If you use flexible materials to package your products, then you know there are some special challenges to your labeling. The right package creates the appealing image the consumer will notice. But if your labeling is not right, you could lose more than a sale.

For example, over the holidays I received a fine gourmet coffee gift. The packaging was attractive, the product was very good, and I’m sure it was a bit costly. Notice, however, that the product information on the package is unclear. The name of the coffee beans has partially rubbed off, the bar code is unreadable, and some of the serial numbers are gone.

Incorrect Ribbon

If I wanted to purchase this item, I wouldn’t know the name of the product I was looking for. If I were the vendor, I couldn’t be sure that my packages were accurately tracked when they left my shipping dock. Imagine if there was a product recall and the serial or lot numbers were not readable.

The problem with this labeling is that the ribbon used to print the product information does not suit the package. The ribbon was probably a wax ribbon that simply cannot print clear, permanent information on the material used to make the bag.  

Sometimes it’s not a problem with the ribbon matching the package, but with the type of adhesive used on your label.

A local regional distributor of a gourmet brownie mix packaged their product in a coarse-threaded muslin pull-cord bag. They wanted to convey an image of an eco-friendly purveyor of products made with natural ingredients. The challenge was to find a bar coded label with adhesive strong enough to stick to the flexible fibers of the bag for product identification, customer pricing and retail scanning without smudging, falling off, or erosion of print quality. Their first attempt was a label that often fell off and left messy adhesive on the bag. The print would come off on the bag leaving dark smudge marks. The result was a bag of brownie mix without a label to indicate price, country of origin, or bar code information.

Improper Adhesive

We helped this customer create a label with an adhesive that was strong enough to remain on the bag no matter how the contents shifted during handling or transport. If the label needed to be removed, such as when the product was given as a gift, it had to come off completely and leave no sticky residue on the bag.

The right labels and ribbons enhance your products, provide you with valuable information, and keep your customers coming back. There’s a lot to consider when creating the label, so that’s why you should work with us. Our knowledgeable staff will make sure the adhesive is right, that the top coat works with the printer and ribbons, and that the color you need is exactly the color you get. We can help you come up with the most cost-effective, reliable labeling that complies with industry mandates and creates the impression you want.

It is a fact that for many applications, a tablet device with a nice big screen is better than the tiny cramped display of a traditional mobile computer. A lot of businesses have been introducing consumer tablet devices into their operations – particularly the old faithful iPad from Apple.

While this can be great from a function and usability point of view, iPads and other consumer devices are not really tough enough for the industrial world, nor do they have the sophisticated security and device management that IT managers insist on.

Enter the ET1 Enterprise Table from Motorola Solutions. Introduced at the end of last year, the ET1 is clearly intended to combine everything we love about consumer tablet devices with the robustness of more industrial devices.

The ET1 certainly looks to be a lot beefier than an iPad, although at 1.4 lbs, it actually doesn’t weigh a huge amount more.

I think that there is a great opportunity for Motorola or its competitors to fill this void in the market, between the industrial mobile computers and the consumer tablets. A lot of customers I’ve spoken to of late have been wishing more screen real estate and and a more convenient form factor. For people using cloud-based apps, this kind of device will be perfect.

The ET1 looks to be a great start, but there is a ways to go. Being stuck with older version of Android (designed for phones rather than tablets) doesn’t help and having to use the built in camera to scan barcodes sounds painful – although I’m sure Motos Bluetooth barcode scanners will work with the ET1.

There really hasn’t been much exciting in the rugged mobile world for a while (just how many look-alike Windows Mobile devices do we need?) so it is cool to see something new.

What do you think? Is Moto onto something here? Are you wishing Apple would make a rugged iPad?

If you ship to the DoD, you are most likely aware you will need to comply with MIL-STD-129 container and shipment labeling. If your shipment is going to a Defense Logistics Agency depot listed in the DoD contract clause DFARS 252.211-7006, you must comply with the RFID label requirement as well.

The US Government is taking steps to increase pressure to comply with the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) component of MIL-STD-129. >>See Update Here.

Simplify Compliance with MIL-STD-129

There are two things you need to do to comply with MIL-STD-129 – Produce 100% compliant labels and manage the workflow or communicate the related shipment data back to the DoD via ASN. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, not exactly but a good place to start is by downloading our e-book, “MIL-STD-129 Container & Shipment Labeling.”

This guide provides a basic understanding of the steps you will need to take to produce your labels and how to manage the related data via the WAWF. Our 1-2-3 steps to compliance covers ways to be sure your labels are in compliance, provide proof to your DCMA, and how you can not only simplify the data transmission process but also save on costs.

For additional information, please contact us or call 603-598-1553.

Here at Winco ID, we feel we have the best on-site label printer service team in the business. Our customers agree and many have used our service for many years to keep their barcode and label printers working at their best.

We appreciate that many other organizations prefer to take care of their own equipment and have their own technicians carry out any repairs and PMs that might be needed.

If this is you, Winco can still help you.

If you repair your own label printers, you will need parts. We have an extensive stock of parts for most of the popular label printer models. If we don’t have something, we can get it fast – at good pricing as well.

Better yet, we can often provide parts for older models that are no longer supported by the manufacturers – we are really creative at finding ways to keep those old printers up and running.

So if you need a printhead for a Zebra, a network card for a Datamax, a platen roller for an Intermec – contact Winco today!

Oh, you really should check out our barcode printer service plans as well.

A lot of our customers are replacing their Windows XP computers with new Windows 7 ones, having skipped Vista in the process.

As a result, we often get questions about which versions of BarTender and LabelView will run on the new operating system.

According to Seagull and Teklynx, these are the versions of their products we should be using with Windows 7.

Teklynx LabelView: Version 8.5

Seagull BarTender: Version 9.2

If you have these versions (or newer) you should be good to go with Win7. In the event your label software is older than these, you’ll want to think about upgrading.

Of course, we can help with this!

Product ID labels not only help you identify and track your products, but also helps you build your brand identity. Effective product ID labels used for branding help your customers identify and purchase your products. Product ID labels that carry important information, either for the consumer or for inventory tracking,  must last the life of the product. So it makes sense to create product ID labels that are as attractive and eye-catching as they are reliable.

Whatever your environment or need, we have the capability to create the right label for the job. For example, the label in Figure 1 was made for a customer who required waterproof and chemical-resistant labels. The floodcoated polyester label, with reverse printing and a clear glossy over laminate, reflects the customer’s brand and will reliably identify their product.

Figure 1. Floodcoated ID Label

Sometimes product ID labels need to idenify your product, contain product data, and also comply with industry or other standards. The label shown in Figure 2 is a name plate label made from a metallized silver polyester material and is CE approved; the inks, adhesives, and materials all comply with the CE standard. Notice that the label has empty data fields. When the finished product is ready to be labeled, the customer can print their variable data on the preprinted label.

Figure 2. Metallized polyester name plate label

For more than 25 years we have been creating reliable and innovative product ID and other labels for a variety of industries.  Our printing facility can create your labels in any shape, size or color with adhesives, substrates, inks, and over laminates that can withstand extreme temperatures, UV light, or moisture. If you need help with your labeling, give us a call at 1-800-325-5260. Our customer service department can work with you to get the label details right, and our printing department can print the label that will reliably identify and track your products, no matter what.

How do you print a bar code on a label that is less than 1/8th of an inch high? Here’s a simple tip for solving that problem.

The label shown in the figure is a silver polyester label with 3 face slits. The slits divide the one larger label on the liner into 4 very thin labels that you peel and place onto the item you want to mark.  Run the roll of labels through your printer to print the bar code onto the slitted label and you wind up with four very skinny bar coded labels.

Now you have a way to bar code very small components or parts. Using a slitted labeling technique is a convenient way to print multiple labels for various applications. Do you have any interesting tips on better ways to label? Let us know!

Are you looking for ways to make your labeling more attractive? Perhaps a clear label is the answer. Our transparent polyester labels are a great way to enhance your packaging. The durable, tear-resistant label comes on a continuous roll with black sensor marks on the liner so your printer can sense each label for proper printing every time.  Just print your labels, peel them off the roll, and apply them to just about anything. The pressure-sensitive clear label blends with the substrate for a professional “no label” look.

The applications for clear labels are endless. Now you can label any container and see what’s inside instead of the color of the label. Clear labels allow you to create the design and image that’s just right for your product. Everything from medical products, consumer goods, and food and beverage items can benefit from clear labeling.  

Available in glossy or matte finishes, these clear labels offer effective image appeal. Our extensive line of substrates, adhesives, and liners mean you can label any type of container, package, or material in any type of challenging environment. We can also manufacture our transparent label to fit your particular printing requirements or format.

For better labeling, give us a call at (603) 598-1553. We’ve designed a diverse range of labeling solutions for our customers, all backed by technical expertise and outstanding customer service, and we can help you too.

5 Labeling Resolutions That Can Improve Your Business

Eliminate Data Entry
Every time someone has to manually enter information to print a label is an opportunity for a mistake to be made. Look at ways to automate your label printing process, using data that already lives in your database.

Distribute Your Printers
Instead of your workers have to walk around to get printed labels, use smaller printers right at the point the labels are needed. This can save time and money as well as help reduce errors.

Control Those Assets
Whether you use barcodes or RFID, there are a number of really good asset tracking solutions that allow you to keep on top of all your fixed assets. If you are keep track manually at the moment, there is huge scope to save time and improve control here.

Look at Different Label Materials
Could a change of label material reduce costs or improve performance? Would a clear “no label” look help with your product’s appearance?

Make Everything Work Properly
Get your label printers on a service plan to make sure they perform well all year. Look at upgrading to new equipment as well – there are some great deals around at the moment. Be pro-active; don’t wait for something to fail at a critical time.

There are a lot more than just five ways to enhance your labeling operations for 2012. Do you have any great ideas to share? How can we best help you?

We’ve all been there, have a barcode label and need to make sure that the correct information has been printed. Only problem – no barcode scanner is handy. Result: frustration!

So here’s a simple solution that works in a lot of cases.

No scanner? No problem – just get out your smartphone and fire up the QuickMark scanner app!

There are a lot of barcode scanner apps for the iPhone and Android phones, but most are limited to QR Codes, maybe Datamatrix and sometimes even UPC codes.

What’s nice with QuickMark is that it can also scan Code 39 and Code 128 barcodes, both of which are widely used in the Industrial world. It also has QR, Datamatrix and UPC capability, making QuickMark the most versatile barcode app I have on my phone.

Sure, it isn’t going to be replacing my industrial barcode scanners anytime soon, but it is fantastic to have a good barcode tool around nearly all the time. Really impresses customers, I’ve found.

So head off to your Apple, Android or Windows Phone app store and get this clever little tool on your phone.

Got any ideas for helping in our barcode lives? We’d love to hear of them!