Label Considerations for Squeeze Bottles and Other Containers

Whether you’re trying to brand a flexible pouch, a lotion bottle, or some other squeezable container, you need a label that’s flexible enough for the job. These types of products require a labeling solution that’s both rigid and conformable enough to keep its shape with every use. Here are three factors you should consider to make sure you squeeze the most value out of your product labels.

Use a Squeezable Label Material

When it comes to labels for squeezable containers, there’s one go-to option: an MDO film. An MDO is a machine directed orientation BOPP film that is preconditioned to being squeezed and stretched. Essentially, the fibers in MDO films are stretched in all directions. This makes it so the material doesn’t have nearly as much tension as typical materials. As such, the MDO is more likely to return to its original state when squeezed or wrinkled, whether it’s a semi-squeeze film used for a container with slight compound curves or full-squeeze film made for complex squeeze bottles that expand and contract with every use.

An MDO’s ability to balance rigidity and conformability makes it a natural solution for applications with containers or packaging that’s made to grip, squeeze, or contort in some way. The tradeoff for this conformability is that MDOs are a little thinner than other label materials. However, MDOs can still provide the same level of resistance to sun, abrasion, and other problem areas as it’s less flexible counterparts.

An example of an MDO film use for squeeze container labels.

Factor in Container Design

While MDO label materials go a long way toward preventing peeling, wrinkles, and other issues for contoured or squeezable containers, you still need to factor in the design of your container into your label. Labels for contoured containers still need to be adjusted to prevent application issues.

MDO films do offer more flexibility than other materials, but a rectangular label isn’t going to cut it for a non-rectangular packaging. To accommodate the contours of your packaging, design your label around the shape of your container. Tapering your labels will allow you to stay ahead of the curve and help your labels adhere properly to your container.

Plan Adhesives Around End Use

While you may think squeezable packaging may need stronger glue than less hands-on packaging, MDOs typically use less adhesive than common label materials. The reason for using less adhesive is because MDO films are thinner than other options. Less adhesive makes it so adhesive won’t ooze out as people squeeze the container.

While squeezable labels don’t need higher performance adhesives than typical materials, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to consider other adhesive factors. For one, you’ll want to figure out which adhesive is best for your container. Squeezable plastic containers can vary in surface energy, so certain materials may need a stronger adhesive than others. In addition, curved surfaces generally require a stronger adhesive than flat ones. The stretched out fibers of an MDO will help prevent the need to peel back.

You’ll also want to plan ahead for your applicating environment and end use. If your labels will need to deal with wet surfaces, extreme temperatures, UV light, or potential contamination, you may need to use a certain adhesive to accommodate those conditions and prevent label failure.

A white squeezable MDO material used in labels for squeeze bottles.

Invest in Squeezable Labels that Conform to Your Needs

If your containers are made to squeeze, it’s time to look for the best, most cost-effective labels for your products. At Blue Label, we’ll work with you to determine a labeling solution that both looks great and performs under pressure. From identifying the perfect label adhesive to uncovering new ways to make your label design shine, we can help your products stand out among the competition.

Ready to invest in a new batch of labels? Contact us today to talk to one of our experts about your project or request some label sample to check out materials for yourself.

4 Key Candle Label Considerations

Whether your candles are sold at your local farmers market or in stores across the country, high-quality candle labels play an important role in the success of your brand. Candle labels may seem simple at first, but there are several factors that can make your investment go up in smoke. Here’s what you should consider when investing in new labels for your candles.

Include Valuable Basic Information

While various products need to share different information depending on the nature of the components, there are some details that are pretty standard for every product label. As such, you’ll want to start by including the following pieces of information on your candle labels:

  • Product name
  • Company name and logo
  • A unit of measurement (in this case, candle weight)
  • Contact information/website

Once those are covered, there are some candle-specific details you should add. The following information will provide consumers with some specific details that will help them decide which of your products is right for them.

  • Candle scent
  • Type of wax used
  • Projected burn time (hours the candle will last)
  • Container specifications

Four candles with custom labels.

Add Recommended Fire Safety Details

While candles aren’t as closely regulated as products like alcohol, CBD/THC goods, or other items, there are some label standards in place. As the major trade association representing U.S. candle manufacturers and suppliers, the National Candle Association (NCA) notes that every candle should include the following three fire safety rules included on its packaging:

  • Burn within sight
  • Keep away from things that can catch fire
  • Keep away from children

The NCA isn’t too specific on where this information should be listed, so the label, a tag, or even a dust cover are acceptable places for listing the warnings. In addition to the three rules, the NCA also suggests adding graphic safety symbols to represent each rule. Those symbols are available for downloaded on the NCA site.

While the fire safety rules and graphics are a good start – and mandatory for any NCA members – it’s also good practice to include some form of manufacturer instructions for burning your candles properly. Candles are tested according to the ASTM F2417 Fire Safety Standard, which will allow you to provide customers with instructions about burn length, which type of container to use (if one is not provided), and other important details.

Optimize Label Placement

Between branding and information, you may reach a point where you’re tight on label space. Fortunately, you may be able to utilize the size, shape, and packaging or your candle to improve your branding.

It’s no surprise that the side of your candle – or the container it sits in – is a prime spot for label placement. However, you shouldn’t overlook the underside of your product. While the side of your panel is a great spot for basic product info and special design elements, you can include fire safety and other less brand-heavy details on a separate label applied to the bottom of your candle or container. Container lids also offer more potential for labeling space. If it has a surface, there’s an opportunity for branding as long as your label can survive in that space.

Identify the Right Label Material and Adhesive for Candles

Your customers aren’t the only ones who need to be careful with fire. The heat created by your candles also plays a direct role in your choice of label material and adhesive. While you don’t have to stay close to the flame, your label doesn’t have a choice. This close proximity to the heat the flame emits means your label needs to withstand temperatures up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit depending on your product.

In addition, candle labels must handle repeated fluctuations in temperature, i.e.when your candle is lit or put out. The right choice of material and adhesive can help prevent premature label failure. For example, a thick biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) material and an acrylic adhesive is more likely to withstand the heat.

Your application surface and process also plays a part in your choice of materials and adhesive. Every surface creates different challenges. For example, the wax of a candle has a different surface energy and adhesive needs than a glass jar. Your choice of hand or machine application will also play into which labels are right for you (along with other key details like unwind direction that can impact application).

Sweet strawberry candles with custom labels.

Invest in the Best Labels for Your Candles

From design to application, there are several variables that can impact the success of your labels. However, it can be difficult to identify the right solution for your exact product without an expert.

Fortunately, Blue Label can help you figure out how to get the most out of your candle labels. Our experts can work with you to not only determine the right materials and adhesives for your labels, but also how to enhance your designs through special printing capabilities. Contact us today if you’re ready to invest in custom candle labels for your business.

Protect your Label: The Different Types of Label Varnishes

A beautiful new label is the beacon your products need to showcase your brand and convince buyers to try your goods. Unfortunately, a damaged label can undo all the hard work you put into your packaging design. Thankfully, there are solutions like label varnishes to help you protect your investment.

As with lamination, there are multiple label varnishes available to not only help you protect your label as well as enhance your design. Each type of varnish can help you defend your label from scuffs, scratches, water damage, fading, and other threats, all while contributing to your preferred aesthetic.

Labels with a UV varnish.

Breaking Down Each Type of Label Varnish

While label lamination utilizes a layer of film to protect your label, varnishes operate a bit differently. Label varnishes are liquids that are rolled onto a label and then cured or dried so that the varnish adheres to the label materials’s surface. This method makes varnishes a good option for paper labels because the liquid can conform to the texture of the paper and fill in any nooks and crannies.

Like laminates, there are a few different types of label varnishes that differ based on the application process or their final appearance.

  • UV coating
  • Aqueous coatings
  • Gloss, satin, and soft-touch varnishes

UV coating

As the name suggests, UV coatings use ultraviolet light to cure a liquid coating made of a special mix of chemicals. Once it’s cured, the UV varnish essentially bakes onto your label material to create a protective coating. This newly cured shield basically acts as a permanent sunscreen, preventing your design from fading over time and other factors that can damage your label.

Aqueous coating

Like a UV coating, aqueous coatings use a special solution to protect your label. However, you don’t need UV light to cure aqueous varnishes. These solutions are a clear, water-based varnish that quickly air dry to seal off your label materials from potential danger.

Gloss, satin, and soft-touch varnishes

While UV and aqueous coatings differ in terms of the process used to cure them, gloss, sating, and soft-touch varnishes denote the finishing effect a coating has on your label. Gloss varnishes create a smooth, shiny look for your labels once applied. Satin varnishes – known as “matte” for laminates – cut out most of the shine to create a flat look that makes other design elements pop. Soft-touch varnishes not only look soft, they can even add a soft textural element to your labels as well.

Paper beer labels protected with a label varnish.

Protect and Enhance Your Labels with the Right Varnishes

No matter what type of product you sell, it’s well worth the investment to protect your labels. Scuffs and scrapes can happen to any product label, and once that ink comes off your label there’s not much you can do. Varnishes and laminates offer both protection and aesthetic improvements – it’s just a matter of finding the right one for your needs.

Fortunately, you don’t need to find and apply your own varnishes. At Blue Label, we can guide you through every step of the label process, including applying varnishes or laminates to protect and enhance your designs. In fact, we can even add a varnish on top of a laminate to highlight specific design elements. Every label is different, so we work with you to figure out the best ways to showcase your products.

Ready to invest in eye-catching labels built for success? Contact us today about printing your next batch of product labels.

Pick Your Protection: The Different Types of Label Lamination

A good label allows your products to make a great first introduction to potential customers. However, scuffs, scratches, and other forms of damage can mangle your message without protection.

Label lamination allows you to add a protective film to the surface of your label. Once your label is printed, lamination serves as a second skin of sorts that shields your design from scratches and provides some waterproofing for your base material. However, these laminates can offer additional benefits depending on which type of lamination you use.

New labels going through the lamination process.

Breaking Down Each Type of Label Lamination

While laminates in general offer protective capabilities, certain types of lamination can add decorative effects to your label. This variety allows you to pick and choose different label laminates depending on your desired aesthetic. Other laminates can also change the feel of your label or provide certain capabilities not offered by other protection. In general, laminates are broken down into five types.

  • Gloss
  • Matte
  • Soft touch
  • Leather
  • Thermal transfer

Gloss

If you want your labels to shine, you’re going to like gloss laminates. These laminates reflect light off your label to add a smooth, glossy look that makes your design pop for passing customers.

Matte

If shiny isn’t your thing, a matte laminate creates a more subtle appearance for your labels. A matte finish dulls down your label surface so that it doesn’t shine much at all – but this means your label will be far from dull. These laminates can create a soft, subtle look that allows certain elements and colors appear deeper and brighter in contrast to the matte finish.

Soft touch

While matte finishes can make your labels look soft to the touch, other laminates can create a velvet-like, matte finish. Soft touch laminates add a tactile quality to your labels that consumers can feel. Research shows that the feel of a product can help sway buyers, which means that soft touch laminates can be a difference maker if you want that velvety aesthetic.

Leather

If you like the rugged, textured look of a paper label material but want the performance capabilities of a film, leather laminates help you achieve the best of both worlds. Leather laminates allow you to recreate weathered, wrinkled effect on film labels. This type of laminate works best on dark colors that allow you to highlight the texture of your label, all without the fuss of having to flood paper labels with ink or deal with potential durability issues.

A closeup of a leather label laminate.

Thermal transfer

Unlike other types of laminates, thermal transfer finishes are chosen more for what you plan to print on your labels in the future. These laminates allow you to use thermal printers to print on top of your labels whereas other lamination may prevent the ink from sticking. For example, a deli with a branded label may want to print the weight and price for each order on its labels. Thermal transfer laminates allow these types of businesses to do so, all while adding a gloss, matte, or some other type of look to their labels.

Invest in the Right Protective Film for Your Labels

Product labels come in so many different styles. No matter which aesthetic you prefer, it’s important to protect your label design from harm. To do so, you’ll need to figure out which form of protective film is best for your needs, whether it’s a laminate or some other option.

Label laminates typically adhere to film material better than paper, while varnishes conform to the nooks and crannies that can be found in paper materials. You can also add a varnish on top of a label laminate to really make certain design elements pop. There are so many possibilities to amp up your design and protect your label that it can be a bit overwhelming without some guidance.

Fortunately, a good lamination packaging company can help you weigh your options. At Blue Label, we work with you to identify the right details for your design, including label material selection and protection. Contact us today to invest in the right labels for your business.

Hot or Cold? The Role of Temperature in Label Durability

If your products will get hot or cold, it’s important to make sure your choice of label is just right. Whether your containers encounter hot or cold temperatures during application or sometime after, temperature can play a prominent role in identifying the right label for your situation. Here are some specific problems where hot and cold temperatures can wreak havoc with the durability of your product labels.

Heat or Cold Can Make Some Adhesives Fail

Behind every good label is some very important ‘glue’ – literally. Without the adhesive, you’d be stuck with some really nice leaflets to hand out with some blank containers. Unfortunately, hot or cold temperatures can be a dividing force that tears your containers and labels apart.

Temperatures issues can happen right away during the application process. Label adhesives have varying minimum application temperatures. If you apply a label with a certain adhesive outside of its recommended temperature range, it may not have the tack or adhesion necessary to stay on a container. For example, an acrylic adhesive may be a good choice for products that are hot-filled or exposed to higher temperatures, but it may pose problems in colder applicating conditions.

Different temperatures can also cause adhesives to fail at some point after initial application. For example, extreme cold or heat can cause removable label adhesives to break down. After a stay in the freezer or some time in direct sunlight on a summer day, your labels may start to peel off or fall off their containers altogether. In these instances, it would be better to opt for a permanent label designed to handle difficult, environmental factors.

A cold, wet beer can with a pressure sensitive label going through a filling machine.

Some Face Stocks Can’t Face Certain Temperatures

In addition to your adhesive, there’s another critical layer of your label that can be negatively affected by hot or cold temperatures: your face stock. Certain label materials can run into performance issues when forced into environments that are too hot or cold. Fortunately, a little planning can make sure your choice of substrate is perfect for your exact needs.

The first step is to think about exactly where your products and their labels will be in the future? Are they a bottle label that will end up in a refrigerator or a cooler? Will these products end up sitting out in the hot sun or a steamy bathroom? Will they potentially sit in a storage space for a while? Each environment can pose it’s own temperature issues, along with other environmental factors like moisture, humidity, and sunlight.

When it comes to face stocks, film substrates offer better resistance to heat and other damaging elements. Utilizing a material like a BOPP or PET substrate can help give you more peace of mind if your product will encounter any environmental hazards in its future. While paper stocks don’t have quite the durability of their film compatriots, UV varnishes or thicker paper materials can help mitigate the impacts of various temperatures and other issues.

Heat and Cold Can Make Shrink Sleeves Warp

Pressure-sensitive labels aren’t the only labeling option affected by varying temperatures. Shrink sleeve labels also require some care and planning to protect your investment.

While shrink sleeves are a great option for anyone looking for a label that provides 360-degree coverage, one downside is that these labels are very sensitive to environmental factors before application. If shrink sleeves get too hot or cold before they’re applied, they can warp. Not only can this destroy part of your design, it may ruin some shrink sleeves altogether.

To solve this, you’ll want to make sure that your shipping and storage situation can accommodate your shrink sleeves. Depending on the time of year and your location, that can mean temperature-controlled shipping or utilizing temperature gauge labels to check a shipment before you apply damaged sleeves. As for storage, you’ll want a climate-controlled space – or at least one that won’t become freezing cold or sweltering hot when the weather shifts.

A six-pack of beer with durable product labels sitting on a storage space floor.

Invest in the Durable Labels for Your Environments

There’s a lot more to a label than just the design. From the liner to the top coat, every part plays a role in your label. When you work with Blue Label, we help you invest in durable labels designed for your specific performance and budget needs – all while ensuring that your design dazzles your customers.

Want to work with a company that can provide you with quality, cost-effective labels that can stand the heat (or cold)? Contact us today about your next label printing project.

Pros and Cons of Different Types of Label Materials

Several factors can play into choosing a label material, such as cost, appearance, and durability. In general, label facestocks are separated into two categories: paper and film. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages, so choosing a specific type of paper or film depends on the specific needs of your pressure sensitive labels.
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What You Need to Know About Label Adhesives

The most important part of a label is what is underneath it, the adhesive. Underrated and often forgotten, beverage label adhesives will absolutely make or break your label. Dramatic? Maybe. Wrong? No way. We want to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into when it comes to customizing your beverage label, and that begins with the all-too-essential sticky stuff.

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5 Hot Foil Label Designs We Love

One of the things we love most about our job is that we work directly with some of America’s best packaging designers. The most successful projects are a collaborative effort between the brand owners, designers, and packaging vendors to make products that capture the customer’s interest and imagination. These projects use a variety of decoration techniques like embossing, spot varnishes, and screen printing to achieve a high level of complexity and depth.

Of all the decoration techniques, hot foil stamping stands out as the most effective. At a relatively low cost per piece, gold, silver, and other types of foils can be used to create outstanding, multifaceted compositions very economically. We’ve compiled five hot foil label projects that we had a lot of fun working on to demonstrate the versatility of foil stamping, especially when used in combination with digital printing.

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The Joy of Sample Printing

When it comes to getting your product to the market, you’ve got to move fast. Materials have been paid for, distribution deals have been negotiated, and customers are waiting. Once you’ve selected your packaging containers and designed artwork for your labels, the last thing on your list is calling up your label printer and placing your order. Technically that’s true, once you’ve designed the label and picked out your materials you could go ahead and buy all the labels you’ll need, but there is one last thing that could make your life a lot easier: getting a printed proof prior to finalizing the order. When launching a new product, waiting a couple of days and paying a few extra bucks is probably the last thing on your mind, but there are a few good reasons you should.

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Ed #16: Digital Printing Possibilities

One day not so long ago, we received a phone call out of the blue from NewPage Corporation. We didn’t know too much about NewPage, but we quickly learned that they are the largest producer of printing and specialty papers in North America. Why were they interested in us? Well it turns out they were working on a new edition of the design magazine they publish, Ed, and it is focusing on advantages of digital printing. Needless to say, we were intrigued.

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