Custom Product Labels and Printing Methods

Can you imagine a world without product labels? Bottles and cans would look pretty sparse on the shelves of grocery stores and other retail outlets. These bottles are an example of what the shelves would look like and it is not very pretty. There are many ways to make labels that can make your product pop off the shelf.

For small quantities and total flexibility, one of the least expensive and easiest methods is to print your own custom product labels with a printer like the LX810 by Primera. This little printer can give you the flexibility to make just one label or make five hundred labels in no time at all. Once you standardize on the label size you need, you can stock the blanks and pop them in anytime you need a new version for your product. No plates or dies needed here. This is a complete digital process.

The LX810 printer provides up to 4800 dpi in quality using an inkjet process and prints at a speed of 2 inches per second in black and 1.5 inches per second in color. The labels produced on this machine can be water resistant and may be used in many product labeling applications.

If you don't want to print them yourself, there are other methods for adding the flare of a custom product label to your items. If there are a lot of versions needed, then a digital printer can really save costs because there is no need for all the plates. One of the most popular digital processes today is finding a printer that has an HP Indigo printer. This printer is fast and has great quality. For short runs and custom versions, this is a great solution to get your product labeled correctly.

The Indigo ws4500 is a great printer for this type of demand. It is ideal for runs that are in quantities from 1 label all the way up to 50,000 labels. The color matching is great for 97% of the Pantone color range without compromising production. The print speed of this press is up to 52 feet per minute when it is in 4 color mode.

If your need is for a large quantity of custom labels then the solution is to find a label converter that has the volume capabilities that come with the Mark Andy narrow web presses. These presses use a flexo graphic process, which includes making plates and inks to lay down the most complex graphics and the highest quality for your label needs. Quantities from 500 to millions of labels can be run on these presses and a label converter that has the Mark Andy or other similar narrow web presses can meet the most demanding label requirements on the market.

An example of a custom labels press is the Mark Andy 2200. This press comes in 10 inches, 13 inches and 17 inches wide depending on the label requirements you generally run. For example a 13 inch wide press can run 4 inch wide labels 3 up making the productivity 3 times that of running the labels 1 up.

This 2200 press also runs at a speed ranging from 50 to 750 feet per minute. So if you have a 4 x 6 label with a 1/8th inch gap that is running at 750 feet per minute, that is 1470 labels per minute if they are running 1 up and 4408 labels per minute if they are running 3 up on the 13 inch press. Now that is a lot of labels per minute.

The 2200 custom label press also has a maximum of 12 print stations. That many print stations allows for all kinds of color combinations and varnishes to make your custom labels durable and to protect them against UV rays from sun light.

Whichever method you use for printing your product labels, the real key is the actual image you place on that product. Color and graphics really make your product pop and can make all the difference in a successful product and a dud. So contact your label supplier for suggestions and print methods to make sure the best method is being used to make your product labels to save you real dollars and provide the best quality.