Winter weather impacts both our personal and professional lives — frozen water pipes, school closures, icy streets. And if you live in an area where freezing temperatures are the norm, you can add labeling problems to that list. Labels that apply and perform perfectly during summer months will fail when the temperature drops if you don’t take the proper precautions.

This previously published article was updated on June 20, 2019. 

Tube labels come with a variety of application and performance challenges, beyond those of “regular” labels. Think about the types of products that come in tube containers — lip balms, shampoos, body lotions, ketchups, sunblock. All of these products are held, squeezed and, inevitably, the product seeps onto the label.

This previously published article was updated on June 19, 2019.

Pressure-sensitive adhesives are the unsung hero of your product label. The right adhesive makes sure your label looks good long after it’s applied, from shipping to point-of-purchase and throughout the product lifecycle. And although you’ll never see it, using the wrong adhesive will turn customers away. Even the most expertly designed won’t help a product sell if it’s sliding off, peeling or wrinkling.

As the dog days of summer come to an end it may be hard to believe that a certain well-know coffee chain will soon be handing out warm, custom-crafted beverages in an iconic red cup. If you are a caffeine craving devotee of this coffee-behemoth, you know the childlike giddiness you feel when your local shop first hands them out: The holidays are coming! There is built-in emotional response many people have to this brilliant, seasonal marketing strategy.

Are You Missing Sales Opportunities by Not Identifying Your “Red Cup”?

It is highly unlikely 2017 be a rollercoaster year of radical changes up and down the retail shelf. Brand owners will continue to tell their unique story while seeking real connections with their customers.

Standing out on the retail shelf supports that goal. Tried and true design methodology underpins great packaging, and trends are popular aspects that ebb and flow in response to what is most effectively breaking through the clutter and noise.

(L to R: Steve Powers, HP, Haim Levit, HP, Kevin Davis, president, Advanced Labels NW, Zak Callahan, HP)

Lynnwood, Washington-based Advanced Labels NW, a converter producing high-quality custom tags and labels for the wine and spirits, food and beverage, health and beauty, and vitamin and nutraceutical markets, purchased an HP Indigo 8000 Digital Press at Labelexpo Americas 2016.

If you're looking for ways to help your labels jump off the shelf, consider matte or gloss varnish treatments on your next label design. Varnishes can be a great way to set yourself apart from the crowd.

Varnish treatments are used to decorate label designs or to simply protect the ink and paper, similar to lamination. When used right, varnishes can have a massive impact on the appearance of your labels.

When you are starting out small, sheet labels are your friend. You can buy them in small quantities and even print them right from your home printer. If you only need a hundred labels and professional quality is just not in the budget, sheets of labels can be the interim solution for early distribution.

But as your business grows, buying labels in sheets is going to cost you more and limit your design and printing options.