Creating a successful product line isn’t just about engineering an awesome product. You also have to entice buyers. Picking an attractive custom label design is vital. So is choosing a label imprint protectant that keeps your branding and product information in pristine condition.
The Anatomy of a Custom Label
Product labels are more than just flashy information. Like other forms of printed media, they include many layers that imbue them with unique properties. When you select a label option, you’re actually picking a combination of different parts. You’re probably familiar with elements like pigments, label materials and adhesives. Printers also have to apply various protective technologies to preserve these components. These layers, coatings and chemicals can safeguard the final product from many different environmental factors.
What’s in a Label Imprint Protectant?
Which label protectants might suit your application best? Common options include:
- UV coatings that keep printed colors from fading or bleeding and stop label media from degrading,
- Laminations that resist moisture, handling, debris and environmental wear,
- Chemical-resistant coatings suited to industrial, manufacturing and pharmaceutical applications,
- Thermochromatic layers that change color when touched to indicate tampering,
- Thermal transfer labels that can be printed directly on product surfaces,
- Food-grade labels safe for use in water, microwaves and dishwashers, and
- Heat-resistant labels for use in extreme environments and industrial settings.
These kinds of custom label options come in many varieties. It’s important to know the difference.
For instance, a particular coating may only be resistant to certain chemicals while another might be effective against the ones that the first can’t handle. Some label protectants aren’t compatible with others. Even though you can combine different options, it’s vital that you understand which function well together.
What’s Right for Your Product?
The most important consideration when choosing a product label formulation is what kinds of challenges the label has to overcome. Sure, it’s impossible to anticipate every potential circumstance that consumers and end users might put your product through. Working with an experienced label provider, however, can make it easier to choose wisely.
Good commercial label printers do more than simply present you with a price list of protectant options. They also give you clear information about:
- How long each label lasts under typical conditions,
- Precise temperatures, humidities and other environmental measures that the label can withstand,
- Comparative costs of different coatings and printing methods, and
- Real-world examples of how to use each label effectively.
It doesn’t matter whether you hope to sell proprietary fabrication hardware to an industrial client, bottle your vineyard’s first run of wine or simply keep up with changing labeling regulations… your custom label printer needs to provide a solution whose good looks last.