Labeling Innovations from Weber

Hot sauce is quickly becoming one of America's favorite condiments. In fact, its popularity has grown 150% since 2000. This means there's more demand than ever for the best hot sauce.

Beyond big brands like Tabasco and Cholula there are thousands of small businesses making delicious sauces for grocery stores, farmers' markets and novelty gift shops. Because there is so much competition among these small brands, the label is often the deciding factor in the purchasing process.

Here's what you can do to make your hot sauce stick out

Consider the 2' x 2' space on the grocer's shelf your brand's billboard. Your label should communicate a couple of things:

Always share the details the customer needs to know:

• Varieties of heat, usually on some type of scale
• Taste and flavor of your sauce - sometimes denoted by region (Texas, Cajun, etc.)
• Type of peppers used

Show your brand's originality:

• Bright colors, eye-catching graphics and memorable names often distinguish what would be considered a collectible as a opposed to run of the mill brand name sauces.
  
  
• Whimsical descriptions, parody names, even bottle design or add-on gimmicks provide that little extra to make one product stand out from the other.

Like wines and craft beers, sometimes the visual appeal of the label and bottle sell the product, not just what's inside. So when your hot sauce bottle is viewed as a piece of art in a sea of bland packaging, the consumer's eye will be drawn in.

Don't forget that the type of material matters too!

Keep in mind where and how your product will be used. Dripping sauce and sticky fingers are common problems your label will need to withstand. To protect the artwork and quality, make sure you use a laminate over the paper label or even select a film label.

And with the HP Indigo Digital press you can have your entire line of sauce labels printed at low order minimums. This will give you the flexibility to experiment with new blends or even create special event or limited time offers without breaking the bank.

See our sauces page for more tips or contact an expert below.

 

The craft beer market is booming! With more competition on the store shelves, brewers need to utilize their labels as a power marketing tool more than ever.

One of the best ways to do this is with eye-catching pressure-sensitive labels. We've put together 4 reasons why pressure-sensitive labels are best.

But first, what is a pressure-sensitive label?

Pressure-sensitive labels are like stickers. They are made up of 3 parts: face stock, adhesive and liner. Normally these are created by the roll but can also be printed by the sheet. Traditionally the beer industry has used sheeted cut and stack labels. These labels are pre-printed on paper and then glue is applied to the label and bottle during the application process. 

 

Why Pressure-Sensitive Labels for Craft Beer Labels

The Digital Edge

The HP Indigo digital label press can print beautiful high-end labels. This printing method also requires less set up time than traditional printing allowing you to start at a much lower minimum order quantity. This is perfect for seasonal craft beer, small batch brewing or personalized event themed labels.

The standard order minimum for labels printed on the digital press is just 500. This gives the brewer flexibility to order only the amount they need and not hold on to a lot of label inventory. And it gives you the freedom to try new flavors because the initial expense is so low.

Unique Shapes

Pressure-sensitive label are die cut into the size and shape you want for your bottle. In addition to the hundreds of die sizes there are already available, you can be creative with your bottle design and order a unique, one-of-a-kind shape. Plus, if your labels are printed digitally there is no extra cost for a die.

 

Durable Materials

Cut and stack labels come in paper only. If you want a label that will perform well in a wet environment like an ice bucket or cooler, then a pressure-sensitive label is the best option. They won't dissolve or come loose in water.

Pressure-sensitive labels also have the ability to add laminates or varnishes to protect the label artwork or give it a special texture.

You can also choose a clear film label material which isn't an option with paper glue labels. This allows you to create see-through labels or unique shapes that seem to float on the bottle. This is a popular effect on many high-end vodka products.

 

Labeling Equipment

Pressure-sensitive labeling is a clean efficient process. Label applicators range from simple inexpensive table-top wrap systems, to a wrap system with a conveyor to a labeler that can apply multiple labels per bottle. These bottle labeler are automated systems that remove the label from its liner and apply it to the bottle. Depending on the size of your typical bottling run, there is a label applicator perfect for you that will apply your labels efficiently, quickly, and even get them on straight!

 

 

Remember, you have options when choosing your craft beer label material. But we think craft beer labeling using pressure-sensitive labels is the best way to showcase your brand.

Weber has decades of experience printing labels for the beverage industry. Let us show you how we can make your craft beer stand out from the crowd with a great looking pressure-sensitive label.

The Nutrition Facts Label proposal has finally been announced! As we mentioned before, this will be the first major change in decades for these iconic labels.

The FDA hopes these changes will address public health issues like obesity, heart disease and diabetes by providing more realistic information. Using new technology and a better understanding of health issues, the FDA believes these labels will help consumers make better decisions and understand more about what they eat.

 

Here are the major changes proposed:

Bigger and Bolder Calorie Count

The FDA proposes that the calorie count be one of the boldest and most prominent lines on the label by using larger text.

Food manufacturers will no longer be required to list calories from fat since nutritionists say that information isn't as important.

 

Added Sugar Line

As we predicted in our last post, the FDA would like to add an additional line under sugars for "Added Sugars." These reflect the amount of sugar added in addition to the natural sugars in the product.

 

Vitamin D and Potassium Listed

The proposed label will require food manufacturers to list the amount of Vitamin D and potassium.

 

Serving Size

And finally, the biggest change to the Nutrition Facts food label is serving size. As we mentioned before, the serving size information was determined in 1990. The FDA proposes that the serving sizes be based on what is typically eaten by consumers today. This means food like ice cream could jump from half a cup to a full cup.

Also, some foods may require two labels. One that lists the Nutrition Facts per serving size and one that lists the facts of the entire container. This will make calorie counting simpler.
 

The FDA believes that the less math the consumer has to do the more time they have to understand the label and hopefully make healthier choices. There are several studies that show that people who regularly read Nutrition Facts labels are healthier. The purpose of this label is to inform the customer.

 

How Long Will It Take to Change

There will be a 90-day comment period for experts and members of the public to give their input. The FDA will then issue a final rule after the 90-day period. At that point, manufacturers will have two years to implement the changes.

 If you have any questions about nutrition labels or any other food labeling, talk to one of our Label Experts.

 

This Thursday the White House will announce the first major changes to mandated food nutrition labels since 1990. Recently the FDA announced that they sent the White House new guidelines for the food labels based on new health information and American eating habits.

 

Why are they changing?

A lot has changed in America's eating habits since the nutrition label requirement was put in place. As more Americans become aware of dietary issues or want to eat healthier, there is more demand for clear nutrition labeling.

In fact, a USDA study found the number of working adults who frequently read Nutrition Facts labels rose from 34 percent in 2008 to 42 percent in 2010.

 

Predictions on Food Labeling Changes

1. Calories Section

The most common suggestion for labeling changes is to make the calorie count on labels more prominent. Nutritionists today make many dietary suggestions based on calories. Some also recommend removing the "Calories from Fat" information in order to focus on the overall calorie count.

 

2. New Line for Added Sugar

Today food manufacturers are not required to separate natural sugars from added sugars. Nutritionists believe it's important to add a line for added sugars.

However, of all the proposed changes, this one is sure to have the most push back from the food industry since it claims it isn't possible for it to distinguish the two in it's labs.

 

3. Whole Wheat Information

Food manufacturers can say that a food product is "whole wheat" even if the food only contains a small amount. Nutrition advocates are pushing for a listed percentage of whole wheat.

 

4. Clear Unit of Measure

Because America does not use the metric system as its primary measurement system, it can be confusing for the average consumer to understand how much sugar they're actually eating. Nutritionists suggest a familiar unit like teaspoons rather than grams.

 

5. Updated Serving Size

Have you ever eaten a snack that you assumed was a single serving only to find out it was one and a half? The serving size information was created based on the eating habits of American's in 1990 and earlier. As our diets have changed and we've increased "on-the-go" eating, there is a need to adjust this part of the food label.

When I think about February, I always think of chocolate. It's a month full of Valentine's Day sweets! To celebrate we're highlighting our friends at GrownUp KidStuff. They produce delicious gourmet chocolate sauces and use visually-striking labels.

 

A Gourmet Artisan Brand

GrownUp KidStuff is a family-owned business out of Evanston, IL that specializes in artisan sauces. They make 4 chocolate sauces, a butterscotch and a caramel each packed in 11 ounce jars.

Like many other small businesses, GrownUp KidStuff must compete for shelf space and sales with long-established, national brands.

As a result, the job of standing apart from these mega-brands often relies on attractive labeling.

The label, designed by Don Strandell, underscores the playfulness of the company name while incorporating important product, nutritional and warming information. Unfortunately, they were having some challenges with their labels color consistency when we met them.

 

The HP Indigo Solution

We invited GrownUp KidStuff co-owners Don Strandell and Connie Wastcoat to our plant for a tour and to discuss their current label challenges.

After a discussion on color consistency and quantity we determined the best solution for their labels is to print them on the HP Indigo WS6000 digital label press.

Brands like GrownUp KidStuff do not have the space to hold an inventory of labels and often make changes to their products based on the demands of their customers. Running these on the digital press keeps their order minimums low and allows for even smaller minimums on one label and higher quantities for their most popular flavors.

Our Graphics team worked with the label designer, Strandell, to select the specific browns they wanted to be a part of every label.  We also made sure the label material could withstand the storage environment.  Chocolate sauce jars are stored on store shelves, refrigerators and heated in a microwave. Not only does our Semigloss material hold up to those changes but with the added laminate any sauce that touches the label will not ruin the design or wipe out important health information.

We understand that the package needs to represent the hard work Strandell and Wastcoat put into their work. A high-quality product shouldn't be packaged with a poor quality label.

 

 

We understand how important your packaging design is for your brand. To make sure we're producing exactly the label you designed, we have the artwork reviewed by our team of graphic specialists.

I recently had a chance to learn more about the Graphics Department when I interviewed our new Graphics manager, Joe Lozano.

 

What does the Weber Graphics Department do?

The team is made up of six graphic design and pre-press specialists with collectively over 40 years of experience.

This group handles label design, art file preparation, proofing, color correction, and plate-making for flexographic print jobs. Every new label, including artwork, goes through this department. They also handle some re-orders and label artwork updates.