Tag Archives: normal shipping

The Best Labels for Your Business 

While labels are something that you may not like, businesses need these to thrive. 

You use labels on the daily, such as: 

  • Product labels on meats at the store 
  • Barcodes on apparel 
  • Mobile order stickers on a cup of coffee ordered from your phone 
  • Wristbands at concerts 
  • Shipping labels for your items that you deliver 

From the packaging labels that you have, to even stickers on clearance, labels are used for propelling the business forward, while also practicing mindfulness, along with sustainability. 

Here, we’ll talk about the different types of labels, and what you should use 

Direct Thermal Vs. Transfer Labels 

Thermal printing is a very easy and quick means to print stuff, with two types. They are known as thermal transfer or direct thermal. 

Direct thermal labels are the easier, lower maintenance ones that are cost effective. This is where the heat gets put on paper that has ink embedded in it to create texts and images. 

This is great because you don’t need toner, ink ribbings, even ink! It’s also better for the environment. They are pressure sensitive, where you apply this either by hand, or by machine, depending on your business. 

Direct thermals are also available in different rolls or folded in fans to create larger amounts, so it saves you money and time. 

While they are lower in cost, there are a few limits to these. 

For one, they’re very easy to scratch compared to other labels. If it’s directly exposed to UV light or higher heat, it also will fade as well. Plus, while the colors are used for direct thermal, it only prints with black ink, so it’s limited in options. They also can’t be used after about 6-8 months, since their effectiveness does fade. 

Thermal labels are the opposite, where you have thermal printing on melted colored wax, or resin. This is used to create thermal ribbon that’s high quality, and you can print both text and images. 

Like direct thermal, thermal transfer is pressure sensitive as well, and it can be used by hand, or by machines. 

They do require a ribbon to print, and you may need to spend more on costs.

But thermal transfers are better, more durable than the others. They can also be printed on other types of media too, such as synthetic polypropylene or paper. They can be waterproof too and are also scratch resistant as well. 

The importance of labels 

Labels are good for a lot of reasons, and we’ll go over them here. 

First, they’re great for conveying information to others in a quick, effective manner.  They can tell people what to do with something, whether it’s a postal worker who receives the package, or a warehouse manager that works directly with customers. 

Hospitals for instance, use these labels on wristbands to scan the information efficiently and quickly. 

Retailers also use these barcodes in order to keep stock of the inventory that they have. 

They also make shipping so much better.  If you’re a store that sends out packages, or a warehouse that constantly has packages, labels are vital for making sure that the shipping process is all the more efficient. 

Thermal transfer types of labels are vital for receiving and shipping, since they can withstand the weather and elements. You can also print out QR and barcodes this way, making scanning much more effective. This is great as well for UPC codes as well, especially if they’re on the label. 

Finally, you need these on everything, so make sure you add them to your packaging now! 

Why Sustainable Packaging for business 

For a lot of brands, there are new initiatives that are happening to help create sustainable packaging. This is something that’s a big movement, and it can help you not only get more customers, but also help you get the products that you have owed, as they won’t pay you just for one product, but for a bunch of greener, better products. 

This is something that’s definitely grown because of the environmental changes, and it’s something that as a supplier, you need to be aware of. 

What is it? 

This is basically the packaging that goes to the customer that won’t leave a bad carbon footprint there. Packaging is something that does deliver messages, and you want customers who are excited to unbox the products that you have. They also want a company that is transparent too. 

Lots of companies aren’t , and they realize when it’s too late the materials that they have are creating negative environmental impacts, and it can be something that is possibly a major problem for a lot of companies. The materials and process that’s used for this is a big factor in the impression of a consumer, and it’s something that sustainability helps maintain, as it’s something that is just as important as the proper design for a product. 

The best elements for sustainable packaging 

There are certain products that stand out from others, especially when I  comes to sustainable packaging. They’re considered the cornerstone and are a big part of the sustainable packaging movement. 

The first one, is kraft paper. This one is sustainable, and it’s popular. It’s something that’s better than the regular paper that’s out there, created from ingredients which are all-natural, and also comes from different wood pulp too. You don’t need to bleach the paper, and it decreases the costs of manufacturing, and also is considered lighter than normal shipping. 

There is also molded pulp, and it’s something that is being used more and more amongst the smaller brands. This is made from virgin or recycled paper fibers, and it’s very popular on the market. It’s used for electronics, and also appliances at home. 

It does need thermoforming and protective capabilities added to it, but it does offer new options for packaging, and is great for all sizes and shapes, and it increases the amount of fibers that are recycled, especially when they’re trying to eliminate plastic in some of the other sorts of means. 

Foam is another one that’s become quite popular, as packaging foam is something that’s used in all different ways within the packaging industry. 

It has the duo-purpose of being protective, but also organizes various products, in order to offer the top presentation that’s there, and that which is popular as well. 

Foam is something that’s not the most friendly to the environment, so you’ll want to consider using biodegradable, paper foam, or other sustainable ones, but for a lot of smaller businesses, this is one of the best ways to really gain traction with your brand. 

Then there are plastics, which are something that actually are becoming more and more sustainable, and this is something that offers a lot of benefits. 

It’s light, and when you’re able to source it correctly, it’s actually more energy efficient, especially compared to appear. It’s something that can also save a lot of energy. Blister packs, ryas, and inserts are just a few of the many, and lots of companies will incentivize the customers to return this to locations, so that people can use it again. 

This is also reducing a lot of the single-use plastics and offers sustainability for customers.