Labels and stickers are specified by material, adhesive and print method, and a wrong adhesive or finish can fail on the product surface. Test samples on your actual container, in your real storage conditions, before ordering a run.
Coventry packaging supplier with regional distribution centers across the UK
Industrial packaging and shipping supplies sold by the case or pallet
Shipping, packaging, industrial and janitorial supplies for businesses
Australian wholesale supplier of compostable and recyclable packaging
Labels look simple, but most failures come from a mismatch between the label, the surface and the conditions it meets in storage, shipping and use. A short test costs far less than relabelling a finished batch.
Labels come on paper, polypropylene, polyester, vinyl and specialty stocks such as kraft, metallic and clear film. Paper is economical for dry, indoor use. Plastic films resist moisture, oils and tearing and suit bottles, cosmetics and outdoor items. The adhesive matters as much as the face material: permanent adhesives bond strongly, removable ones peel cleanly, and special formulations exist for freezer use, curved or textured surfaces, and low-surface-energy plastics. Ask which adhesive is used and test it on the real surface.
Labels are supplied on rolls, sheets or as die-cut shapes. Rolls suit automated applicators and thermal printers, and the core size, winding direction and roll diameter must match your equipment. Sheets suit desktop printing. Digital printing handles short runs and variable data, flexographic printing is economical for long runs, and thermal transfer or direct thermal labels are used for shipping and barcodes. Direct thermal labels fade with heat and light, so they are not suited to long storage.
Consider exposure to water, oil, sunlight, abrasion and temperature. A label on a hand-soap bottle must survive wet hands, and one on a food container must survive refrigeration or freezing. Laminates and varnishes protect the print. Check colour reproduction against a proof, since brand colours can shift between runs and between materials.
Labels often carry legal information, and the requirements differ by product and market. Food, cosmetics, chemicals and supplements have rules on ingredient lists, hazard symbols, batch codes, allergen declarations and net quantity, so check what applies for your market. The supplier prints what you supply and normally does not check compliance. Barcodes must scan reliably, so ask for a verification test.
Custom labels involve setup for dies and plates, so minimum orders and tooling fees apply. Stock shapes and sizes avoid die charges. Ask about overs and unders, a normal tolerance on quantity in print runs, and about reorder consistency. Keep rolls in a cool, dry place, because adhesives age.
Questions to ask
Match the adhesive to the surface and conditions, such as curved plastic, cold storage or removable use. Test a sample on your real container before ordering.
Printers commonly deliver slightly more or fewer labels than ordered because of press waste and counting variation. Ask for the tolerance and how it is billed.
Direct thermal labels work for shipping and barcodes without ink, but they fade with heat and light. For longer storage, thermal transfer labels last better.
You are. The printer produces what you supply, so check the label rules for your product and market before approving artwork.
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The largest groups are in United States (2), Canada (1), United Kingdom (1) and Australia (1).
Check the company registration and street address, ask for trade references and start with a sample or small order. Be careful with suppliers who only accept untraceable payment methods. The Trust Score on each profile shows which of these signals we could confirm.
