Not only are your labels custom, your needs are custom as well. We get that. It really is all about you.

• Is your label company providing expert advice regarding best practices and new technology for achieving your desired result?
• Can your label company produce both small runs and mass quantity?
• Are you able to ask for recommendations on material types and product testing prior to ordering?
• Do you feel comfortable that the company is financially solid and will be available to serve you in the future? Does their facility reflect your expectations?
• What about overall value proposition, including price, quality, timing, delivery and customer service?
• Would you feel comfortable referring your label company to others?

Often product labels are the “make or break” factor for start-up companies, and can be the bread and butter for branding, creating top of mind awareness and recognition for your audience. Labels are the first and often only form of communication you have with your customer. As with most competing products on the market today, many conditions come into the decision making process for consumers. Factors such as effectiveness, taste, quality and overall value often override price.

Next time you are running errands, look at all the choices you have as a consumer. What determines the purchases that you make for your family? Would you rather have the pasta sauce that tastes like Mom’s, or the sauce that is on sale but that no one will eat? Most people will vote for the sauce that tastes like Moms even if it is a little more expensive because as my Mom used to say “A sale is no sale if it ends up in the trash.”

We know that your time is valuable. Not only do labels need to look good and convey your unique message, they need to stick when they are supposed to stick, have the right material for the application and exposure and be a good overall value, leaving you more time to concentrate on what you do best- growing your business.

• Is your label company making it easier to achieve your branding and sales goals?
• How do you know that you are getting the best value for your money?
• How does new technology affect your labeling options?
• What makes the most sense for your individual situation?
• Does your label company deliver consistent product and stay on top of industry trends?

Sometimes, the answer lies in the question. Call us with any of your specific questions or to request a custom label quote and we will ask you the right questions in order to figure out the best solution for you.

We specialize in unique shaped packaging and will be certain to create a label that is as specific and unique as your product.

An attractive package, with a proper fitted custom label or sticker, creates a sense of security and trust, in a consumer. How often have you purchased a product, based solely on the packaging?

While a main goal is for a consumer to fall in love with your product, your first goal is to get them to notice your product and then purchase it; they will then be able to judge your product first hand. First impressions are extremely important. You want your product to stand out with a label or sticker created to fit.

If your packaging has a special shape (other than square or cylindrical) chances are you may need a special shape custom label or sticker so it will fit properly. Unique shaped packages are often eye catching, which is a good thing, but once you have caught your consumers’ eye, the label must be professionally sized and placed to keep their attention and to gain their trust. Allow Columbine Label to engineer a custom label with a custom fit for your product. A special shape label combined with the proper material will result in a beautiful custom labeled product.

Many containers require special shaped labels that are not rectangular, square or round.

For instance, typical deli containers have a wider mouth and taper off towards the bottom. The tapered design of a deli container will prevent a rectangular label from being applied straight.

Columbine Label can engineer a custom label to fit your tapered deli container or other unique shape perfectly. If your packaging is new, your safest bet is to provide Columbine Label with a container so we can engineer a label that fits your packaging.

You’ve spent an enormous amount of time developing your product, choosing its’ unique packaging, and creating the design for its label, it is now time to have your label or sticker professionally manufactured. A properly engineered label that fits great on your container and works well with your application process will save you time and money.

A label that does not properly adhere to and fit your container will not only be a nightmare in your production but will also send an unprofessional message to your consumer. A perfectly fit label will enhance the overall appearance of your product.

When we think of digital printing, we may tend to think about quality similar to a home office printer and wonder if the end product will be a suitable representation for your product.  Like any technology, digital presses come in many shapes, sizes and calibers to be sure.

From digital photo printers ranging all the way to the new state of the art HP Indigo digital press, different presses are configured and priced for various production standards.

Do you need a special die shape?  Is four color processes suitable for your requirements? Or do you need to duplicate – now and later – particular brand colors that may not be achievable with simple four color process?  Not all digital is created equally – nor is the outcome – just because its “digital.”

How can we explain the excitement about having the option of high end digital printing in addition to flexo printing? Digital printing offers high resolution 4 to 6 (and even 7) color process, quick turnaround and great quality without the excessive set up time or lengthy press changes required for multiple copies.

Digital printing can be a cost effective resource for many applications.  Some instances where digital could benefit you:

• Short runs
• Multiple copies
• Quick turnaround time
• Less expensive custom dies
• Eye popping color
• High resolution images

Regardless of whether you own a small startup or large established company, there is most likely a digital application that would benefit your company.

Some great digital conversions might include:

• Food product Labels
• Private labeling
• Beverage Labels
• Seasonal Labels
• Medical/Dental Labels
• Photo Image labels
• Beauty Product Labels
• Marketing and price point Labels

Digital is not a replacement for flexo printing, but isn’t it great to know that there are options?  Columbine Label professionals know how to weigh those options so that the end result is exactly what you need.

What digital can do beautifully is capture images and landscapes, intricate designs and shorter runs with the ability to handle more frequent, shorter bursts without excessive set up time.  Digital can be of assistance in helping you introduce a new product, marketing or version of artwork without a high investment in plates.

With so many options, digital is quickly becoming the new basic black of the custom label industry.

Numerous decisions must be made in order to design and print a label that will work with the product packaging or bottle, as well as correlating the label with the brand image of your company and product.

If you want people to know that your brand is quality, the label needs to be printed with as much quality and precision as possible to help relay that message.

Columbine Label Company can help ensure that your branding goals are carried through the whole labeling process. We do this by helping customers work through the considerations to determine the best solution for the products use, storage, and presentation.

One of these important considerations is something you’ve probably never thought of before – how should the labels be printed on the roll to correlate with how they will need to be applied?

This is where the “Unwind Direction” comes in.

When you are searching for a supplier for custom labels, you will hear terms such as “Copy Position”, “and “Unwind Direction”. What are these terms and why do they matter? Well, these are in regards to the visual representation of how the labels are oriented on the roll of labels – (horizontal, vertical, side by side, etc) and how the roll will unwind. For labels that will be applied by hand, these don’t really matter – but for labels that will be applied by a machine, the wrong copy position and unwind direction could shut down production!

The layout of the label on the roll, and how it needs to be applied to the bottle or package, is a basic science in the custom labeling world.

Let’s look at a Industry Standard Copy Position Chart:

At Columbine Label Company, we focus on printing labels that will communicate your brand image with a quality label that fits perfectly to the product packaging. A quality label communicates trust, passion, and high quality to consumers.

We offer strategic runs and digital proofs so you can see how the labels will look but also test out the application process to make sure all flukes were worked out.

Located in the Denver Colorado Metro area, Columbine serves customers all across the US, with needs for as few as 1000 labels (Digital) well into the millions with Flexographic web printed roll labels and sheeted labels. We ask a lot of questions – maybe even questions you haven’t yet considered. We take the time and the personal interest to understand what you are trying to or need to accomplish, so that in the end, you not only have a great looking label – as expected, but an experience that didn’t drive you crazy in the process. “We do what we say we’ll do”. Sounds simple enough!

Getting a price quote is faster, simpler and more painless than you probably think – give it a try

A primary consideration for creating the best label for your product is choosing a face material for the label.  This will either be a paper or film material.  Paper face materials include uncoated papers, gloss- and matt-coated papers, colored papers and paper labels with wet-strength capacity.  Filmic facing materials include polyethylene (for materials that might be squeezed), polypropylene (more durable and less stretchy), and polyester (this resists water, oil and chemicals.  Other more specialized facing materials are available including foils and holographic materials.

Just like when requesting removability for a label, we tend to ask lots of questions and then ask the customer to test our recommendations for suitability in that particular application. To get you thinking about everything that goes into play, here are a few of the main considerations for choosing the proper material  face product.

Anticipated Service temperatures
You designed and printed a great looking label, but will your customer see what you sent out the door?  Your great label may not look so great if heat has smeared the printing or cold has made the adhesive fail.  A proper face material will help ensure your label’s service life matches your product’s lifespan.

Environmental conditions
Ultraviolet light, humidity, chemical compounds and other environmental conditions will also affect the choice of your label’s components, including its face material.  Ultraviolet light can fade printing and degrade the bonds between adhesive and face material.  Humidity can damage printing not properly fixed to the face material and can also cause the adhesive to fail.  Chemical compounds can react with ink to cause discoloration or smearing.  Other environmental conditions may have a similar result.

Abrasion and tear resistance
If your product will be subject to rough usage or contact with other items during manufacture, shipping or display, the facing of your label must be able to stand up to abrasion and tear resistance.  Abrasion affects the top of the label and can undermine the base of the printed layer and damage it.  A label’s face product can be reinforced to guard against this and against tearing.

Type of printing process to be used
Your label must be designed to survive the printing process, and your label’s face material is the direct point of contact for this.  Many of the same label qualities that help protect against abrasion and tearing can also help your label survive the printing process.

Surface to which the label will need to adhere
The surface that your label is attached to can distort the printed content of the label unless the proper face material is chosen.  A label that will be attached to a flat surface will not distort, but a simple or complex curved surface will require a face material that can slightly conform to the shape without distorting your print.

Call our team or request a Custom Label quote here – and we can help you to determine the best components for your label based on the use of the product. We’ll ask the right questions to help make it easier on you!

When requesting removability for a label, we tend to ask lots of questions and then ask the customer to test recommendations for suitability in that particular application. There are many things to take into account to choose the right adhesive, here we will explain the main items to keep in mind.

- Removability. It is hard to define this category, because there are certain products that are considered removable, however this ability declines over time and if enough time has elapsed, then they permanently attach to the substrate. Masking tape is a good example in this case, which is easily removable for a few hours, but the longer it’s left on the surface the harder it is to peel off. Besides time, temperature and the quality of the meeting materials are important factors that are decisive of how removable the adhesive should be.

It is very important that you don’t mistake removability with repositionability, the latter meaning that the label can be repositioned on the packaging for 20 to 30 minutes, without damage being done. Only after the passing of this short period of time does it permanently adhere.

The key to helping your label supplier make a good recommendation for your removable label is to advise them of the substrate to which the label is being applied.

- Temperature. It’s very important to know what temperature the adhesive will be applied to the packaging, because under different circumstances different needs have to be met.

• Service temperature is defined in a range where the adhesive can function properly after being applied, this is a fairly wide range from about -65º F to +200º F. (specialty products can go beyond these ranges)
• Minimum application temperature is the range of temperature when the adhesive can be affixed to the packaging. The adhesive is to some extent a liquid, therefore it needs to be able to flow. In cold temperatures (e.g. frozen goods) special adhesives are needed, because an ordinary one will freeze, which would reduce the adherence of the label. The first 24 hours are crucial, this is roughly the time interval when minimum application temperature affects an adhesive. “All temperature” adhesives are available, however due to its high price, you should only use it when specifically needed.

While labeling may not be rocket science, it can have its nuances. You’ve invested your time and energy into your product, do you really want or need to be a label connoisseur as well? Let our experts guide you through the labeling process to help ensure that you’re making the best decisions. Click here to request a free quote for your custom label project.

- Quality.:
Acrylic adhesives have high temperature and solvent resistance, however silicone adhesives have a higher resistance in both areas, but is more expensive. Choosing the best quality label for your budget will be taken into account during a consultation.

- Application and removability of an adhesive:
There are a few tricks that can improve your use of adhesives. First you should clean the surface that the label will be affixed to; make sure it isn’t wet or doesn’t have any contamination (dust, oil, etc.). Use pressure when applying the adhesives; this will provide a stronger bond.

Unfortunately not all adhesives can be removed cleanly and there isn’t a chemical that works for all. Carefully test these different solutions that have been know to remove adhesive residue; for example: citrus based cleaners, vinegar or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Keep these aspects in mind and choose an adhesive that fulfills your specific needs, from the never ending selection the industry has to offer.  A conversation about the conditions the label will be subject to, including application temperature, service requirements, quality and your definition of removability, is a must.

Perhaps you have seen those blocks of what look like garbled pixels on labels, with directions instructing you to scan them with your smartphone. Those two-dimensional squares are called QR codes and they are starting to become widely popular worldwide as well as providing other benefits for businesses.

What are QR codes?

QR (Quick Response) codes can be found in many different industries and are mostly used as an advertising and marketing tool by companies. They are scanned with phone apps which can be downloaded on any smartphone to read the information the code contains. The QR codes basically connect traditional marketing with the online world. A customer viewing a label could scan the code, go to a landing page, and get more information about the company.

The information can be almost anything that is online–literally! A simple line of text, a whole website, or even a picture. QR codes are like real life links, your smartphone acting as your real life computer mouse.

Creating a QR code is also very simple. QR code providers can be found on the Internet – and you can simply enter the link you want the destination to be, and the generator throws out a QR code for you to download and use.

Why are QR codes important?

Some of you might be thinking, “How can a QR code help my business?” Think of them as giving you the ability to add supplemental information and advertising to a label that has limited space. They are cheap to make and can aid in your web presence as well.

Here are some ideas to consider.

1. Social media is important for any company and QR codes can be incorporated on custom labels and stickers that can take the customer straight to your Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare, or other profiles. Add extra incentive and give a discount to customers who use the code to follow or check-in to your company’s profiles!
2. Or, you can skip the link to social media and get straight to rewarding customers. Use the QR code as a ready-to-scan coupon. You can also save money on printing costs by using QR codes as paperless coupons, too.
3. Content is always king, and your QR code can link to supplemental content which also promotes your product. Think how to videos, articles, and other similar online content.
4. Want to expand on information about your product? Nutritional Facts and Recipes are sometimes revised due to space. Use the QR code! Reduce the clutter on your label and still provide your customer with all the information they by using the QR code as an “extension” to your label.
5. Is your business hosting an event? You can use a QR code to advertise it on your labels and stickers. Customers can use the QR code to RSVP to the event.
6. You can use the QR code as a means for customers to be connected directly to your website. A great way to implement contact information for them to reach your business is to direct them to a QR code on your labels.
7. Finally, you can go simply direct customers to your website which will in turn help build your web presence.

Final thoughts
If your business is looking for a new, enticing way to build their web presence–and revenue– just look into making custom labels and stickers with QR codes. They are an economically efficient way to convey tons of information about your product in less space.

Improve Sales with Holiday Labels

Having a holiday themed print on your product is a great way to showcase it as a stocking stuffer. When individuals are able to relate your product to the holidays, they are more likely to purchase it. This is especially true if you specialize in food and beverages. A nice wine goes even further during the holidays when a Christmas themed label is attached to the front of the bottle. This helps place everyone seeing the bottle in the holiday spirit.

With Columbine Label Company’s printing services, you are able to make your product stand out from the other items still dressed in their yearly, standard labels. Changing up the look of your product  is a sure fire way to drum up business for your company. You may discover the holiday label works so well that you decide to print new labels for other holidays throughout the year.

Columbine Label: The Denver Label Printing Company

Columbine Label is able to direct you towards the best possible label for your holiday season. These labels vary from flexible packaging to pressure sensitive labels and everything else in between. This means, even if you expect the package to move and bend while stocked at your local store, the label is not going to tear and it shines through, ensuring everyone is always able to spot your logo and the product you produce.

When you contact Columbine Label Company, you will be in contact with a very knowledgeable staff. Our staff will ask a lot of questions, some of which you may have never considered before. This is necessary to ensure you receive an accurate label quote that will lead to a high quality holiday label for your product.

Holiday Labels Ready to Sell

Your holiday labels printed and produced by Columbine Label Company are store ready. This means, the labels can include the barcode imprinted on the label, so you don’t need to apply the barcode label yourself. On top of this, there are calibrated proofing and barcode verification systems to ensure your new holiday labels are printed correctly and with the highest quality. You want your holiday labels to look perfect so it can help drive traffic to your featured product.

That’s why your business already uses custom printed labels and designs for a unique, eye-catching, and distinctive identity that customers easily recognize.

The first steps to consider
What are some things that make the best label? What will really catch someone’s eye while also defining your business? Here are some things to consider:

• Color matching with pleasing tones should always be a top priority. Brands like Coca-Cola, Lays, and Ritz all have a distinct color combination which can be easily recognized.
• Design layout–less is more in this case. Less words and a perfectly crafted layout will bring in a customer, so remember to choose the best wording and layout of your design.
• Quality. Yes, even a label needs to be considered on quality.

Of course, there are many other things to take into consideration which are a bit more technical: what kind of adhesive will be best for your label? What kind of material should you use? How much is this all going to cost?

A company that provides only the best
Columbine Label offers all that and more with their extensive technical knowledge of label products and wide variety of choices for professionals (and even for personal occasions). You could say Columbine Label has quality which really sticks with their clients.

What can you find at Columbine Label?

• Waterproof and sturdy labels
• Packaging design
• Bar code labels
• Custom product labels
• Pressure sensitive labels
• Digital printed labels
• Various choices of adhesives, materials and liners

These custom labels will withstand the wear and tear of shipping and customer handling and everything in-between. Also, Columbine Label offers an in-house graphics department to implement top notch design.

Design and implementation is crucial for labels, this is why each customer is taken care of individually to make sure only the best will be created and produced.

Why Columbine Label?
A hastily made label can push away potential customers and even turn off loyal ones from the company, which is why Columbine Label uses  up-to-date software to aid in theprocess. Not only that, but, Columbine Label offers clients both Flexographic and Digital printing, expanding options tenfold.

Columbine Label has been in business since 1988, and maintain even during a tough economy, while providing for Colorado and the rest of the United States.

Their employees understand the needs of businesses trying to sell products in diverse industries–in fact, they specialize in it. They take pride in producing custom labels that are are necessary for your custom product.

ColoradoBiz Magazine recently recognized Columbine Label on the Top 250 Private Companies list, and, according to the company’s president, Greg Jackson, they have seen a 27 percent increase in revenue in 2010.

Like the motto says: “We make what you make get purchased, not just noticed!”

Send in a quote request today!
Whether you need a small run or large run, Columbine Label can suit your needs and your vision.

Send in a request for a quote today and get more of YOUR product purchased!

The ultimate goal of having a product in a store is to have the product be purchased, not to just stay on the shelves. The question is – what is the main thing that comes into play when a consumer is looking at a shelf of similar products and chooses one to buy? Along with popularity, price, and ingredients, one of the main components of the choice is based on the products’ visual appeal. Does it look good? Does it look better than the others on the shelf?

Other than the actual product inside (if you can see it), the products’ label will enhance the visual appeal. Businesses often spend a lot of time brainstorming for the perfect label design that represents the product as well as the company or brand. Don’t minimize the importance of the product label to increase your sales! Here are a couple tips for food product label design to help your products get through the checkout lane more often than your competitor.

Know Your Audience

You need to know what your customers are looking for before you begin to draft design ideas. Food labels have to do what every other type of product label does, but much more. It must promote fresh and quality ingredients, sanitary processes, and convey a delicious taste. You have to understand the expectations of your audience. If they want an Italian dish, they’re looking for Italian colors (green, white, and red) and Italian images or lettering. If they want a healthy meal, they may want to see whole grains and vegetables. You can also capture a snapshot of your target audience on the label – think of a baby on baby food, or a tough cowboy on beef jerky packages.

Think about other aspects of your target audience, such as income level. This is why an economy can of soup is packaged to look generic, while a higher-end name-brand soup includes high-definition images, fancy lettering, and well-known logos. Relatively the same product packaged and labeled differently for different customers. There are many other things you could learn about your audience, take some time to study and think about it.

Know Your Competitors

Audience expectations can really help you pinpoint the type of label design you should move toward. But there’s another thing to take into consideration – what are your competitors doing? If they’re all following a common practice, such as making Italian product packages using red, green, and white colors, then the whole grocery aisle starts to look the same.

You want to stand out and get noticed – so you need to think differently. This isn’t to say you should ignore audience expectations, but you should meet them in a new and eye-catching way.

Whether it is a quote, picture, or object that represents your product, it should be straight forward and easily recognizable. It should trigger a certain emotion – like reminding the customers about a warm, home-cooked meal, or the great spice of a Mexican salsa they had on their vacation. Your product should communicate to the audience both how you will fulfill their expectations, but also show how you’re different than the product next to you.

The Finished Label

Once you’ve developed a label design, you’ll need to get it produced. This is another decision that could greatly impact customer response to the product. If the label isn’t printed well or the material looks cheap, it could cause the customer to choose your competitor.

There are a lot of variables that come into play when custom printing product labels. Companies such as Columbine Label Company in Denver, Colorado, can take your label design and determine the best process to use for the label printing. They’ll make a decision based on several questions, such as: What will the packaging be? Is the product hot or cold? What is the shelf life of the product? They will determine what printing material and printing processes to use to make sure the label looks great over time.

The best next step is to contact Columbine Label and have them offer a quote and suggestions. They’ll help you get your eye-catching label on that product so you can get it sold!