Custom Labels - A Little Research Can Save You a Lot of Headaches

Ordering a custom label can be a daunting task for the small business owner. There are so many things that can go wrong with the order if communication between the buyer and seller is bad.

The first thing you need to get right is your artwork. Dealing with a professional artist will get your project off to a good start. In many cases the label company will offer this service and it's always better to have fewer people involved in the project.

Knowing what you want is also very important to keeping the process flowing smoothly. You may have decided on a 3" round label for instance or a 1" x 2" oval label. Whatever the size or shape turns out to be, figure out as much as you can before contacting a company for a custom label quote.

The next thing you need to consider is what type of label or "face stock" you want. Choosing the stock color that will look good with your artwork is one important step that shouldn't be overlooked. For instance if your artwork is 4 color process, a white gloss stock or white matte stock will always look great. If you have a one color design, a gold foil or silver foil stock can make your logo or message really pop. These are things that a label professional should be able to help with.

Do you want your labels on rolls or sheets? Both have advantages and disadvantages. Some people find that labels finished on rolls are easier to handle but labels on sheets may be easier to store. We find that labels on rolls are much less likely to get lost in a big office where many employees may be handling them. In many cases you won't have the choice on this anyway as most custom labels are done on flexographic presses and typically are finished on rolls. If you are ordering large quantities of labels you can even request a pre defined number of labels per roll.

Keep an open mind. The label professional may have ideas or suggestions that can save you money. For instance, let's say you are totally set on a 1.5" x 2.75" oval label. The company you contact may not have the exact die size for your label which means that you may have to invest several hundred dollars purchasing a custom die, however they may have a label size that is almost the same size as your label. This is where you need to be flexible. The difference between a 1.5" x 2.75" oval and a 1.25" x 2.5" oval is negligible and the savings on the die alone is worth looking at other available options.

Remember, the more you know the better. If custom labels are going to be important to your product or service, make sure you do a little homework and let the label professional do the rest.

Emmett Wilson
President / Founder
LabelsRus, inc.

The Shipping Trick

When it comes to shipping most online stores will surprise you at the final stage of checkout with a big number. They call it "shipping and handling" or "S&H" or sometimes just "shipping". The reality is that they are just making up for their seemingly low initial prices by jacking up the price right when you are committed to buying the product. Or worse yet, once your heart is set on the product!

This shipping trick frustrates most shoppers (and us!) and we believe our customers deserve better. So we are up front with our prices so that you know how much of your hard-earned money you will be spending from the beginning.