A label is more than just a piece of paper or plastic with some information on it – it’s a marketing tool, a commercial sales item that either attracts your customers or sends them opting for your competitor’s brand instead. Labels, therefore, have to be designed well. But what goes into designing and creating the appropriate label for your item? Here’s a guide on how to choose the right label material for your product.

Consider the Life Expectancy

If your label has to stay on the packaging or on the product for only a short time, it may not require being made out of expensive material – often, a simple paper label will do. However, if your product is to remain on the shelf or in the home for a few months or longer, it will be exposed to cleaning and dusting, which can deteriorate the label. One of the main concerns when choosing the correct material for your label, therefore, is the life expectancy. Paper won’t last for a long time, but film or plastic does. Long lasting materials include vinyl, Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene, and polyester film.

Think of the Print

The material of your label will – in part – help you decide which ink to use and how well (or how long) the print remains on the paper. Don’t forget that your products will have to move from the production floor to the retail outlet where it will be sold, which means that many hands will have touched it, and chances are there will be a lot of rubbing and scraping by the time it gets to the consumer. You wouldn’t want your print to smudge whilst in transit.

Should it be Removed?

In some cases the labels might have to be removed – for example, oil change reminders on windshields or labels on safety glasses and goggles. If this is the case, it is better to choose a material that allows for easy removal. Static cling labels are labels made of vinyl, and are easy to both attach and remove. The material sticks to glass and plastic due to a static charge of electricity, and because it does not use any adhesive, it can be removed easily without leaving stains.

The different Types of Adhesives

Remember also that there are different kinds of adhesives – the most common ones being removable, permanent, repositionable, and all-weather. Depending on whether your label will be removed soon (or not) or has to be repositioned at some point, you’ll have to choose your adhesive accordingly. This will also influence the material of your label.

Choosing the correct material for your label depends on several factors, all of which need to be addressed, and if you want the expert’s view, you can always turn to labeller for a professional recommendation and excellent services as well.