Adhesion, appearance, sustainability, price…
When it comes to choosing the best bespoke self-adhesive labels for your needs, there is a lot to consider. There are two ways to go; you can call us right away and we’ll guide you through the choice, or if you’d like to understand your options better first, read on!
Before you choose a label, it’s helpful to identify your priorities
Different types of products demand different qualities from their labels. A two-litre carton of milk needs a label that can withstand cold and moist environments. A craft beer needs a label that can do that too but also look really eye-catching and showcase a brand visually. A fish crate needs a strong label that sticks when it’s supposed to and washes away when hosed!
You might be a start-up with a small budget, or a growing brand that needs to stand out against competitors. You might be working towards a carbon footprint reduction, or making some changes to comply with new legislation. We’ve worked closely with customers for decades to meet every type of goal, so let’s look at some label options that are best for each type of priority:
» Adhesion for challenging environments
This is where our technical team get excited! The choice of adhesive used on your label can make it do lots of different things. As mentioned above, we make labels for fishing crates that somehow stay put until they need to be washed off – magic! When you come to us, we figure out the challenges your specific product might face and recommend the adhesive you need. Extreme temperatures, moisture, uneven packaging surfaces, sticking onto very porous materials – don’t worry, the chances are we’ve overcome the challenge before and if we haven’t, our in-house labelling nerds experts will have a field day figuring it out.
» Budget-friendly
Our ability to print bespoke self-adhesive labels on a digital printing press sets us apart from most other label producers. Digital printing helps to keep costs low and allows you to order in smaller quantities too.
We will work with you to understand the exact specifications you require so that there are no unnecessary added extras.
» Environmentally-friendly
Substrates (paper/ film), adhesives and top-coatings come in a wide variety of compositions. If your goal is to reduce your carbon footprint, we can help you. We can produce labels that are made from recycled materials or that are recyclable, compostable and non-toxic to the environment. We will align with your overall packaging goals, e.g. with a label that is recyclable like your cardboard so your package can be recycled as a whole, or wash-off labels for PET bottles.
» Speciality/ Customer-experience
Labelling is an innovative industry where little tweaks to an otherwise ordinary label can make a real difference to your customer experience. Here are some examples.
- Easy peel-off labels – excellent for dishes, glasses etc. where label residue can really ruin your customers’ enjoyment of your product.
- Reseal labels – help keep perishable food fresh by allowing your customer to use your label to reseal the bag; great for coffee.
- Scratch and reveal – add some fun to your label, ideal for running competitions or promotions that engage your customers.
» Appearance
The key elements of achieving good-looking labels are graphic design, selection of the substrate and top-coat, the colour-printing process, and choosing speciality finishes.
When you want to be eye-catching because of intense competition, or you want to showcase your strong brand, a label producer with an in-house graphic design team (ahem) can help a lot. Label artwork is its own speciality, and a team of professional designers, who are also familiar with the challenges and opportunities of label production, will help you achieve the best appearance. Our team will match your colours, lay out your branding and necessary information, and help you choose the perfect shape and size for your labels. In fact, they can even design the brand for you if you don’t already have one.
Additionally, you need a substrate (that’s the layer of the label that is printed) and top-coat (e.g. lamination) that allows the colour in your design to appear as you intend it to. Substrates effect how colour prints, e.g. a red printed on matte-grey paper will look duller than the same red printed on white-gloss. We use a printing process of four-colour (CMYK) plus Pantone spot colours for maximum colour match. We can run tests for you to ensure you’re happy with the result. Techniques such as white under-printing can overcome challenges with the colour payoff on the chosen substrate. We can print this way on a flexographic or digital press, depending on how many labels you wish to order.
A clear label is an excellent way to let your product be part of its own visual appearance on shelves. We’ve done this for one bottled water brand, where the crystal clear water blends seamlessly with the swirling logo for high visual impact. The clean and fresh look of a clear label lends itself very well to the cosmetics industry. An added benefit that is helpful for those types of products, is that the consumer can see how much they have left in the bottle. We work with you to decide whether a matte or a gloss clear base is best to blend seamlessly with your bottle.
Unusual detailing and finishes such as metallic inks, foil detailing, spot-gloss-lamination or embossing, can also enhance the visual appeal of your label and excite your customers.
Leverage help from our experts
And whether you’re a start-up business, growing your range, revitalising your packaging, or complying with legislation, we understand that you may be overwhelmed with all of the business decisions to be made. At DIGI Labels, we have been producing bespoke labels since 1987. We can guide you through the process, keeping it as simple as possible. Call us in Mullingar now on: 044 934 3746, or request a call back here.