No matter what type of business you run, or what sector you operate in, at some point you’ll use labels. Knowing which labels are best for you, and the right label printing machines to invest in, is crucial when you have a tight budget.
Today we’re going to explain why labels are so important, how to know if you’re using the best available, and why our labelling machines can help you get ahead of the competition.
The Importance of Labels for Businesses
For the majority of businesses, labels have 3 main uses. These are:
- Branding
- Packaging & Storage
- Compliance & Safety
These can all be made from different materials, such as paper, plastic, or tougher vinyl, and differ in size, thickness, and adhesion depending on what you need them for.
Labels for Branding
First, how labels boost your brand. This is the most important type of label if you create products that, as you can imagine, need labels. Food and drink in plain packaging won’t sell well, it’s vital that you (literally) stick your name to it, so your customers know exactly what they’re enjoying and why it tastes so good.
If you use a quality label printer, your products will have bold colours and clear text, making them look great and ensuring you stay compliant (more on that later).
A lot of food and drink products need labels that can be easily removed, for recycling purpose. If this is the case, you need tough labels that won’t tear or fall off before they need to.
But what if your business doesn’t create food, drink, or other perishable products? Well, labels can still be very useful.
We may be in a digital age, but physical branding is still alive and well. If you’re at an expo, giving a presentation, or even meeting with a potential client, you can use stickers to help seal the deal, and give the people you pitch to an easy reminder of what you specialise in. Stickers are just labels and are as important for branding as flyers and business cards.
In retail, labels are great for seasonal or other limited-time promotions. With a slew of labels and stickers used across your store you can ensure your customers won’t miss out on savings. A quality label printer will be able to create labels with low adhesion. These can be attached to any product or surface but can be easily removed and replaced at any time.
We don’t just mean small stickers either. Large vinyl stickers can be placed around your business or in company vehicles. These can spread your brand much further afield and show any visitors that you’re proud of your business.
Storage and Packaging Labels
If your business involves any kind of shipping, you’ll know the importance of using the right labels for packaging. Even if you only have to ship a product every now and then, it can cost you both time and money if you can’t print quality labels in your office.
Packaging labels don’t just contain shipping information but can also be stamped with your brand. By creating unique shipping labels you can help your business stand out, and it’s a cheaper alternative to making customised boxes.
It isn’t just boxes and packages either. You can label letters too, putting a little personal flair on each before you send them out.
The best packaging labels have high adhesion so that they can stick to surfaces well and won’t come off if they get damp or damaged in transport. Paper labels can smudge or tear, potentially preventing them from reaching their final destination, so tough, waterproof labels are always recommended.
Labels are also a great way to keep your office organised. When you have limited space, or a lot of stock to keep track of, inventory and asset labels ensure nothing is ever lost or out of place. You can even use barcode or QR code systems to help you keep track of everything.
Safety and Compliance Labels
Staying compliant is one of the most important parts of running a business. Thankfully, the right labels make it a breeze to keep everything above-board.
Industries like manufacturing, construction, and other factory-reliant sectors need to ensure they display the correct safety information where it can be seen clearly. These can be permanent vinyl signs attached to buildings, fences, vehicles, and equipment, or temporary signage for building sites etc.
Any business that creates food or drink needs to clearly state the ingredients in the back, with allergens highlighted. For medicines, recommended dosages need to be clear too, as well as any risks and guidelines. Any business that creates or ships these products is well aware of the legislation, and a high-end label printer will make it simple to include all the necessary information.
In a similar vein, some businesses need security labels to prevent unauthorized people from tampering with products or equipment. Labels should also be used to warn people of any hazardous materials you are storing, or even if the contents are fragile.
The Best Label Printers
Of course, knowing which labels are best for you is useless if your labelling machine or printer isn’t up to the task.
If you work in e-commerce or need to package large batches of products every day, your machine will put in as many hours as any member of staff. And like your staff, your machines need to be reliable. But unlike your staff, if your labelling machine jams, overheats, or isn’t creating quality labels, it doesn’t need a holiday: it needs fixing or replacing.
We specialise in printing machines and label makers for businesses. With decades of experience working with every type of printer from dozens of manufacturers, we can help you keep your printers up and running, so your workflow is never interrupted.
If it is time for a replacement, we have a wide range of new and refurbished printers that will suit your exact needs. Once fully set up, we’ll teach you how to make the most of them, with the relevant materials and manuals.
Every machine comes with a maintenance plan, in which we inspect your machines on a regular basis, so any issues are discovered and addressed before they cause any headaches. If there ever is an unforeseen issue, our emergency maintenance team will be only a phone call away.