In today’s post our AIS experts have come up with a list of useful tips to help with your label printing process and to ensure no matter what type of label printer you use; you get the best results.
5 Tips to Ensure Your Label Printer Process Is a Success
- Decide on the Location of your Label: The first thing to do is decide where you will be applying your label. For the best results a flat surface is preferred. It should also be a clean dry surface. A flat surface will ensure that the printed label will stick properly without any lumps, bumps, or imperfections.
- Clean and Dry the Area: If your surface is wet or grubby you will have trouble sticking your label to it. You should always clean your surfaces before applying labels no matter what material the label is made of. If your surface is dirty it can stop the adhesive bonding to your product. Our experts recommend using alcohol wipes to prepare and clean your surfaces but make sure you check your product surface can tolerate this cleaning agent first. Make sure your surface is fully dry before applying your label as any moisture will prevent our label from sticking properly.
- Allow Your Labels to Reach Room Temperature: It is important to allow your labels to reach room temperature after they come out of your label printer. Extreme hot or cold can cause problems with adhesion. If you can’t wait for your labels to reach room temperature you should purchase adhesive that is suitable for all temperatures.
- Carefully Apply Your Labels: This is where you need to practice care and accuracy. Carefully peel the label from it’s backing and make sure not to touch the sticky part as this can affect adhesion. Firmly press your label into place. If you are applying the label to a bottle or a surface that isn’t flat you will need to ensure the product is held steady. Once you have your label positioned press the middle of the label down and then smooth it outwards. If you are planning to use clear labels it is advised that you use a label printer application machine as applying them by hand can be tricky and air bubbles are a common problem.
- Allow your Labels to Cure: For this step you need to be patient. It can take up to 72 hours for your labels to cure so once you’ve applied them you need to leave them. You should allow them to cool at room temperature which is the best way to allow the adhesive to bond to the surface of your product.
These tips should provide you with an effective strategy for applying labels without any problems. If you are applying large quantities of labels however, a label applicator is often the better option. For more information or advice on labels, label printers, and label applicators, why not get in touch with one of our AIS experts today.