Lightning Labels Blog

Do you need to order or design custom labels, but don’t know where to start? If so, relax–you have come to the right place. Here in the Labeling Basics Archive, you will find plenty of basic information about labeling that will give you the knowledge and confidence you need to choose custom printed labels that will effectively sell your products.

Labels can be ordered online from a quality printing company in a variety of shapes and sizes, and supplied in rolls or sheets. Labels are as diverse as the designs printed on them. All labels, however, have at least one common denominator: adhesive.  All labels feature an adhesive on one side, which is capable of bonding to another surface when pressure is applied.

There are three main types of label adhesive families, and the success of your label will often depend on whether or not you choose the right none. So think carefully before you order a roll of… Read the rest of Getting to Grips with Label Adhesives

This entry was posted November 9th, 2011 by Jessica Wiener in Labeling Basics | No Comments »

Rolling out a new product is never easy. When businesses are designing a product to bring to market, there are a number of variables they need to account for, some of which may not be easy to identify.

For example, packaging expert KC Boxbottom recently noted an instance in which a manufacturer was having a unique problem with its labels — out of the blue, they just started wrinkling. The company told Boxbottom that nothing had changed in the way products were produced, they were using the same equipment… Read the rest of Rolling Out New Products: Not a Cut-and-Dry-Affair | 1 Comment

This entry was posted September 30th, 2011 by James Lowry in Labeling Basics | 1 Comment »

When most companies create their product label artwork, they focus on perfecting color schemes and graphic designs. While these visual cues are vital to attracting the interest of shoppers in a retail environment, well-written copy is also a vital element of any product label. A beautiful label design encourages consumers to pick a product off a shelf and consider purchasing it. It’s what they do next — read the label.

This entry was posted September 15th, 2011 by Christy Correll in Labeling Basics | No Comments »

A product label or advertisement is often seen as the gateway to capturing consumer interest. An individual may choose to walk away from a label that isn’t attractive, regardless of the quality of the product being offered.

There are plenty of ways to appeal visually to potential clients. Sometimes it’s the basics that will save a label and, ultimately, a product from being neglected.

Here’s a list of five things to consider when designing a product label: Use a high resolution image. People shouldn’t have to squint their eyes to read your tagline.

1. Use a high resolution image. People shouldn’t have to squint their eyes to read your tagline.

2. Don’t be bland. Boring colors or a plain picture are sure to be ignored by passersby.

3. Avoid being too fancy. A complicated design can have just as poor of an effect as a blurry or bland one.

4. Proofread your label many times. Common mistakes occur even with the simplest of designs.

5. Consider your target market. Under what demographic do the majority of your clients fall? Would they appreciate a more professional label? A creative one? Or even a label that’s humorous?… Read the rest of Keep it Simple with Product Labeling

This entry was posted August 16th, 2011 by James Lowry in Labeling Basics | No Comments »

Editor’s Note: James Lowry is the General Manager of Lightning Labels. With almost 24  years of professional experience in the printing industry, he really knows what he’s talking about when it comes to producing top-notch product labels. If I was you, I’d consider memorizing his copywriting tips below. You can pick up more great tips from James in the column he writes for The Lightning Flash, From the Desk of Our General Manager.

Before you even begin to write copy for your product labels, you need to consider how your packaging will impact your label copy. Make sure you understand the size of the label that you will be able to use and if you will be able to use more than one label.  It is critical to understand the amount of “real estate” available for your copy.

Other aspects of your packaging that may or may not impact your label copy include:

• The materials used in your packaging. For instance, if they are eco-friendly, you may want to note this in your label copy.
• The environment your product will be in after the label is applied to its packaging.
• The type of product container your labels will be applied to. This may impact whether you use clear labels, simple labels, or elaborate 4-color process labels.

Next, you want to make sure you know what is legally required to be printed on your labels. Depending on your product and where you are selling it, you may be required to include product ingredients, barcodes for retail sale, and/or copyright tags. These are just a few examples of what may be legally required to be incorporated into your label designs and therefore impact the label copy you write.

This entry was posted February 16th, 2011 by James Lowry in Labeling Basics | 2 Comments »

Last year I was looking at the analytics for our web site and I noticed that there were more and more people browsing our site from their iPhones. Many of these people were using our online label quoter to get pricing. So we decided to make it easier for these people and build a dedicated iPhone app that anyone could download to their phone and easily create a quote. We named it iLabel.

Yesterday Apple approved iLabel, which… Read the rest of Announcing iLabel - the World's First iPhone App for the Label Industry | 4 Comments

This entry was posted February 17th, 2010 by admin in Business of Labels, Custom Labels, Labeling Basics | 4 Comments »