Ninefold PrintLabels and Tags
Product Labels, Hang Tags and Stickers
Labels are decided by how they are applied. A label going on by hand and a label going through an applicator are different products even when the artwork is identical.
Application First
How It Is Applied Decides the Format
Roll or sheet, material, adhesive and die all follow from the application method and the surface. Getting that stated up front avoids the most common reprint in this category.
Roll or Sheet
Rolls suit applicators and volume, and need a specified core size, wind direction and count per roll. Sheets suit hand application and short runs. Switching between them later is not a small change.
Material and Adhesive
Paper, film, clear or metallised, and an adhesive matched to the surface and temperature. A label for a chilled bottle and one for a cardboard case are not the same construction.
Die and Shape
Standard shapes use existing dies at no tooling cost. A custom shape needs a die cut, which is worth it when the shape does something and not when it does not.
Tags and Attachment
Hang tags add a hole, an eyelet and a string or elastic, all of which have to clear the artwork. Board weight matters more than it seems, since a tag that curls in the hand reads as cheap.
What Moves the Cost
Roughly in order of how much difference each one makes. No price is published here because the answer changes with quantity, stock and which manufacturer the work suits, and a number that ignores those is a number you cannot rely on.
- Material and adhesive
- Quantity, since label work carries meaningful setup
- Whether a standard die fits or a custom one is needed
- Number of colors, and any white ink on clear material
- Lamination or varnish for durability
- Finishing on tags: eyelets, stringing, hole punching
What to Send
Enough to get a comparable quote rather than five guesses. If some of it is not decided yet, say so, and it becomes part of the conversation instead of a blocker.
- What surface it goes on, and what the item is
- Applied by hand or by machine
- Finished size and shape
- Quantity, and whether it repeats
- Any temperature, moisture or compliance requirement
- Artwork, or a sample of what you use now
How We Produce It
Labels Go to Label Specialists
Label printing is its own trade with its own presses, and a commercial printer taking on label work usually sends it out. We place label work with label specialists. For a repeating product label, that shows up in consistency between runs, which is what your customers notice.
Related Reading
Worth Knowing Before You Specify One
Get this made
Send us your spec, or what you have so far.