A barcode applied by thermal transfer printing technology.

When To Use Direct Thermal vs. Thermal Transfer Labels

Should you use direct thermal vs thermal transfers labels with your labeling machine print engine? That depends on several factors, including material costs, downtime, the environmental conditions of the production area, and the lifespan and physical requirements for your labels. Here’s how each of these factors affects the performance of these printing methods.

Read more

A dietary supplements Ingredient Statement Panel that follows labeling regulations.

6 Keys to Effective Dietary Supplement Labeling

Dietary supplements occupy a vaguely defined space somewhere between food and drugs, making it easy to run afoul of regulators when it comes to supplement labeling. Manufacturers must choose a label based on intent, and unlike alcohol and drugs, there’s no pre-approval process. Get something wrong in your label statements, and you could face hefty fines or a product recall. These tips will help you get your label right the first time, and avoid punitive action by the FDA.

Read more

A pressure sensitive label fixed to the neck of a champagne bottle.

4 Reasons You Should Be Using Pressure Sensitive Labels

You may be wondering, what are pressure sensitive labels?

They just so happen to be the most popular type of product labeling on the market today, and their popularity is continuing to grow.

Why?

These types of labels work on any smooth, solid surface, whether it’s the side of a box, the neck of a bottle, or the top of a recessed lid. The label application process is simple. The label materials can be customized to fit almost any use, from adding shipping addresses to providing legible information after long term storage.

Now that you know the basics of what pressure sensitive labels are, you may be wondering what advantages these types of labels have over other product label options, and why you should use them.

Read more

A hazardous material pictogram on a GHS label

The Most Important Information on GHS Labels: What You Need to Be Compliant

The GHS label is a critical component of hazardous material handling safety. This standardized label system is used around the world and provides easy-to-access information about the hazard class of chemicals and the best ways to deal with them. Learning about the globally harmonized system of classification and labeling of chemicals can help you simplify the labels of your chemical products and keep you compliant with occupational safety standards.

Read more

The liquor label of a distilled spirit with mandatory information.

Is Your Brand Up To Date With Liquor Labeling Guidelines?

Distilled spirits make record sales year after year. In fact, spirits product sales hit a record $37.6 billion in 2022.

Those impressive statistics prove that the distilled spirits sector of the alcohol beverage market is growing and thriving. In this hot market, the right label is essential for your brand’s success — but does it also include all the required information? For your alcoholic beverages to hit the market with no issues, you must make sure you’re in the know and in compliance with liquor labeling requirements.

Read more

A bare energy drink can labeled with a question mark.

Energy Drink Labels: Key Components You Need to Know

There’s no denying that energy drinks are one of the most popular beverages on the market today. In fact, energy drink products brought in 159 billion dollars in revenue in 2021 — and their success will likely continue to grow.

Energy drink packaging design is colorful and attention-grabbing (and likely part of their success). Good graphic design for your beverage label that appeals to your target audience can boost your products’ sales, but there are also important legal requirements to consider when you label energy drinks. In order to avoid costly mistakes on your product label, familiarize yourself with the laws and regulations of energy drink labels.

Before you start on your custom label, learn how to navigate mockups and nutrition facts to guarantee success for your energy drink packaging design.

Read more

Canned cocktail with a proper label.

Are Canned Cocktail Label Guidelines Different Than Other Alcoholic Beverages?

While hard seltzers have seen a massive boom in the past few years, they’re part of a bigger trend toward Ready to Drink (RTD) beverages. Before you sell any new alcoholic beverage, you need approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). However, there are unique requirements for canned cocktail labels, and you may need additional paperwork to get approval. Here’s what it takes to get your new beverage to meet regulations.

Read more

High-speed label applicator on a production line.

How Fast Are High-Speed Label Applicators?

Exactly how fast is a high-speed label applicator? If you’ve worked around manufacturing, you know that there are always several factors affecting throughput, and your labeling system is no exception. While the applicator itself may be capable of incredible speeds, making sure every label goes on perfectly each time requires slower speeds for quality and stability. From container shape to printing quality, each change you make to your system affects its speed. Read more

Plastic bottles on a production line.

Best Practices for Labeling Plastic Bottles

While containers like glass, aluminum, steel, and cardboard are mostly uniform, plastics can be made up of a wide range of materials (in addition to variations in casting techniques, surface textures, and chemical additives).

Even if a label tests well on a sample, other issues can crop up in your production environment. Here’s how you can address these issues when labeling plastic bottles.

Read more

Hot filling line in a manufacturing facility.

Is the Hot Filling Process Best for My Product Packaging?

Food manufacturers choose a hot filling process for their products because it offers an excellent balance between sanitation, product quality, and cost. However, this rapid heating and cooling process comes with some complications. The container itself needs to withstand the heat, and the labeling needs to work with containers that undergo major temperature changes.

So, when does a hot filling process make sense, and what changes do you need to make to your production system to create safe, reliably packaged products?

Read more