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What Are Custom Die Cut Product Labels?

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TL-Blog-DieCut-Sm-Inset-750x600Article originally published February 18, 2016.

Your product labeling directly reflects your product and business identity. From food labels to beer bottle labels, a great custom label gives an unmistakable identity to the consumables within.

If you want your product to stand out from the crowd, professional die-cut label printing is the way to go. You need professional, polished labels made for your product. When it comes to commercial product labeling, your labels need to be more than something you buy at the office supply store and print. [Read more…]

Entice Your Customers with 4 Delicious Elements of Good Coffee Label Design

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There’s nothing like freshly roasted coffee beans. The smell is invigorating—just begging customers to get out their grinder and brew the beans into a fresh cup. If you’re a coffee bean roaster, you probably know that coffee label design is crucial to the look and feel of your packaging.

But how can you be sure that your coffee bag labels stand out? Do your coffee packaging labels catch customers’ eyes? Are they unique? Appetizing? Will they hold up to the wear and tear of the kitchen?

There’s a lot of competition in the coffee world. So be sure that your brand stands out! Here are 4 elements of a good coffee label design that you should consider when you package up your beans.

1. Your Coffee Bag Labels Should Reflect Your Brand

Branding consistency is crucial for your product labels, whether it’s coffee, hot sauce, wine, or any other food product. You want labels that reflect the unique brand of the beans within but also stay consistent with your brand and message.

For example, if your coffee is locally roasted and marketed mainly in your community (or your city's name is in your brand), why not name the beans for surrounding neighborhoods and include a landmark on each label. If your company wants to highlight its organic product or sustainability, a vibrant but minimalist coffee label design may be in order.

When designing coffee bag labels, you’ll want to look at both elements—your brand (colors, logo, preferred fonts) and the type of coffee. The labels should be unique enough to allow customers to quickly differentiate between a blonde roast and a dark while still showcasing that these coffees are distinctly roasted and packaged by your company.

2. Your Coffee Label Design Should Fit Your Packaging

Whether you’re selling your coffee in-house at your coffee shop, marketing your beans online, or selling at retail outlets, your coffee label size is important. Most roasters choose to package their coffee in metalized or polyester laminate insulated pouches or bags. Some also feature a valve to allow the coffee to release gasses after roasting (and stay fresher longer).

There are many different sizes and options for coffee pouches. You could also use insulated paper pouches, although the coffee will not stay fresh for long. Most pouches and bags are in a standard size of 16 oz (one pound) with a foldable top and often a flat bottom.

Your coffee packaging gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of labeling. Some bags are custom printed right onto the bag, but coffee labels can be a good choice for coffee sellers who want more packaging options. Select coffee package labels that are an appropriate size for your pouches. Labels should take up almost the entire front and back of the bag, with only a small margin around the edges. This will allow you to make the most of your packaging real estate.

3. Your Coffee Labels Should Be Eye-Catching

Similar to the craft brewing industry, there is a lot of competition in the coffee industry. Since the early 90s, when coffee culture took off, the market has been tight. So not only are you putting your brand up against the big guys, but you're likely competing with artisan roasters from nearby coffee shops down the street (or at least the next town over).

When your coffee is on the shelf, it needs to stand out to customers. A simple coffee label design might work if you’re only selling at your own store. After all, customers are already walking in your door and coming to you for their beans. But if you want to market your java in more spots, you’re going to need to jazz up your coffee label design.

Look at your packaging for inspiration. If your packaging features shiny black plastic, a bold, graphic label with a gloss laminate could look fantastic. A matte laminate label with earthier tones may look appropriate on a tan, green, or brown coffee package. Don't underestimate the addition of eye-catching features like custom cuts, metallics, or embossing to help your coffee labels stand out from the crowd.

4. Your Coffee Bag Labels Should Be Durable

The core purpose of any food label is to convey important information to the consumer. Yes, labels are a way to advertise, promote your brand, and look good on the shelf, but they also need to contain essential elements like weight measurements, ingredients, storage, and brewing instructions. In addition, this critical information needs to be easy to read, clear, and durable.

Coffee lives in the kitchen, where coffee package labels are exposed to moisture, heat, and even cold temperatures. The labels need to hold up to water, spills, and frequent handling. If your packaging is recyclable, your label material should fit the same parameters (keep in mind that adhesives are not always recyclable, so you may need to choose a removable option).

A laminate finish and a durable adhesive are important for ensuring your labels stay intact and in place. Customers will be disappointed when they can’t read instructions, don’t know expiration dates, or want to remember that delicious coffee type, only to discover that the label was damaged.

Your coffee does an important job. It helps people start their day with a smile and a little caffeine boost. Your coffee bag label should work just as hard to get your brand message across to your customers. If you’re looking for assistance with unique food and beverage labeling design, we can help. Reach out today to request a quote!

Sustainable Labeling: How to Choose Greener Labels

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These days, consumers and many manufacturers are realizing the merits of going green. Not only are eco-friendlier packaging options good for the planet, but they're good for your reputation and your bottom line.

In a recent Consumer Brands/Ipsos poll, 84% of respondents said they were concerned about waste from plastics and packaging. Recycling is at the forefront of their minds, and they're willing to prioritize brands that show a greener approach.

What does that mean for you? It means that taking a look at your packaging options, right down to the labeling, is crucial.

What Makes More Sustainable Labeling?

What factors play into a label’s sustainability? There are many components to a label—the material, the adhesives, the finish, even the ink—that can play a role in the label’s compatibility with the recycling process.

It’s important to understand how recycling works and the requirements for your packaging before you choose the labels for your product. Labels are ubiquitous---almost every product has a label of some sort on the product, whether it’s a food, beverage, consumer good, or medical supply. In most cases, the recycling process doesn’t require that consumers and users remove their label to recycle.

During the recycling process, products are often heated to very high temperatures. This heating burns off any labels and glue. For certain products, the recycler may request that labels be removed. The labels themselves may also be recyclable (in the case of some paper labels, for example). Different recyclers may have different standards for their recyclable products, so if you're working with consumers in a particular region and recycling is a concern, it may be a good idea to explore the local regulations and guidelines.

But of course, if your company has taken measures to provide more sustainable products to your consumer, then you’ll want to do your due diligence when it comes to exploring sustainable label options. Here are all the aspects of labels you should consider when you’re seeking more sustainable label choices.

Are Label Adhesives Recyclable?

Generally speaking, most label adhesives aren’t recyclable. Even if a paper label is used, the adhesive will need to be removed before the label can be recycled. There are natural adhesives out there, but it depends on the other requirements of the label and storage conditions for the product. Look for an RCA or recycling compatible adhesive if it fits your specifications.

RCAs were first devised for use in the postal system. When it comes to recycling envelopes, the adhesive closure and even stamps can be a concern. In most cases, the RCAs are used to adhere paper to paper. During the recycling process, paper is shredded into pulp. The adhesives are resistant to shredding and can then be removed before the final processing. Other adhesives can damage the recycling machinery and cause problems.

There are also biodegradable label adhesives (and even labels themselves). These are often used on food products, and these labels will break down over time. The biodegradable adhesive is often plant-based, made from materials like sugarcane. In some cases, these options can be an appropriate choice.

Most label components like ink, standard adhesives, and lamination are considered contaminants in the recycling process, but recycling companies will often remove them during the processing if they are a problem. The adhesive itself can't be extracted from the label or recycled. It's also important to note that many adhesives eventually degrade, change, and deteriorate over the product's life. Removable and repositionable label adhesive options offer a lower tack and can be used in some cases.

Which Label Materials Are Most Sustainable?

Choosing paper labels can make your product packaging more sustainable and recycling-friendly. Many paper labels on sauce jars and other products can be washed off or removed during recycling. Generally speaking, paper labels are often the most eco-friendly and may even be made from recycled materials.

Plastic and synthetic labels can be used on packaging with the same type of plastic. For example, polypropylene or PET bottles with polypropylene or PET labels can usually be recycled together—no label removal necessary. In some cases, a label may fit around the entire package (like a beverage bottle) and can be removed easily once the product is gone.

Choosing Finishes and Lamination

Another area to review is the finish and lamination on your labels. Some labels need to be water-resistant, heat-proof, or otherwise able to withstand certain conditions. In this case, a protective finish is important. Other embellishments like metallics can align with your branding and make your product stand out.

For lamination, matching the material to the packaging can increase the recyclability of the product. Again, a polypropylene laminate would be appropriate for a polypropylene bottle. A paper label with a laminate finish may not be as easily recycled. It’s also important to check the adhesive and the ink before deeming the label recyclable (even if the lamination is the same material as the product packaging).

In many cases, the finish, adhesive, and even ink will factor into the sustainability of a label. It's important to weigh the requirements of your label and the information you need to convey against the merits of going completely green. With the proper guidance, you should find a label that will do the job while still complementing your product.

Fortunately, when it comes to labels, there are ample options for customizing and adjustment. Your product is different and distinctive, so you’ll need a label that works for you. We have an array of labeling choices here at T&L Graphic Systems. If you need to find a sustainable label or a label with any unique property, we're here to help. Reach out today to explore your options.

Sauce Label Design: 4 Ways to Make Your Special Sauce Stand Out!

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You've worked hard to develop your special sauce. Perhaps it's a recipe passed down through your family or a product you've arrived at through much trial and error. When you're ready to take your secret sauce to the masses, the right sauce label design makes all the difference.

There’s a big world out there when it comes to sauce label design. If you want your hot sauce or BBQ sauce labels to stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to spend some time crafting the perfect label design and selecting the best type of label for your product.

Here are 4 ways to ensure your hot sauce label design is just as fiery as the product within.

1. Make Sure Your Sauce Label Design Conveys the Right Information

First and foremost, a label is a way to convey important information. In the medical industry, labels are absolutely crucial for accuracy and messaging. But even for a product used in a consumer’s home or a commercial kitchen, the correct label information is vital.

It's essential to familiarize yourself with labeling requirements for food products. Explore the FDA’s labeling requirements to get it right. You’ll need to include ingredients, allergen notes, ounces, nutrition information, and details about your manufacturing plant on your food label. Most food products must also be stamped with an expiration date or production date.

You may also want to include important information in your hot sauce label design, such as the heat level. It's helpful for consumers to know the storage requirements too. For example, some sauces are stable enough to forgo refrigeration, while others will fare better when chilled.

2. Include Your Branding, Story, and Personality!

Once the technical constraints for your BBQ sauce or hot sauce label design are out of the way, you can start to work on the fun stuff! How will you capture your customer’s attention and share your story? There are many sauces out there, but yours is unique!

Look at the differentiators. What makes your sauce special? Is it the history of your brand? Was this sauce passed down from generations? Or perhaps you use unique ingredients—homegrown hatch chiles or heirloom tomatoes? Figure out what makes your product extraordinary and convey it on your label.

Labels play an integral role in helping you promote your product. Your sauce label design offers a chance to advertise your product, lure in sauce-lovers, and differentiate you from the other options out there. Use color and brand consistency to grab their attention. Maximize your use of space label space and create a sauce label design that enhances your product.

3. Be sure that Your Labels are Die-Cut to Fit the Bottle

There’s nothing more disappointing than coming up with a great design, only to find that it doesn’t fit the bottle. Fortunately, with die-cutting and an array of label options, you can adjust your sauce labels to fit your bottles and packaging seamlessly.

Often you may be limited by access to bottling supplies, especially if your sauce business is just getting off the ground and starting to branch out into the retail market. Seek labels that curve with the bottle and compliment the shape of your sauce container.

We’ve all seen the ubiquitous Heinz ketchup bottles—one of the celebrities of tomato sauce label design. You may have heard that if you hit 57 on the neck of the bottle, the ketchup comes out faster. But did you know that the whole concept was a gimmick dreamt up by H.J. Heinz, based on his lucky number? The labeling not only fits the sauce bottle, but it serves a purpose (and creates a very distinctive brand story in the process).

4. Select the Right Finish to Ensure Your Label Sticks Around

With food and beverage labeling, there's another important consideration—will your sauce label design hold up to the wear and tear of the kitchen? Sauce labels are exposed to wet, cold, and hot environments often. Splashes of food and sauce can get on the bottles, and in a commercial environment, they might be wiped down frequently. So how do you ensure your label stays put?

Another crucial component of sauce label design is in the finish. Special coatings and lamination can help ensure that your label holds up to damp, cold, and warm environments. When the bottle sweats, you don’t want your label to go south! When it’s passed around the table, hand-to-hand, you don’t want your label to smudge or become illegible.

Special coatings and adhesives are available to ensure your label stays strong even in challenging environments. Some labels require more protection than others, but it’s always best to consider how your food product will be used and what common hazards it will face.

Your label tells a lot about your product and is critical to your success. There are few pieces of marketing collateral quite so vital to your brand as your product label. Take the time to ensure that your sauce label design meets all the needs and requirements to knock their socks off! Need help? Reach out to T&L Graphics today to learn more about our services. We’ll help you create the perfect label.

Deciphering Common Medical Device Labeling Symbols

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If you work in any area of the medical industry, you likely have some familiarity with medical device labeling symbols. You've probably seen the images on everything from pill bottles to medical equipment.

But do you ever wonder why we use symbols in the medical industry? They almost seem like hieroglyphics or a coded message. Have you seen the medical device labeling symbols and asked yourself what they mean? We see them printed on medical labels in the lab, the pharmacy, or throughout any medical practice.

Fortunately, medical device labeling symbols are standardized, and you can decipher most with just a little sleuthing to find a medical device symbols glossary. These medical device labeling symbols are essential—they keep consumers, patients, and medical professionals efficient, informed, and safe from harm.

Why Medical Device Labeling Symbols Keep Us Safe

Medical device labeling symbols are simple images that convey a lot of critical information. Symbols on medical devices can indicate storage guidelines for an item. They can symbolize safety precautions needed or offer guidance on how a medical product should be administered or used.

For years, the medical industry has used symbols in labeling, largely because symbols are universal, but the medical device labeling standards have shifted and evolved over time. As manufacturers and technology have changed, the number of symbols has grown, and designers have adapted them to encompass the medical industry's new needs.

Medical device users need not understand English or know how to read to understand the symbols. The understandability of medical device labeling symbols is particularly helpful for global markets. When manufacturers create a medical device or product, they can market it in any country, not just the native manufacturing region. Medical device symbols are essentially universal (although countries may have their own medical device labeling standards and guidelines).

Symbols Are Used Everywhere

Symbols have long been used in consumer goods—not only for medical devices but in many different products. The characters on a product label might tell the consumer about the contents inside or how they can recycle the container. There are symbols used in kosher food manufacturing and symbols to indicate the organic origins of food. Some symbols might tell consumers how to store products or warn them about misusing the products as well.

As with medical labels, the symbols used for all products are there because they convey a message in a clear, easy-to-follow manner. There are no concerns about language barriers or inability to read when pictures are used on a label. Labeling symbols make products more accessible and easier to use—something that’s particularly crucial when it comes to the medical field.

Symbols also take up less valuable label real estate. When you're trying to convey a lot of information in a small amount of space, a symbol can help you get your message across quickly and clearly. Medical device labeling symbols are ubiquitous in the medical field because often, there are many instructions needed. A symbol is a convenient, straightforward way to get that information across to anyone who needs to know.

Medical Device Labeling Symbols Offer a Lot of Information in a Little Picture

So what can we learn by looking at medical device labeling symbols? There's a lot of information conveyed, but some of the symbols can get confusing for those new to the medical profession or less familiar.

In 2016, the FDA released the final rule on the “Use of Symbols in Labeling.” These rules allow symbols on medical device labeling without accompanying explanatory text. These criteria helped those navigating label design and figuring out how to fit the necessary information on a medical device. You can use a standalone medical device labeling symbol as long as the symbol meets certain standards (like those set forth by the American National Standards Institute, ANSI, or International Organization for Standardization, ISO).

Manufacturers may also use a symbol that's not part of the ISO standards if they can show that the symbol is easily decipherable to their target audience. The FDA rule also mandates that manufacturers include a symbols glossary (in paper or electronically) available to users as part of the labeling or packaging. However, the glossary isn’t needed if a company prints explanatory text along with the symbol.

There are many positives about the medical device labeling standards and guidelines. Using symbol-only labels makes the message clear, safe, and easy to comprehend. In a small amount of space, the safety labels can still get the message across.

One aspect of labeling that the medical device labeling ruling underscores is the critical need to choose the correct label for the job. When you’re relying on a small medical label to offer so much important information, it needs to have the right finish, lamination, and adhesive to stay in place and stick to the medical device. Even though the symbols and labels are standardized, it's still essential to seek the highest quality labels with resistant coatings and finishes.

At T&L Graphics, we offer labels in an array of finishes and types, including chemical, cold, and heat-resistant options. We serve the medical field with labels such as:

  • Medical imaging
  • Pharmaceutical labels
  • Vial labels
  • I.V. labels
  • Biohazard labels for containers
  • Admission labels
  • Labels for radiology
  • Medical device and equipment labels

We can recommend the right adhesive and label material to ensure your labels can stand up to frequent use, wear, and tear. When you rely on labels for critical information, don't settle for anything less than the top of the line. Reach out to us today to get the right labels for all your important applications.