Labeling Innovations from Weber

Where do I start??

No one ever really thinks about labels (unless you are a label person like me!) Labels exist on products to convey information. Perhaps you have come across labels when shopping that either entice you to buy a product or confuse you about just what it is. Some labels work better than others. It's all in the design.

There isn't one perfect label design that fits everything, but a well-designed label hits several key points:

Clear communication: It effectively conveys the product information, including brand, name, and key features. Think easy-to-read fonts and clear hierarchy in what info is most important.

The primary function of a label is to accurately represent the product it is attached to. It is crucial to clearly convey what the product is, its composition, and the quantity contained within. Imagine the confusion if someone mistook a bottle of blue window cleaner for raspberry fruit punch! It is essential to make it effortless for consumers to identify the product and access any vital information about it.

This becomes even more critical when dealing with chemical or pharmaceutical products. In urgent situations, medical professionals or emergency responders require precise and concise details about the product they are handling.

To address this need, these types of products often utilize specialized extended text labels. These labels provide a comprehensive amount of information readily available alongside the medicine or chemical product.

Visually appealing: Product labels often are used to sell a product from the store shelf. It catches the consumer's eye with a design that reflects the brand personality. This could be bright colors for a playful product or a sleek design for something more sophisticated.

Brands strategically utilize color and design to stand out from their competitors on the store shelf. Consider the iconic associations we make with certain colors and brands - Coca-Cola with red, Tide with orange, and John Deere with green.

Choose a color scheme and style that aligns with your brand identity. Your label can feature vibrant photos or intricate illustrations in a variety of colors. Incorporating innovative label materials like metallic films, fluorescent colors, and tactile laminations can elevate your product's visual appeal and make it unforgettable.

Consumers often make decisions based on visual cues, so make sure your label catches their eye before they commit to a brand.

Choose a font style that is easily legible from afar and incorporate your logo to firmly establish your brand identity. 

Functional: The size and shape of the label have to fit the product and the material has to be appropriate for the environment it will be in (e.g., waterproof for a beverage).

Cutting-edge label materials now encompass freezer-grade media that securely sticks in subzero conditions, specialized laminations resistant to chemicals to preserve label clarity, waterproof BOPP vinyl materials tailored for beverages, and robust durable label materials designed for outdoor or harsh settings.

Here's how these come together:

So now that you have the basics of a label, what else do I need to think about? This is where the artistic design part of the label comes in.

Consider the product: Food carries a distinct emotional resonance compared to, for example, a box of screws. What specific vibe do you aim to evoke with your label's appearance? Should it exude deliciousness or industrial functionality? Will it bring joy or simplify life? How do you want your customers to feel when they see it? Or does their emotional response even matter in the grand scheme of things?

A jar of jam might use a cute, colorful label with a handwritten font, while a bottle of high-end olive oil might have a more minimalist design with a focus on clean lines and earthy tones.Your new beer could embrace a lighthearted and witty persona, while a fresh laundry detergent exudes power and purity.

Think about the target audience: Consider the intended person who will be reading the label: Are you targeting a construction worker who values product reliability and durability, requiring the label to remain intact for an extended period?

Or perhaps a no-nonsense nurse in need of critical dosage information for a new medicine? A label for baby food should be clear, informative, and trustworthy, while a label for a new energy drink might be more edgy and attention-grabbing.

What do automotive parts, power tools, fire extinguishers, electronic components and chemical containers have in common?

Surprisingly, they all have one thing in common: they use durable labels somewhere on the product to share important information such as serial numbers, warnings, instructions and more.

A durable label is synthetic carrier of important information/data with an adhesive layer, which is typically affixed to a product or component. Industrial durable labels are designed to resist harsh elements such as solvents, extreme temperatures, and moisture. 

A durable label is intended to remain with a durable good throughout the product’s life, which can be years, and must withstand possible hostile environments such as exposures to chemicals, extreme temperatures, or UV light. Labels need to last a long time so they keep providing end users with vital messaging through scorching sun, bitter cold, harsh chemical environments and more. Additionally, the label often must be recognized by UL as being a component itself of the durable good.

When it comes to durable goods, labels are for life. These labels can include words, pictures, or both, whatever is necessary to identify the contents and their importance. Labels help customers use and maintain their cars, power tools and appliances. And by delivering directions and critical warnings, labels keep people safe.

Durable products, such as tools, automotive parts, warning signs, consumer electronics, industrial machinery and more need labels that will withstand years of repeated use, abuse and harsh weather. 

By definition, a “durable” label is designed to withstand environmental conditions that would normally degrade the printed image and/or jeopardize the integrity of the label construction. In other words, durable labels are meant to be long-lasting and permanent.

• Digiflex White BOPP, a UL-recognized economical polyproplyene material perfect for printing decorative graphics on sporting goods, warning labels, medical device labels, instruction labels and more..
• Digiweb White Vinyl, a UL-recognized material with excellent conformability to curved surfaces. Works well for graphic display POP decals, warehouse shelf bin labels, and more.
• Digiplate PET, a UL-recognized polyester film material (available in white, silver or chrome) that is suitable for flat industrial surfaces. Best suited for warning labels, instruction labels, medical device labels, sporting equipment labels and more. 
• And all labels are given a clear laminate for additional protection.

Durable labels must endure heat, chemicals, solvents, water, mechanical strain and challenging outdoor conditions. Our solvent free label materials are resistant to many conditions, making them a more sustainable and dependable choice for all durable applications. Several of our durable labeling products have been tested and recognized by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. who are an independent product safety testing and certification organization.

Ultimately, a hardy product label is important because it will ensure you meet government regulations, enhance or improve your brand, and will clearly communicate important guidance to avoid misuse of your product.

What are some typical applications where I would need durable labels?

Some typical durable labeling applications include:

• Asset management tags
• Pharmaceutical applications
• Electronic components
• U/L and Military Standard conformance
• Parts manufacturing involving high heat and/or solvents.
• Power tools
• Safety equipment like fire extinguishers
• Automotive products and replacement parts
• Aircraft products and parts
• Medical devices and testing equipment

Using the Epson CW-C6000 Series Color Label Printers for Chemical Compliance Labeling

One of the best ways to bring GHS labeling in-house is to use one of the Epson CW-C6000 Series color inkjet label printers. These printers make creating and printing your GHS label easy and cost-effective.

Available in either 4" wide labels (C6000A or C6000P) or 8" wide labels (C6500A or C6500P).

The C6000A and C6500A have integrated automatic label cutters that cut the labels to the correct length after printing. The C6000P and C6500P have integrated peelers that present the label with the liner removed so the operator can instantly apply the label.

The printer, ink and label material are now available for purchase on Go-Label.com.

These label printers use pigmented inks for increased durability. They are chemical and water resistant and can stand up to the use and abuse that comes with chemical containers.

Engineered for mission-critical applications, the reliable printers speed through labels at up to 5-inches per second. The printers enable industrial and commercial organizations to produce high volume color labels for production use.

These printers are perfect for labeling small batches of chemical containers or when you need unique for every container. Just print your label one at a time. The text, graphics and images are clean and crisp. And they will stay that way.

Here is a closer look at a typical chemical label we use as an example. Printing this label requires multiple colors for the logo, pictograms and transportation pictograms.