In the wake of the scandal that has surrounded horsemeat being found in beef products such as beef burgers and some lasagne and other items, it is worth emphasising the need for clear and concise information on food labels. We feel sure that retailers and manufacturers are fully aware that this is a must, but design teams can get wrapped up in the look of the label ensuring that it is eye catching and clearly directs the customer in the direction the producer wants them to go, it might be that clear information on the content of the product could be overlooked.

It is clear that the “horse burger” problems arose through mislabelling, possibly deliberate on the part of an unscrupulous supplier in the food chain, which of course is fraud and no doubt it is still being carefully investigated. It is pretty evident from reports that there is not a health problem with the products, but some religious groups cannot eat pork for example and some of the products claim to have had pork in them. For some people nuts can have serious health issues and not advising or mislabelling can have consequences which could be fatal.

If you are providing the artwork for the label it is worth spending some time ensuring that the content of the product is checked, particularly food items.

Posted in Custom labels by Philip

For many years both here and in most western countries there has been laws to prevent misleading information on a product label. The legislation is meant to protect the consumer and provide education regarding the product’s contents and origins. As more and more products enter the stream of commerce, there have been increasing levels of legislation and monitoring of these items in order to prevent consumer problems.

To quote just one example, cigarettes are strictly controlled and they must have written warnings on cigarette packaging and in addition today rather gruesome pictures as well. Another area which is familiar to most of us is the labels that we see on products such as dietary supplements which cannot by law give misleading information about what benefits the product may have by taking it. For instance, dietary supplement packaging must contain clear and truthful information, which is information that a reasonable individual would easily understand.

If you are labelling a product that is to be sold outside of the United Kingdom, it must comply with the laws of the country of destination, most of UK products are covered in EU law but care should be exercised if sending to countries outside of Europe. If you are in any doubt, we may be able to help or at least advise where the correct information is to be found.

Posted in General by Philip

There are a number of barcodes in use but importantly as far as we are concerned here in the UK, only two are universally used, others such as Royal Mail are specific to them alone. It is perfectly possible to print your own barcodes, but it can be difficult and it does really require some expertise and above all a thermal printer. In addition you will need some professional label printing software, specific to your printer.

Thermal Barcode labels are also required; these can be either plain or can be pre-printed, so consideration to having the barcode printed to your requirements should be considered. For retail use the barcode has to have a registered code issued and purchased from GS1UK which is the body responsible for retail barcode numbers within the UK. Barcodes used in retail in the U.K and E.U are predominantly EAN-13 this is European Article Numbering system – 13 digits.

Internal tracking, or for asset tracking, the Code39 or Code128 barcodes are normally used and this does not need registered barcode numbers. Whilst barcode readers or scanner prefer black and white printing as they read more easily, colours can be used although there are some which are acceptable working combinations and there are others which simply do not work; we will be happy to advise you about the combinations of colours.

Posted in Barcode Labels by Philip

There are times when a removable label is required, for example for CD’s and DVD’s, glass wear from windows, tables, ornaments and polished steel;  these labels can be supplied  in a variety of shapes, sizes or on sheets if required. These labels are often referred to as easy peel, super peel, or previously book peel, because as their name suggests, they can be easily removed from the product after sale.  Importantly the adhesive for these labels has been specifically designed to be peeled off once applied, leaving no residue behind.

These labels are very popular within the retail industry where the label would need to be removed if the end product was to be supplied as a gift for example, cut glass products, etc. The labels can be supplied in most formats and materials and they can be waterproof or weatherproof if the product requires this.

The easy peel labels can be supplied printed or plain and if printed we can offer a full colour or black and white option with a suitable coating such as UV varnished or laminated for added print protection.

Posted in General by Philip

When you are bringing a new product to market, one of the most important tools for your marketing department has to be the label. The label on the product is the first point of contact that the potential customer will see. Labels provide a wide range of information such as what your product actually is to what it is used for to how to use it. The label can of course have graphics or pictures and of course text which has all the information required by legislation and of course about the product itself. From the marketing point of view it should attract the purchaser to buy the item.

There are two other important things to consider when thinking about a label for a new product firstly the text and its style in other words fonts. Anyone using a computer will know that the amount of fonts that can be used is quite overwhelming. Naturally the font employed has to be attractive and to convey all the information in a readable way, not attractive but impossible to read.

Colour is important as well, you may have “house” colours and naturally these should not be changed unless you are completely changing your whole strategy of marketing. Also certain colours attract or repel, care should be taken here, blue for example is said to lower body temperature and reduce appetite, the colour red on the other hand on a label captures the most attention.

Your company logo if you have one should be used even though it may take up a lot of space because it logo continues to work for you even after the product is purchased, remains in full view while the person uses the product or the product sits on the shelf.

Posted in General by Philip

We have talked about cryogenic labels for use in situation which can withstand extremely low temperatures as low as minus 196 degrees centigrade, but what about important labels that have to withstand the opposite, very high temperatures, up to 140 degrees centigrade. These types of label are found on items such as solar panels and both central heating radiators and car radiators or engine components.

For example we manufacture and supply Anodised Aluminium labels which can be used as asset tags or for use to relay information on these items and they will survive just about anything. Because of our highly efficient etching process we can supply these in a full range of colours on these metal tags. The Anodised Aluminium labels can be used either in or outdoors, in motor car engine compartments, they will survive high temperatures, sunlight, abrasion, solvents and much more.

An alternative to the Anodised Aluminium labels are 3M polyester asset labels which are manufactured with polyester film for heavy-duty protection, have high resistance against abrasion and chemicals and due to their over lamination, will survive for a period of up to 5years. They are safe to use in temperatures of between -40°C to +140°C will adhere to surfaces thanks to a strong 3M acrylic adhesive available in fourteen colours and delivered to you on a convenient roll format.

Posted in Custom labels by Philip

These labels are produced for a specific purpose to suit thermal transfer or thermal direct printing. We offer a number of variations of thermal transfer and thermal direct also synthetic materials which can be supplied will a range of adhesives as well as protective coating if needed. The difference between the two types of printing is that thermal transfer has a ribbon and thermal direct does not.

For general purposes thermal transfer is the most common and it is ideally suited for barcode as well as colour and for plain text. Generally speaking the materials used for thermal transfer has a longer shelf life as opposed to those for thermal direct and are often used in items such as labelling of products and addressing. On the other hand thermal direct materials are for indoor applications only and are regarded as best for use for temporary labelling of items. The material is both sensitive to heat and to sunlight and similarly also certain UV lights which are high in power. When exposed to these environments the materials take on a black colour.

We are happy to offer our experience in these matters and will be pleased to discuss your requirements in the thermal printing field.

Posted in General by Philip

We are happy to supply labels for your particular requirement in whatever form is required for the product. However if you are want to print the labels yourself, again this will not cause any difficulties, but we will know the printer specification so we can make sure the labels we supply are compatible.

For example, is your printer a dedicated label printer with its own software such as Thermal Direct, Thermal Transfer, or digital, these are ideally suited to barcode labels supplied by us. If you are using a printer of the standard variety such as inkjet or laser, you possibly will need the labels on an A4 sheet.

But of course we have a fully professional printing service which you can take advantage of and we are always willing to see if we can help you in the artwork for the label or we can use artwork provided by yourselves. There may be areas where we might be able to help upgrade your existing system; our aim is always to offer full support and advice on the best system for you, just let us know how we can help.

Posted in Barcode Labels by Philip

This is a question that we like to ask when a buyer asks us for a quantity of labels, either printed or plain. This is an important question because it will determine the best material that is used and could also if this should receive a coating or not, and do you require it to be proof against any specific conditions such as weather.

Synthetic labels are water proof and weather proof as well, they can also be resistant to a wide range of chemical substances, so this could be important as well. A requirement for a label which will withstand heat, sunlight including ultra violet, water and weather proof and resistant to rough handling, chemical, and general degrading, we would probably recommend the use of polyester for the label. These labels are ideal for security purposes as it will show if an attempt to tamper with it has been made.

For less harsh environments, vinyl stickers will accommodate most requirements and these are normally used for labelling food items and are best printed digitally and may be varnished if required in a matt or gloss finish using either polyester film or UV varnish. This process will protect the print and through a range of environments and handling. So let us know what you will require the label to be used for and we will be happy to suggest the right material.

Posted in General by Philip

Attractive labels draw the customer’s attention to a product or to inform or advise about a hazard that may lie ahead, behind a door, or around a corner. Having a printed and attractive label is the first step and is often more certain to attract than say a simple black and white printed item. However, it does not just stop there, if the colours are poor or not in perfect register, they not only become harder to read, but are sure to give a poor impression of the product and company.

At DataLabel we have always believed that in investing in the best machinery and techniques, will give our labels the right image for the product, security label, asset label, barcode labels or advice tag. One investment that ensured that we remained at the forefront of printed label technology was in the HP Indigo digital printer that we use for printing our labels. This not only ensures that the cost is kept down by not having to use printing plates, but importantly the quality of the finished printed product is virtually indistinguishable from traditional litho printing. However speed is also ensured, because unlike traditional litho printing which takes time to set up, digital means print jobs can be setup quickly allowing very quick delivery times.

Posted in General by Philip