For the Best Industrial Labels, Stick to Experience
I’d like to challenge you to think about two things today. The first one is what some custom labels must go through. No, not those arty little labels on wine bottles and fine cosmetics. Here, I’m talking about labels made for manufacturing and industrial applications. They endure plenty; more on that in a moment
My second challenge for you is to think about what many companies go through in order to get the right labels. There are many pretenders, and it’s not easy to get labels that are designed and made to stand up to the conditions they face from manufacturing, distribution, and product life cycle.
What Makes Industrial Labels Different?
I won’t cover all the possibilities, but industrial labels must adhere to a wide variety of materials. And here are just a few of the extreme conditions they must have the “survival skills” to outlast.
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Temperature
Extreme heat or extreme cold are often part of the journey, because of climates encountered in transportation and storage or the specific nature of the product involved. Both can play havoc with adhesive performance, label appearance and more.
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Handling
Efficient shipping often means that products contact other products, cases and crates contact other cases and crates—you get the idea. And loading and unloading equipment sometimes operate with less than surgical precision. Not enough to damage the product, of course. But often enough to mar or ruin a low-quality label, or one not properly chosen to meet these demands.
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Heavy Wear
Often the industrial label on a durable product will need to look good and convey information accurately throughout its useful life. Think power drills, car batteries, propane tanks and more. Exposure to sunlight, careless treatment, moisture, and other mishaps can render a label useless. Bad for your corporate image, and sometimes your corporate pocketbook.
What Makes the Right Industrial Label Print Partner Different?
It’s not logical to expect you, as the manufacturer, to know the fine points of label materials and adhesives for every situation But, your industrial label printing partner had better. So maybe that calls for another list: the things you should look for in order to partner with a company that can create the best custom labels. This list isn’t a long one—but every item on it is extremely important.
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Experience
Simply, you won’t find the best industrial label printer without making sure of this one. Make sure your partner isn’t merely “dipping their feet” into labels or has only been doing it for a short time or a shortlist of clients.
Look for your partner to have showed experience in a broad range of label applications, not just the narrow area you think your product involves. The more diverse products and projects that partner has encountered, the more value it can bring to bear on your project, helping you to avoid problems or cope with unanticipated situations. You are looking for a winner so be sure to ask prospective partners what awards they have won if any.
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Resources
Don’t ride a “one-trick pony”. A single-source printer (even label printer) is at the mercy of the press of business, equipment failure, or a lack (or loss) of skilled employees.
Look for a business label print partner with a long roster of proven and trusted suppliers. That means it virtually guaranteed you a vendor with the specific experience you need. And that long list also ensures that you will get favorable pricing and reliable on-schedule delivery. (Even the best label can’t do its job if it’s not where it needs to be on time.)
A great question to ask is how the prospective industrial label printer handles processes and procedures. Are they ISO certified to ensure efficiency for their customers?
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“People” Support
Look for people who can really understand your problem and assess your needs. A website can’t make suggestions or work with you to head off problems.
The best industrial label printers will provide skilled sales reps and inside customer service personnel who will understand your business and situation and stay with you from project start to label application.
How Superior Will Make a Difference
Simply put, if you want the best custom labels, just call us. We certainly have the experience, with nearly 100 years of helping businesses run more efficiently. There’s no manufacturing or industrial label requirement we haven’t experienced and handled smoothly.
We’ve got an unmatched network of suppliers that we (and you) can trust. Our ISO certification is an extra assurance that our customers get our very best. And you can check “customer service” off the list, too. Our customers have given us great reviews, leading to three consecutive “Best of Print and Digital” awards.
To work with a winner (and make your company one), get in touch with one of our award-winning customer service reps, or just contact Superior today and ask for help. We pride ourselves on excellent labels that do the job. And the excellent relationships that are built on that fact.
