Steps for Buying Custom Labels
Did you know that your label is one of the best ways to market your product? If you’re new to label buying, we can help. Consolidated Label prints custom labels for almost every product, including food, candles, bottles, medical equipment, personal care, household goods and much more. At Consolidated Label, we know your product is unique and so are your needs. Tell us about your label application and we’ll help you through the whole label process. To help you get started, we’ve broken the process down into 5 easy steps, to make sure you get highest quality label possible.
- Measure – You’ll need to measure the container on which your label is going to be applied, so we can determine the size of the label required. Tip: To measure curved bottles, jars, etc., photocopy a ruler and wrap it around the container to determine label length.
- Choose a Die – Once you’ve figured out the size of your label, you’ll need to choose a die to cut the shape of your custom labels. Consolidated Label has over 2500 label dies in inventory, but if you’d like something unique, we can create a custom die.
- Choose a Material – Selecting the right label material is essential. If the wrong material is chosen, your label may wrinkle, not adhere properly, or even come off. Here are a few basic questions which can help us guide you to the best label material.
- Will the label get wet?
- Will the label be in direct sunlight?
- Will the label be applied while your product is frozen?
- Artwork – Label artwork is what sells your product. You’ve probably given your label design a lot of thought, and you may have your label artwork finalized. If your artwork is camera-ready (designed by a graphic artist or yourself in an industry-standard format), e-mail it to your Customer Service representative. Our Art Department will review your label artwork and make sure it’s ready for press. If you don’t have a label design just yet, there are plenty of places online that can help. If you need some ideas, check out our Label Gallery. Tip: Try searching for local freelance graphic designers.
- Approve & Print – After our Art Department has prepared your label art, we’ll send you a proof. This is the last chance for review before your labels are printed, so you’ll need to thoroughly check your proof for all errors including spelling, size, color, etc. We want your custom labels to be perfect! If something’s not right, don’t worry – revisions can be made at this time. When your label is 100% correct, give us your approval and it’s off to the presses!
Rest assured that the Consolidated Label commitment to quality doesn’t end here. After your custom printed labels come off the press, our Inspection Team matches them to the proof to ensure color, size, and material are all correct. Once your labels have passed our thorough inspection, we’ll wind them to your specified number of labels per roll, package them up, and ship!
A few things to keep in mind:
- The lead time for the label printing process varies from 5-10 working days after you approve your label artwork.
- Shipping time can vary as well; depending on your location, your shipment from our plant can range from 1-6 days.
- Printing a custom label for the first time does require some initial set-up fees for art and plates, however, these charges don’t apply for label reorders.
- The art fees cover preparing your label for the presses. Plates print the image onto the label material, and the number of plates you need equals the number of colors for your label. Let’s say your label is 2 colors, purple and green. You’ll need one plate for purple, and one plate for green. Generally speaking, the fewer the printing colors, the cheaper the label.
Using 2 colors? We can print your label to match your logos, business cards, and more if you request a Pantone match. The Pantone Matching System is a standard, worldwide color language used to provide accurate reproduction and matching of colors. You may request Pantone swatches from your customer service representative.
