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L8: The Global Label Organization

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:49:00 +0000

Global Label Organization

At a time where there are more labels being produced and used more than ever, many of the world’s major label companies have banded together. The new group, dubbed “L8” incorporates international label firms from around the world to promote globalization, cooperation and common interests. Whether you are a small custom label manufacturer, or a large label wholesaler, L8 will provide some insight for your business.

The new group was formed at the Labelexpo meeting in Shanghai, and will hold their first official group meeting on March 13th, and their second meeting in September in Chicago.

Finat, the European label trade association of Europe, along with TLMI, the American counterpart, took the initiative to begin the global organization citing the needs to improve global networking of custom label producers, as well to share knowledge, experiences and breakthroughs at a common ground.

In addition to the European Finat and American TLMI, the five other members of the L8 will be: PEIAC (the Chinese association), LMAI (India), JFLP (Japan), Latma (Australia), and Salma (New Zealand). While the L8 description is intended to be an analogy with the world's G8 organization, its eight place could possibly be filled by a Latin American organization in the future.
The topic of the first meeting is expected to discuss the international standardization of labels and label formatting, a possible first step in an international standard for the label business.

Be sure to stay posted, as this exciting breakthrough in the label world is sure to produce some positive and needed changes into the label industry.

How to Order Labels

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:41:00 +0000

How To Place A Label Order

Do you own or work for a company that uses labels? Well almost every product on the planet these days has a label as well as a barcode or UPC code. If you sell physical products, you will need labels for those products. However, knowing what you need in a label might not be so easy to figure out, and with so many options and varieties how do you know what kind of label suits your company best? Well, this article will explain all the information you need to make ordering labels a little easier.

Before you pick up that phone or place that online order, there are a few basic label questions you’ll have to answer to get the label that is right for your company:
1) What size labels are you looking for, and in what quantity?
2) What material would you like your labels made out of? (Paper, Vinyl, Kimdura, Polyester etc)
3) If you are printing the labels yourself, what kind of printer will you be using? (Direct thermal, thermal transfer etc)
4) What will your labels be placed on?
5) What type of Adhesive would you like on your labels? ( Permanent, Removable, Tamper-Evident, Static Cling etc)
6) What will your labels be exposed to? (Water, Sunlight, Solvents, Dust, Outdoor Elements, Temperatures etc)
7) Will your labels be applied by machine or hand?
8) Are there any special directions for packaging? ( Shrink-wrap, drop shipping, core size, outside roll diameter etc)

All these key questions are vital to the ordering process, and knowing the answers to these questions can make ordering labels easy and fast, as well as providing a nice back round of the label business.

Now, you might be asking yourself, what do some of these words mean? Well there’s a lot of terminology in the label world, and to make your order process easier, this article will explain those key terms.

-Core: The inner diameter of a roll of labels, the standard core sizes are 1” and 3”. This is important, because many printers can ONLY print labels with a specific core size.
-Perforation: The liner is perforated between labels, allowing them to easily be torn from the roll.
-Single: Labels will be individually cut and stacked.
-Bleed: The ink will extend to the edge of the label, instead of a white border.
-Square cut: Known also as the “Kiss cut”, the labels will be cut exactly to size, with no liner around the label.

With this information in mind, hopefully the next time you are ordering labels you will feel confident that you know what you need out of your labels. For more information or to place an order for labels contact the experts at Labelrack today!

What You Need To Know About Thermal Labels

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:57:00 +0000

Many online stores offer varieties of direct thermal labels which are heat reactive. Thermal labels are utilized in the major direct thermal printer brands. Let me warn you that thermal labels tend to fade in sunlight. The heat is transferred from the print head to the label directly and the image is made.

Grab an idea about thermal labels

Thermal labels are made of polypropylene and standard paper. You actually get two kinds of thermal labels; one is the direct thermal label and the other standard thermal label. Let me tell you that the images are made with heat, so it will fade with time. I would advise you to use the thermal labels for short duration applications in printing address labels. However, the main advantage of having a thermal label is its low costs. Direct thermal printing will not require any ribbons for printing.

Thermal labels are used effectively in temporary applications such as in making address labels, or shipping labels. Direct thermal labels are not suitable for outdoor usage as they react adversely to the sun rays and chemical vapors. You can select thermal labels of different sizes with solid colors and borders according to your requirements.

You can get thermal labels in rolls or fan-folded packs. I have found that direct thermal labels cost more than the thermal transfer labels; if you distinguish between these two types, you will notice a marked difference. Make a good choice when you are searching online for thermal labels, know the prices and make sure that it fits your budget.

Linoprint Driveline Digital Press

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Linoprint Driveline Digital Press
Linoprint’s new DriveLine digital press can print on labels, films and paperboard with high quality. The new press come equipped with 720-dpi resolution, 13.5 inch web-width and up to 200 fpm printing speed.
Depending on the job needed, the Linoprint can use a variety of inks and ink coverage types, and is vastly superior to the traditional Flexographic printing, especially in terms of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) For quantities of up to hundreds of thousands of printed pieces.
For industrial printing this means having the ability to be fast, flexible and be able to handle variable job quantities – while meeting the increasing standards in aesthetics and printing quality at the same time. Linoprint is the answer to these demands. The digital Drop-on-Demand technology works cleanly, fast and with high resolution. Specially suited for short runs and small job sizes, the Linoprint system is First Class.
The capability of printing short runs on demand eliminates the expenses associated with pre-printed materials including storage and logistics.
As an optional device the Roll-To-Roll and the Roll-To-Production systems are equipped with an extra large winding and/or coiling roll. If requested we can also install a slitting and perforating device.
The Pile-To-Pile module is optionally delivered either with a bar or suction belt. DriveLine is designed for multi-color printing (spot or CMYK), but can also be delivered for single color use. The inks, suited to the printing head and the substrate, are Saphira products, from Heidelberg’s consumable program.For more information about the newest label presses, visit us at www.LabelRack.com today!

Having Shipping Labels is Important When Shipping Damageable Items

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:22:00 +0000

You can look online for the right shipping labels, order for them and get them as soon as possible. There are several reputed online stores where you can get preprinted shipping labels, fragile labels, D.O.T. labels, ORM-D labels and many other labels. Shipping labels are best considered to be your ads for safe handling. Considering the shipping and transport industry, your packages are supposed to go through many “hands”, so for ensuring that the items in the packages are safe, you must have shipping labels.

The shipping labels tell you what is important inside the package and how you should be handling them. It makes sense to order shipping labels for the purpose of saving on a lot of money that you would have to pay in the case of damage of the items in the packages.

How to find the right online store

When you are looking for an online store to order your shipping labels, you need to be careful. There are certain factors that you need to pay heed to.

Look for a site that is user friendly and makes it easier for you to order the shipping labels. The online store should be able to offer you immediate delivery of the labels, superior quality service, and may be direct factory prices. Look for the years of experience the online store has in making shipping labels. The online store should be adept in coming up with new shipping label designs which meet the latest regulations.

I think the aforementioned tips should work just fine for you in getting the right online store for ordering your shipping labels and protect your fragile items to be shipped.

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:48:00 +0000

Baking By Bar Code
What if you wanted to try that delicious new recipe you are dying to try, but just cant figure out how to make. What if by only simply scanning a barcode, a machine could now cook for you. With the help of Seattle based Salton, a new era of kitchen technologies that make this possible. Salton’s new line of hi-tech kitchen accessories includes, Microwaves, Bread-making machines, Coffee makers and more. All of these products will be designed with built-in networking capabilities, and even a wireless hub controller that can manage all of these appliances from anywhere in the house.
These innovative and exciting gadgets so far seem to be Salton’s “Beyond Bread Maker & Beyond Microwave”. Both appliances offer internet connectivity, hard drives for recipe storage as well of course, as the ability to now cook food by only scanning a bar code!
Want to become a baker? Well Salton’s “Beyond Bread Maker” requires little human help, in fact the “chef” must only add the ingredients into the machine and scan the bar code of the selected bread. The Beyond Bread Maker can prepare an assortment of breads and cakes correctly, and ships with over 100 recipes already preloaded, although more recipes can be found online and downloaded directly into the machine. Each recipe just needs its own Bar Code recipe, and that’s it.
The Beyond Microwave comes ready to ship with over 4,000 boxed food recipes, as well as a learn function that allows users to create and store directions for custom foods.
With a price tag of only $150, the Beyond Bread Maker and Beyond Microwave won’t break the piggy bank, while offering a whole new world of ease in the kitchen. Imagine being able to cook bread or cakes in the kitchen, and all with the ease of a bar code scan. No more looking for recipes or trying to remember how to make things.
Keep your eyes and ears open for more developments for these futuristic kitchen appliances that will change the way you cook forever. Salton’s will continue to research and development more commodities that can take advantage of the bar code.

Mailing labels - A smart way of mailing

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Letters and packages should always be labeled with the mailing labels to identify the sender of the letter. Various software packages including contact manager programs and word processor offer standardized mailing labels that comply with postal standards. Mailing labels may include special handling requirements and routing bar codes that expedite the process of delivery.

Varieties of mailing labels

There are different kinds of mailing labels available in the market with different features. You can buy a weatherproof mailing labels which can protect the enclosed document from various damages during the delivery process of the letter. These labels are available in 1' x 2 5/8' size and come in long-lusting white polyester with a permanent adhesive in the backside. These labels provide durability and are able to protect the inside documents against moisture, tearing and scuffling. Usually these labels are available in the packs of 50 sheets and have 30 labels on each of the sheets.

You can also buy labels made up of the same material and offered in 1 1/3' x 4' small rectangles. This type of label comes in the packs of 50 sheets with 14 labels on each sheet. A special type of mailing labels that feature instant ink drying that help the sender to deliver a smudge-free parcel with a professional get up. These labels are available in the packs of 25 sheets and 10 labels are available in each sheet.

The return address labels are provided with ½" x 1¾" dimensions and are available in 25 sheets packets. There are 80 labels offered on each of the sheets of packets.

Avery Labels: a perfect solution to your messy office

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:07:00 +0000

One of the greatest tools to get structured and get control over a disorderly file cabinet or office is implementation of various labels. Not only for organized looks, a clear, laser printed address labels insert a professional touch to your business letters and packages that are exchanged for official reasons. Avery labels, beyond a doubt, are the most popular in labeling products. This offers a wide variety of colors, sizes, and types to satisfy your requirement to label anything, absolutely anything.

With Avery labels, the process of getting organized is even easier. It is because their templates and sizes are supported by a huge majority of word processing software and printers. So, your demand for a right format and size for your labels is met without difficulty.

Avery labels are popular for filing labels, that not only help organize the filing system, but also make it far easier to read and accessible and adding color coding makes it more efficient.

Printer labels by Avery for files and folders are also available in different sizes, white and clear colors. Even, removable labels are presented that allow you to re-use and re-label the file folder, which helps you to cut down costs.

Using a quality return address labels on every single personal letter and official packages can save your time to a good extent. So, no more loosing important letters or packages in post, no more wastage of time for tracking the lost item, because, your inkjet printer, less than 10 minutes of your time and a leaf of small Avery labels with your address on it, are enough to solve this problem.

Direct Thermal Custom Labels

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:45:00 +0000

Did you know that there is a wide range of standard and premium products specifically designed for Direct Thermal printing applications? Most product offerings include various facestocks from paper to synthetic. Custom labels also offer a variety of adhesive systems including permanent, removable and freezer grade to fit any application. Direct thermal label media performs well with all popular printers made by Epson, Zebra, Sato, Datamax, Eltron, and more.

Things to consider when using Direct Thermal:

Ideal for short term labeling (less than 1 year)
Sensitive to heat and light
Requires no ribbon for printing
Durability is fair

Typical applications include:

Retail weigh scale
Case ready meats
Industrial bar code
Travel bag tags
Parcel tracking

For more information and proper product selection for your application, give our specialists a call today to help.

Zebra Label: A name to trust

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Fri, 22 May 2009 11:37:00 +0000

Zebra label is one of the most popular brand names that are trusted by various organizations worldwide. Apart from the Zebra labels, Zebra technologies also manufacture receipt printers, label design or integration software, RFID smart label printer or encoder supplies, card printers and thermal barcode label. This brand also offers a wide range of networking solutions and thermal printer connectivity.

Zebra labels are well-known to the buyers because of its product reliability, effective services and a wide range of items. Zebra label is one of the most famous brand names that offer a wide range of thermal ribbons and barcode labels to its customers. The Zebra label also offers other high quality products that include Zebra ribbon, Zebra barcode printer and Zebra Label to make any application fulfilled.

Why choose Zebra label products

While selecting a Zebra label product, there is no need to worry about the quality and the durability of any item. Zebra barcode and Zebra printers are two products of Zebra label that will definitely provide you the best service while using these items. Zebra label is satisfying its customers’ needs for long years. This is a brand name on which a buyer can depend with closed eyes.

The main reason of the high quality and enormous popularity of Zebra labels is the huge experience of the brand that it has gathered by working a number of years. So if you want to buy a quality product, you need to look no farther than Zebra label.

Zebra Barcode Ribbon Transition

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:50:00 +0000

Zebra has been working on improvements to their printers for some time now and just launched their G series barcode ribbon to work in the new GK and GX series desktop printers. The new robust single ribbon strategy allows their ribbon to be used in all of their 4 inch zebra desktop printers. This change reduces the customers confusion when ordering and also helps with inventory management. The new G-series Zebra ribbons are compatible with the new GK and GX-Series printers as well as the 2844, 2824, 38XX and R402 printers along with the older legacy Zebra desktop printers.

Zebra has begun eliminating the 28XX/38XX and universal ribbons, excluding the 5100 series, for 4 inch desktop printers. The 51 series universal ribbon will still be available but only as a made to order item.

Which Barcode Label Printer Is Right For Me?

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:03:00 +0000

Just added to the offering is a clear description of barcode label printers stating the differences based on the volume of labels printed in a day. There are many brands of printers, but Zebra is by far the most prevalent in the US. Built to last and supported right in Vernon Hills, IL, Zebra backs its product all the way.

To make a proper selection for a barcode label printer, first determine how many labels you will be printing in a day. Based on this, the selection becomes fairly easy. In most cases, to make custom labels with your printer, especially barcode labels, a 203 dpi printer will work. Although most models come with an option to move up to 300 dpi if need.

OK, here is the breakdown on printers. The entry level will be the tlp2844 model which is about to be replaced with the GK420t. This model is perfect if you are planning on printing 5oo labels per day or less. The printer sits right on the desc and has a very small foot print.

The next step would be to go with the S4M model. The price is still low on this and it contains a lot of plastic, but it is a tough label printer that can do up to 1,500 labels per day in production. This is a table top model which takes up a little more room then the 2844 model, but is ment for more label printing in a day.

If you require a quantity up to 3,000 labels to be printed in a day, then the model for you will be the ZM400 model which is a little beafier and is made to handle big jobs. This printer has both plastic and metal parts and has speeds up to 10 inches per second.

Many customers still require more and for this demanding customer, the 105SL is a good match. This is a fully metal construction that is rated to print up to 5,000 labels per day. Another in the series of industrial printers that sits on a table top and allows for multiple connection interfaces.

The final solution for the most demanding production needs is the 140xiIII Plus printer which is for continuous 24 hour duty cycles. This printer does not need a rest. It can print all day and night non stop. Well, you will have to change the ribbon and add more labels from time to time.

All of these printers have multiple models with cutter attachements, rewind options, and print head dpi options.

Custom Label Conferences

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:33:00 +0000

There have been two different conferences in Dubai and Turkey, where label converters debated if they considered themselves to be manufacturers of labels or service providers.

It was very surprising that the result showed over 90 percent of the converters gave their response as 'manufacturers'. This response proves why so many customers shop around to find a custom label manufacturer that cares. If converters want to maintain profitability and grow, this must change.

In today's increasingly competitive environment, the art of producing high-quality custom labels is no longer sufficient to differentiate you from your competitors. The label converter must become a consultant to his customer - the end user - offering expertise and services such as lean manufacturing or environmentally sustainable processes.

There are many label converters in the industry today who are thriving thanks to increasing their focus on service instead of simply manufacturing. It helps them win business and increases their profitability. Viewing yourself as a service provider when making custom labels for customers and not just a manufacturer will help earn and keep business in these trying times.

Many customers do not know exactly what they want when ordering labels. It just takes a few key questions from the converters sales team to uncover these issues and prevent a dissatisfied customer. That is the key to growth in this market.

Thermal transfer labels: Economical labeling options

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:13:00 +0000

Thermal transfer label is a type of barcode that are generally made by using powder ink. Firstly, some amount of powder ink is spread on the paper on which it should be designed. Then heat is provided on the paper in a specific way. The ink gets melted and the proper design on the paper becomes visible. Thermal printer is a device that is essential in printing thermal transfer label.

Thermal labels are printed using thermal printers

Before purchasing a thermal transfer printer it is very necessary to find out the exact label for your printing application. Thermal printers are highly used in printing various types of labels that include warehouse rack labels, shipping labels, asset labels, barcode labels and product identification labels. Selecting the accurate material for thermal transfer label can be one of the most vital decisions you make. Shipping labels or barcode identification labels used in retail industry do not have a long shelf life, so you need not be concerned about durability when you print these labels. But in case of a wax ribbon combo or a simple thermal transfer label, they can work absolutely fine.

A very important matter that should be kept in mind regarding the direct thermal labels is that, they are heat sensitive and can easily get blackened and faded with time. These direct thermal are generally more costly than the thermal transfer labels. So, it is better to use a thermal transfer label because it is not only saves money but at the same time provide better presentation of bar-coding.

Custom Barcode Labels - Personalize your Business

noreply@blogger.com (LabelRack.com) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:05:00 +0000

An organization that does not own its personal bar coding equipment, but wishes to have their unique design for bar code, can definitely think of using custom bar code labels. Several companies are specialized in making custom bar code labels that have to be fully dependant on the demands of their clients. These companies can manufacture bar codes in big or small number.

Designing of bar code labels

Manufacturers of customized bar codes generally take the help of the bar code software to create the unique labels established on specifications from the company which has ordered for that specific kind of barcode. The ordering company determines the size of bar code label. These manufacturers can provide some of the color options are to be finalized by ordering company. Same thing is also done with the basic material of a bar code label. Paper, plastic, aluminum and laminates are some options that are offered by bar code label producers.

After that, bar code software is used to design the basic format of barcode label that is also known as template. The template shows all the important details provided by the ordering concern. Some organizations want to get their company names printed on each of the barcode label. The name of item that is to be affixed is also important to be filled in.

Various security measures are provided by the companies to their own bar code labels. The materials that are used in making of the bar code are vinyl and metal. Both are resistant to heavy pressure and chemicals. Some of the labels are also tamper-proof.