The Right Label Makes All the Difference

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.

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.

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.