying power, they have helped users be a little more organized, a lot safer and, as times would have it, more politically aware. Running the gamut from bumper stickers and equipment labels to hard-hat decals and political signs, silkscreened labels remain an important component in the printed products industry. "Silkscreened labels are generally made for surfaces that are frequently exposed to the elements and that go through regular wear and tear," explained Jim

New inks and adhesives, as well as innovative design concepts, are stimulating label sales. According to Carl Gerlach, marketing director for Gill Studios, Shawnee Mission, Kan., labels are one of the most creative products that distributors can offer to their customers. "Between the imprinting and the diecutting, a label or decal gives imaginative distributors wonderful opportunities to impress their customers," he said. Gerlach explained that, in general, Gill Studios refers to flexographically printed paper substrates intended for short-term, indoor applications as labels, and the more durable, screen-printed poly and vinyl products typically used outdoors as decals. "However, a harsh, indoor industrial environment requires

Labels remain a dependable source of income for small distributorships. For the smaller distributor, labels have found their niche in providing a dependable—and often lucrative—source of income. "Labels have been a part of our product mix since the company's inception in 1983," said Michael Gordon, president of Commercial Business Forms, Cedar Knolls, N.J. "At that time, however, labels didn't play a significant role in the business because business forms dominated the market," he explained. "Now, about 25 percent of our business is centered on labels and tag materials that are adhesive-based." Veteran distributor Murray & Heister, Beltsville, Md., has been selling labels for

With labels, the only thing that isn't changing is their widespread use. When asked about anything new or different within the past year regarding their label operations, manufacturers had a lot to say. John Shanley, president of Labels West, Woodinville, Wash., talked about greatly decreased order sizes, yet greatly increased order activity, and how the demands for consistently high-quality labels and extremely rapid turnarounds are necessitating digital technology. "High-quality label products used to be considered specialties. Now, that quality is expected on every label order, and companies are having to invest in that quality," commented Shanley. At Tipp City, Ohio-based Repacorp Label Products, owner