Vince Noblet takes a top-down approach to selling labels. Noblet, vice president of sales and an owner of distributorship Paradigm Group Inc., Indianapolis, first analyzes whether a label requires a laminate for extra protection and durability.
Next, he determines what types of ink and face stock are needed. Then, he moves on to the requirements of the adhesive and liner. "A lot of people forget the liner, but the liner becomes a critical component," Noblet says. Indeed, every aspect of a label's design is important to its success, say distributors experienced in the label market.
Attention to detail serves Noblet well when he sells complex labels, such as the parking lot label he designed for a large client. For security purposes, the label needed to stick permanently to car windows and be tamper-evident if someone tried to remove it. A consecutive bar code was added to deter would-be thieves. At the same time, image remained paramount. The client wanted a 4-color process label produced in more than two dozen lots to differentiate access to various parking areas.
Noblet worked with Lyons, Ill.-based manufacturer Specialty Tape & Label Inc. to design a 6-inch oval, pressure sensitive label with a permanent adhesive. Safety slits were added around the side of the label as a tamper-evident feature. The label's design, including a knocked-out area for a bar code, was printed in a mirror image on clear polyester stock with a clear adhesive so it would be readable through a car windshield.
Selling labels allows Noblet to differentiate himself from competitors, some of whom don't offer custom solutions, he says. Additionally, his knowledge allows him to help clients in sticky situations. Businesses, he says, "are not putting labels on because they want to. It's usually because they have to."
Beyond the Mystique
Mark Spivey says end users still view labels as something of a mystery. Spivey, president of distributorship Gateway Business Communications Inc., North Haven, Conn., is happy to use his systems training to design labels that work in a range of environments. Understanding exactly how the label is used is critical to specifying a product that will work well. Here are questions that must be answered about a label's usage:
* What surface will it adhere to? This is an obvious question, but distributors shouldn't make assumptions about certain materials. "People think corrugated is corrugated, and any permanent adhesive will stick," Spivey says. This isn't true, especially regarding boxes with a silicone coating or those with a high recycled content.
* How will the label be applied? Spivey says a product that's auto-applied may require a different release value on the liner than one applied manually.
* If the client will image the label, what type of printer will it use? This can affect the type and thickness of the face stock, as well as adhesive selection. For example, a rubber-based adhesive shouldn't be used in laser printers, Spivey says.
* Does the label need to be removable or repositionable? This primarily will affect adhesive type, especially if the label will be removed from one surface and reapplied to another. If the label will be removed, will the end user and/or its customer tolerate residue?
* How long does the label need to last? This can affect selection of adhesive and face stock. For example, some direct thermal stocks turn black after a certain period. If the label must last beyond that period, distributors will need to pay more for a longer-lasting face stock, Spivey says. Noblet chose a 3.2 mil polypropylene stock for labels that adhere to rubber tubes used in furnaces. Because these labels must last years and are exposed to warm temperatures, he chose a synthetic, rather than a paper stock.
* Does the label need to meet government regulations? To some extent, shipping labels are dictated by U.S. Postal Service regulations; many safety and warning labels need to meet OSHA requirements.
* What temperatures and/or harsh conditions must the label endure? Learn about conditions throughout the label's life cycle, including the temperature at application. Will the label be exposed to moisture, sunlight or chemicals?
* If the label is bar coded, how will it be scanned? Will the labels be scanned from close range, or will they be placed on cartons that are scanned as they move along a conveyor belt? Armed with this information, distributors can determine the optimal label size, as well as the resolution of the bar code, Spivey says.
Distributors who are redesigning an existing label should remember that a little change can cause a potentially big problem. That's why distributors and manufacturers recommend extensive testing.
Testing a Label's Memory
Edward Alexander knows firsthand what can happen when you fail to test every component of a label, especially one that's being redesigned. Alexander, owner of distributorship Tech-Solutions Inc., Tupelo, Miss., once sold a 4 x 5-inch blank direct thermal roll label to a furniture manufacturer. The client used the label to track the location of fabric in its facility. The label had a series of 1Ž8-inch punch holes down the right side, which were Mylar® reinforced. The furniture manufacturer used a tagging gun to attach the label to the cloth. Every time some fabric was cut from the roll, the label was detached, often by tearing through a punch hole. The label subsequently was reattached through a different punch hole. The 4 x 5-inch label contained a smaller label, which was about 2 x 1 inches. After the labels were imaged, the smaller one was placed on the inner core of the tube that the fabric was wrapped around.
The furniture plant wasn't climate-controlled, so the large label curled, making it difficult to scan the bar code on it, Alexander says. Nor was the 50 lb. stock durable enough for the handling involved in loading and unloading the fabric from shelves high above the warehouse floor. Plus, the customer needed something that would not tear as easily when employees wanted to remove the label for cutting.
So, a few months ago, Alexander redesigned the product. This time, he sold the client a 7 1/2 pt. direct thermal tag with an integrated label approximately 2 x 3/4 inches. Because the tag is more durable than the 50-lb. label, it contains only one punch hole, which is Mylar reinforced. Before the tag was produced, the client conducted strength tests to ensure the stock would withstand the rigors of extensive handling.
About a week after the product was delivered, the customer called. Unfortunately, the labels were popping off the core about 15 minutes after application. At first, Alexander thought there was a problem with the adhesive. After all, the labels with the same adhesive had worked before. Tests, though, showed the adhesive was fine. Perhaps the cores had changed, suggested Alexander. After more research, he learned this wasn't the case.
Perplexed, Alexander then realized he hadn't tested the label after it was removed from the tag. It turns out that the "memory" of the label stock--its ability to return to its original condition after being subjected to change--was the problem. The labels wanted to straighten out after they were placed on the cores, causing them to pop off. Alexander tested other adhesives, but they didn't work well enough.
Finally, the research and development team at manufacturer Ward/Kraft Inc. came up with what Alexander calls "an absolutely fabulous idea." They suggested adding a series of five horizontal slits, approximately 1/8-inch apart, to the label. The die slits broke down the memory, and the client hasn't had problems since. Alexander's advice to anyone selling labels: "Test, test, test."
Fast Service Brings Results
Carrie Fireoved also has found a nice niche selling labels to a manufacturer. A few years ago, a panicked MIS director of a large glass manufacturer called looking for a pallet label. The client had discovered Fireoved's company, Print Solutions Plus in Vineland, N.J., via the internet, yet was only 15 minutes from her office. He needed a 6 x 9-inch thermal transfer label with removable adhesive and three partial perfs, and he hoped to get them that day. The buyer was thrilled when Fireoved told him that she would have them delivered the following day. "I have a great supplier network," she says.
As she penetrated the account, Fireoved learned the client needed rack labels to identify locations in warehouses nationwide. She now sells a variety of pressure sensitive label sets, mounted on thin polystyrene that's predrilled with two or four holes. The sets consist of a bar coded, pressure sensitive label printed on retrofreflective stock, which identifies the rack location, as well as a smaller label printed on polypropylene stock, containing the bar code's human-readable equivalent.
The sets vary in size depending on the size of the bar code and how far away the label is being scanned. One set, for example, consists of a 4 x 9 1/2-inch label and a 3 x 8-inch label. The client sends the information about rack location, such as N1B1 through N1B5 via email, ideally in a spreadsheet. Fireoved says the most challenging aspect of the orders is a tight delivery timeframe. The client is opening new warehouses this year, and Fireoved is looking forward to added business.
Katherine House, a freelance writer based in Iowa City,
Iowa, is a frequent contributor to Print Solutions. Email us your comments at bholt@printsolutionsmag.com.
