Label Guide

Your Durable Label Applications Durable labels play a key role in maintaining safety during the handling and transportation of hazardous materials.  Sometimes called “drum labels”, “chemical labels”, or “hazard labels”, durable labels provide critical information that notifies personnel of the dangers within the containers they are handling. They do this by displaying strategic colors, symbols, and statements that alert them.  Durable labels are different from standard labeling applications as they must be resistant enough to withstand contact with harsh chemicals, extreme temperature changes, transportation, and storage conditions. In our previous article, we discussed some [...]

Durable Labels 101: What They Are & Their Standards  Millions of products are shipped throughout the world each year, making their way across the globe by truck, train, airplane, and boat. Many of the products being shipped contain hazardous materials, which carry serious dangers and risks as they are handled throughout the transportation and logistic processes. In order to avoid accidents and injuries, these containers must be properly labeled to display the dangerous chemicals they carry. But with both national and international organizations requiring different standards for chemicals, along with various labeling requirements for [...]

Flathead vs. Near Edge Thermal Printing Thermal printing utilizes many components that help produce high-quality images and texts in the labeling and printing industries. The mechanics of these printers operate seamlessly to print barcodes, serial numbers, expiration dates, and more for applications like shipping, tracking, and identification. In this article, we’re taking a detailed look at two different types of printer technologies, flathead and near edge printing, and how they’re utilized in thermal transfer printing. What is a Thermal Print Head? Before we can [...]

PTI Labels  On November 6, 2020, the produce company Tanimura & Antle Inc. voluntarily recalled all of their single packaged romaine lettuce with a pack date of October 15th and 16th as a preventative measure. This was due to possible contamination with a strain of E. coli. Retailers and distributors were advised to not sell or distribute any romaine lettuce from that brand with these package dates and a specific UPC number.  So how did Tanimura & Antle know to flag these specific products for recall? The answer is PTI labels. PTI labels are barcode [...]

Our Smith Corona Label Adhesives Anytime you peel a label from its liner and apply it to a surface area, whether it’s box, barrel, bin, or product, you are dealing with label adhesive.  Adhesive is the key component of a label. If it doesn’t work, the label is completely ineffective. You want to choose a label that will perform well for its operation, like the surface it’s being applied to and the environment it will be used in. Labels that fail lead to reprinting and reapplication, which is a huge waste of time and [...]

Useful Label Terms to Know Thermal, liner, adhesive - there are an abundance of terms in the labeling industry. But what do they mean? It can be confusing to hear terms in an industry you aren’t quite familiar with, but knowing what they are will be beneficial to you and your business.  In this article, we’re breaking down common terms and phrases found within the labeling industry so you can have a better understanding of the materials, techniques, and equipment being used. Direct Thermal [...]

Advantages of Fanfold Labels  There are many options to choose from when deciding that thermal printing is right for your business. Knowing the right label to use for your printer and printing process is one of them. While roll labels are a popular choice, there are many advantages to using fanfold labels as well. They work well for many applications, such as shipping, barcoding, inventory tracking, and more.  Let’s take a look at the advantages of fanfold labels so you can decide if they’re the right choice for you. [...]

Direct Thermal vs. Thermal Transfer Labels Thermal printing is a widespread printing method that produces accurate, high-quality images and text with clean definitions. This process is popular for its ease of use, quick speed, and overall efficiency.  There are two different varieties when it comes to thermal printing: direct thermal and thermal transfer. It is important to know the differences as each have their own pros and cons to printing as well as varying degrees of application. Let’s take a look and see what each method has to offer so you’ll know if direct [...]