Labels

Pinfed labels continue to hold steady in an evolving market By Ken Mandel Once the label industry standard, used by shipping warehouses and nearly every business within reach of a dot-matrix printer, the continuous pinfed label market lost ground to the ease and clarity of laser and thermal transfer labels. Despite the growing use of laser products, manufacturers point out that the death of the continuous pinfed label is not in the near future. There is still a wealth of applications for the old standard. "They are still the standard for some of the large shipping houses and the electronic data processing market and should be for the

Weather- and water-resistant labels withstand harsh elements By Stacey Wenzel You wouldn't dare go to the beach without sunscreen, would you? Or brave winter's snow and cold temperatures without wearing a hat and gloves? We all know that we need to protect ourselves from such extreme elements. The same holds true for labels. If a label can't survive harsh conditions, then it can't perform its job properly. However, with the right protection, labels can withstand some of the most demanding environments. According to Carl Gerlach, director of marketing for Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Gill Studios, the outdoor durability of a label or decal typically

The demand for unique labels is leading the way to higher profits By Carol A. Katarsky Presentation is important, especially in business. Custom labels can enhance the image of items on which they are placed. The value of adding an attractive, eye-catching custom label--or one designed to meet a specific set of requirements--can't be underestimated. Custom labels are the largest product line at Woodinville, Wash.-based Labels West, mostly sold for retail packaging, according to John Shanley, president. He noted that as the quality of four-color flexo has improved, it has become easier to increase the attractiveness of previously humble labels. Bill Bohning, president of North Mankato, Minn.-based Label Works,

Stick with this profitable product By Stacey Wenzel What exactly is a decal anyway? Are there differences between a decal and a label? They are both adhesive products, but depending on who you ask, the definition for each varies. Some may think labels are typically used for short-term applications, while decals are designed for more durable, longer use. Decals are often printed on stronger materials like vinyl, whereas labels are normally printed on paper. In addition, the use of heavier, thicker inks for decals differentiates the two. Whatever your criteria are for defining a decal, one thing remains the same. The market is growing and can provide high

Combinations and new wrinkles aid the rise of pressure-sensitive labels By Erik Cagle Pressure-sensitive labels can be all things to all distributors. These labels are an alternative to the traditional forms market, they can combine with forms in many creative ways, are among the leading products in terms of growth and the application possibilities are limitless. Naturally, stated Fred Elhami, president of Costal Tag and Label, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., many businesses want to get in on the action. "There are too many suppliers," Elhami said. "Really, it's everybody and anybody who has a printing press." Elhami stressed the need for a niche.

Charge up your accounts with static cling sales By Erik Cagle When it comes to static cling labels, John Shanley doesn't mind being an island unto himself. Shanley, president of Labels West, Woodinville, Wash., is among a small core of manufacturers who produce these labels. Shanley has a patent on a piggyback-type form/static cling label combination. He is also moving into the point-of-purchase beverage market, because grocers routinely use static cling labels to promote weekly specials. Static cling labels are relatively new on the market--newer than pressure-sensitive labels but older than the Internet. Increasingly, distributors are finding new ways to permeate the retail

Prolific printers increase opportunities for profits By Erik Cagle Labels produced on laser printers have several elements working in their favor. They are more advanced than their impact printer brethren and cost less than thermal-transfer labels. Many office desktop laser printers can handle laser label sheets. More offices are switching to laser printers, if they have not already done so, and they seem to be taking the torch from impact printers. Among the many applications for laser-printed labels: • Health care--patient record labels that are inserted into wristbands. • Retail environments--pricing labels on store shelves. • Bar codes. • Shipping labels. • Product

Thermal transfer makes a good first impression on bar code sales By Erik Cagle Distributors of thermal transfer labels may be thanking their lucky bar codes, which have become required on all retail products. Bar codes are perhaps the primary reason behind the runaway success of thermal transfer labels. According to Tony Heinl, vice president of sales and marketing at Repacorp Label Products, Tipp City, Ohio, even boxes that go into retail stores are required to have bar codes. "These labels all have to have bar codes on the outside that are scannable at a high rate, like 99 percent of the time," Heinl said. "Direct thermal and

The silk may be gone, but screen printing is here to stay By Stacey Wenzel Although screen printing is one of the oldest forms of printing, it shouldn't be thought of as ancient history. Screen printing, formerly known as silk screening, still has its niche within the industry and is a popular printing method for labels, decals and advertising specialties. The technique is similar to stenciling, where an image is transferred onto a screen that is typically made from polyester. The ink is poured on top of the screen and forced through the open areas with a squeegee. This allows the ink to be placed directly onto the material. "It's

Distributors reap profits in this growing label niche By Erik Cagle Coca-Cola, Nike, Nintendo, IBM--all are megacompanies that consumers can readily identify by name. Their products and reputations are world renowned. But what about companies that aren't as established, that sell their products or services on a smaller, perhaps regionalized scale? What distinguishes the product of Small Company A from the product of Small Company B? Judging a book by its cover Most consumers won't scratch the surface beyond the prime label adorning a product. And that's just fine with John Shanley, president of Labels West, Woodinville, Wash., whose company's specialty is prime labels.