Answer: There are a few restrictions on label size, but hardly any on shape. Just about any shape that can be drawn by hand or by computer can be made into a label, the main constraint being the possible problem in removing the matrix (i.e. the unneeded material between labels) if the size and detail of a label component is very small or intricate. Imagine, for example, a "holiday sun" image with very fine or spikey rays. Peeling off the matrix between the rays, without ripping it (and leaving some behind on the liner,) could be difficult. So something to keep in mind is that a label with the matrix left in place is only suitable for hand application.

As for the size, there are limiting factors for maximum length and width, but essentially none for smallness. In theory, a label can be as long as the roll of stock it is printed on, i.e. several thousand feet. However, the plate cylinder that prints the label image introduces a hairline gap on each rotation, (every 24 inches for the largest cylinder.) Hence a solid line or design could not be printed on the whole roll, but a repeating pattern or text message, with spaces for the tiny break, could be. (There are ways to disguise the gap – it need not be a straight line, for example – and there are special laser engraved plate cylinders available without a seam.)

In practical terms, though, a standard butt- or die-cut label is limited in length to 24 inches or less, because that is all the rotating cutting tool allows. Maximum width is determined by the web size and the complexity of a label’s printed image. Full width of the Aquaflex web is 10 inches, but this could only be used if there were no requirement for registration marks, standard for most jobs.

Accordingly, 9 1/2" is the largest practical width, and 9 1/4" is more common. Within the basic 24" x 9 1/4" dimensions, Label Innovation Inc. has manufactured some very small labels, including a set of tiny printed circles designed for sticking on the top of golf tees!

Question #1

Answer: The main factor in choosing one of the label cuts is how the label will be applied and used. Another important factor is cost, with die-cut labels being relatively more expensive. A butt-cut label is separated from its neighbours on the label liner by a simple, straight-line cut, like a peel and stick postage stamp. It might be called utilitarian – less costly to produce than a die-cut label, and economical for application on an inexpensive product, or on one where the label will be seen only once, or thrown away. A butt-cut label will naturally have straight sides and square corners. (A die-cut label can have square corners, too, but added to the cost of the required die is the extra expense of “sharpening” the die’s inside corners.)

A die-cut label can be produced in almost any shape, from round to angular, with various combinations of straight lines and curves being the usual. The rounded corners possible with a die-cut label are less likely to dog-ear, or peel after application, and a die-cut label generally has a nicer look than a butt-cut one.

Labels to be applied automatically need to have spaces between them, calling for die-cutting. The press removes the extra material (i.e. the matrix) surrounding each label. This unused material adds to the cost in large runs, essentially because the press is generating fewer labels per unit width and length of stock.

Label Innovation carries a wide variety of dies, which alone or in combination can meet most customer label specifications. The most costly option, a custom die, involves the preparation of a die-line (i.e. artwork for the die’s shape) and an added label production delay while the die is manufactured.

Question #2

Answer: No it will not, although that should not be a problem if you are happy with the proofs and are confident that colour specifications will be rigorously followed in the printing process.

While the quality of computer-generated images is very good today, laser printers are not exactly colour-faithful. Laser printers show the location and “look” of fonts, shapes and the precision of colour breaks well, but fall somewhat short when it comes to colour (tint) accuracy. This is particularly true for images rendered in process colour. In the simplest case, when a designer specifies an ink colour for the graphics software, the shade will appear different on the printer output compared to the computer screen. There would be a further difference if the image were printed on another laser printer, and/or with another paper stock. However, by means of design software, specified colour will be transmitted to the plate maker and to the label printer’s ink management system, and you can be assured it is what will be applied on the press.

But there is another fly in the “ink-ment”: a selected colour may look different when printed on the chosen label stock. The answer to this and other concerns about your label’s printed look is to work with Label Innovation’s production team from an early stage, tapping into the available design and printing techniques to translate your expectations into an acceptable end product.

Question #3

Answer: Delivering quality products to you is Label Innovation’s top priority. So for quality and speed of drying, Label Innovation uses a thin film of ink which results in a translucent colour. In order for any colour to show its true intensity, light must be reflected back from a white surface -- such as a white label stock. Of course labels do not have to be printed on white stock only, many labels are printed on clear stock for a variety of reasons. If you choose to print a label on clear stock though, there is not a white background from which to reflect the light and so the colours may appear dull. To avoid this, opaque white is printed on the clear stock first to provide the white background and then the image is printed over this. This white layer can be seen by looking at the label from the back.

In addition, it also depends on what type of surface the label is to be applied to. If the clear label is going to be applied to a white surface, the opaque white layer is not needed. If, however, the surface is darker, it is still needed to reflect the light and show the intensity of the colour.

Question #4

Environmental factors include such things as the temperature, humidity and physical abuse to which the adhesive will be exposed. Does it have to function in a freezer, or on a hair dryer? Will it remain working on a product subject to knocks and abrasion, or submersion in water or other liquids?

Special usage factors cover matters like the required ease or difficulty of removal; the necessary staying power (one year? ten?); and the existence of any regulations or standards governing application, something particularly important with medical products. For instance, the adhesive sticking a label to a plastic blood bag must be certified as unable to permeate through the bag to contaminate the contents.

Fundamentally, though, the type of adhesive is determined by the surface upon which it is to be used. Adhesion is the force of attraction between unlike materials, similar to a magnetic force. The strength of attraction is determined by the surface energy of the material – the higher the energy the greater the attraction.*

Surface energy is measured in units of dynes/cm. Knowing that Teflon® has a surface energy of 18 while aluminium’s is 840, for example, you can see why very different adhesives would be needed for labelling the inside and outside of a non-stick fry pan.

Label Innovation has considerable experience in selecting adhesives based on the required application, and works closely with customers to ensure they get the adhesion performance they need. [*Ref.: "Fundamentals of Adhesion", 3M Corp.]

Question #5

For example, if we take a 3” x 2” label using four-colour process, white high gloss paper, a permanent adhesive and a standard die, the cost would be:

Label Innovation will present your cost to you in a detailed job estimate. For a custom label, the estimate will be calculated on the basis of a number of factors and specifications, including:

• Material (paper, foil, film)
• Size, for material usage
• Custom die or not
• Quantity
• Number of colours
• Special inks
• Rolls, sheets, or fanfolded?
• Special adhesive
• Durability (varnished or laminated?)

If any of these details are adjustable, while still realizing the job objective, the Label Innovation Team will work with you to achieve the lowest cost for your order.

Question #6

Answer: There are a number of things that may go wrong between sending in an artwork e-file and the final proof sign-off, but the simplest answer to the question is, "just follow the LINC formula."

Label Innovation actually prefers receiving electronic artwork for most jobs, and accordingly has set out guidelines to ensure the smoothest path between original art and final proof.

The initial criteria cover the requirements for the basic way the design must be constructed, to reflect the differences between standard offset and flexographic printing. So one potential "return to sender" for the artwork can be avoided by ensuring your artist is working with LINC’s Graphic Designers’ Guide to Flexo Labels. Anyone who uses a computer knows how frustrating it is to receive a message or a file that cannot be opened and read. If this happens with a customer’s artwork, LINC has little option but to send it back for reformatting.

There are detailed requirements set out in LINC’s Graphic Designers’ Guide to Flexo Labels. These guide your designer in the technical necessities for file preparing, saving or exporting, compressing, and sending to LINC. Adhering to these is a simple recipe for once-through art.

A final word of caution: nearly everyone uses a computer these days, and it may be tempting to submit what amounts to "do it yourself" electronic artwork. This is unlikely to meet any of the written requirements mentioned above, and will surely wind up being returned to you for extensive modification. "Make it go – use a pro."

Question #7

Answer: Converter is an industry name for a manufacturer like Label Innovation that turns bulk, normally rolled material, into a serviceable product or specialty component which may itself be delivered in rolls, or sheets. The process may or may not involve printing on the end product, but the main tool used in converting is a high-speed web process.

Question #9

The components are called "specialty" because they are custom designed to the specifications necessary for incorporation in the end product, making each pattern quite different from others. Contrast this with adhesive labels; where the difference between any two types may only be their shape or colour, and many may even be available "off the shelf".

Label Innovation has developed considerable expertise in fabricating complex specialty components using a variety of materials. In the medical field, for example, it has produced the components of an electrode connector for a life-saving device; and the precision seals and gaskets in the disposable cartridge for a hand-held blood analyzer. Another health and safety product is the seal on an air filter replacement cartridge. In the security area, LINC has manufactured over-laminates for products, (including "black light" readability of invisible inks.)

The raw material used for specialty components takes many forms, including film and foil as well as paper and latex rubber. It is often laminated or multi-layered, with the final product bearing an adhesive to either hold it together or use in its application elsewhere. With or without printing, the component may have a special coating applied to enhance durability or other properties.

Finally, there is die cutting, through which the final product is given not only an image or a coating, but also a shape. The die-cut specialty component may be removed from its backing or liner by hand or by machine in the customer’s assembly process. Discussion of specialty components would not be complete without mention of custom packaging arrangements to suit the customer’s particular requirements. For example, LINC ships one of its specialty components wound on movie film projector reels rather than standard wind-on cores. The manufacture of a new specialty component, particularly one that has little or no production precedent, is a welcome challenge for Label Innovation.

Question #10

VHB (Very High Bond) from 3M is an extremely aggressive industrial adhesive that can be used in a wide variety of applications. This adhesive can be sourced in several different thicknesses and converted into many different shapes and sizes. VHB is solid adhesive rather than a thin coating of adhesive on both sides of a foam. It is visco elastic (i.e. once stretched, it will return to its original shape.) This adhesive's aggressiveness accelerates over time to create a bond that is virtually unbreakable. This specific adhesive is used to bond the wings of aircraft. It is also used to mount satellite communications hardware. Do you need a bond second to none? This might be the product you require. Do you need it converted into a specific shape? Give us a call to find out more.

Question #11

Self-laminating Butterfly Label
Customer: Canadian Blood Services

* Click here to see an example

Cable Identification Label with Backslit Liner 
Customer: Carleton University

Label: cable identification label, 3" x 3/8"

* Click here to see an example

Contact Cards - Coupon and Label

* Click here to see an example

Medical Device Component - Natural Rubber Converting 
Customer: Medical Device Manufacturer

* Click here to see an example

Label: kit folder information label (finished size 5" x 1")

* Click here to see an example

L= 0.0655 x (Dr² - dc²)
C

L = length of roll in feet
Dr² = diameter of the roll squared (in inches)
dc² = diameter of core squared (in inches)
C = thickness of stock (in inches)

This guide has been prepared to give graphic designers some basic rules to follow when preparing artwork for labels that are to be printed using the Flexographic (flexo) printing process.

Following these simple guidelines will dramatically improve the printability of your job. It will also help the designer, the customer and Label Innovation Inc. (LINC) to work as partners. The end result will be first quality labels and high customer satisfaction.

All brands of graphic design software are geared to the offset printing process. Offset tolerances are tighter and also allow a greater degree of artistic freedom than the flexo process can tolerate. However, flexo can equal offset in most areas and today’s advances in flexo plates are producing quality that rivals offset, if just a few things are taken into consideration.

Flexo printing plates are made with a raised image while offset plates use a flat or planographic plate to carry the ink. As a result, ink dots in halftones; process color and screens are carried on the tips of the raised cones or pyramids on the flexo plate. This places a limit on the size of the dot that flexo can hold. Another flexo factor is the register tolerance color to color. The raised softer plate, roll to roll (web) printing method and spongy self adhesive paper constructions define these tolerance limits.

Electronic artwork is preferred; however, negative film and/or black and white camera-ready art are also accepted for some types of work. See Guidelines for Film and Black and White Preparation Materials for Flexographic Labels (below).

Platform
Macintosh and Windows files accepted. Please send a hardcopy or PDF of your art for comparison.

Software

• Adobe Illustrator v. 10
• Adobe Photoshop v. 7 (TIFF or EPS)
• Adobe Pagemaker v. 7
• Corel Draw v. 11 (Windows only)
• Freehand v. 10
• Indesign v.2
• QuarkXpress v. 5
• QuarkPassport - Ensure files are saved as “single language document"

  Note: Word processing programs do not allow us to print sharp, high quality labels.

Compressing
For Macintosh use Stuff-it, Disc Doubler or .sea and for Windows use WinZip or Zip it

Media

• CD-ROM
• DVD
• 3.5” diskette
• Jaz or Zip disk
• Syquest EZ 135 MB, EZ 230 MB
• Optical Disc 600 MB, 1.3 GB, 2,6 GB
• e-mail attachment

Line Screen
Maximum 175-line screen for optimum print quality.

Resolution
300 dpi minimum, 600 + dpi preferred for sharpest image

Trapping
Leave all trapping to be done by Label Innovation. Flexographic printing requires larger spreads than offset. Dead fits colour to colour are not possible to hold on press.

Colour
When a colour is opaque enough to overprint a background colour, do not drop out the background. When in doubt about colour opacities, please consult Label Innovation for advice. Be aware when using graduated screen backgrounds, dots in the 30% to 60% range have greater gain on press than outside that range. Please leave your files totally accessible for Label Innovation to do necessary adjustments. Spot colour should be from Pantone (PMS) approved charts.

Please use CMYK not RGB, colour separation is not necessary, however, their locations and PMS equivalent should be clearly marked. If PMS equivalent please send a colour sample. Single colour files can be saved as such.

Scans
All scans should be in “high resolution dot” processed in CMYK not RGB.

Screen Angles
Best screen angles are Cyan 7.5, Magenta 37.5, Yellow 82.5 and Black 67.5 degrees.

Text
Never have text made up of process colour. Please avoid having text as a drop out in a process colour background, if it has to be, please make it a large, open style and bold.

Bleeds
Extend bleeds 1/8” beyond the die cut edge of the label.

Image
Please keep the printed image 1/8” away from the die cut edge of the label.

Sending Artwork

• A colour proof and separated black and white copy or PDF file must always accompany all electronic files. Colour proofs (such as Chromalin or equivalent system) are only an approximation of the final printed image. Please always supply complete information about your files (i.e. program, version, special fonts, imbedded file, etc…)
• Images: please send a separate file for each placed or imported image (i.e. photos, barcodes, illustrations, etc…)
• Fonts: please include all fonts (i.e. regular, bold, italic, etc…)
• Please be sure all files can be altered by Label Innovation LINC for necessary flexo changes.

Sending files

Option 1:
E-mail electronic file to mailbox@labelinnovation.com along with a PDF version of the file for cross reference.

or

Option 2:
Courier or mail to:

Label Innovation Inc
Client Services
2714 Fenton Road
Ottawa ON
K1T 3T7

• Dot size: Minimum 5%, but 10% is preferred
• Line screen: Minimum 133-line screen, maximum 150-line screen
• Negatives: to be made wrong reading emulsion side down
• Chokes and spreads for lines and solids: leave to be done by Label Innovation.
• Provision of black and white preferred for line and solid work
• Colour proofs (colour keys, chromalin etc.) required for multiple colour jobs
• Screen Angles: Best screen angles are Cyan 7.5, Magenta 37.5, Yellow 82.5 and Black 67.5 degrees.
• Open screens throughout label as much as possible to achieve colour (40% or less, unless a solid)
• Avoid 30% to 60% screen range.

If you have any questions about these requirements please contact us.

If self-adhesive labels are stored under these conditions, they have a shelf life of one year.

New or Reprint

1. Have you printed these labels before?
2. If so are there any changes needed?

3. How are these labels going to be used? (e.g. product packaging, security reason, sealing etc…)
4. Where are they going to be applied? (e.g. Inside or outside, type of surface, etc…)
5. Will you need to print or write on these labels in the future?
6. How will you be applying these labels? (e.g. manually or automatic)

Design

7. What is the size and shape of the label?
8. How many colours?
9. Do the colours bleed off the edges?
10. Will you be providing artwork?

Delivery

11. When do you need them?
12. How do they need to be packaged? (e.g. on rolls, fan folded, sheets, or singles)
13. Are there any special instructions?

1. Remove label from liner by gently peeling back the liner while touching the adhesive as little as possible.
2. Apply label, adhesive side down to clean, dry dust free surface.
3. Gently burnish (i.e. rub down) label.
4. Allow adhesive to set for 24 to 48 hours for maximum adhesion.

Please note that the above instructions are general application guidelines only. Special face stocks, adhesives and application surfaces may require more specific instructions.

To optimize the life of self-adhesive labels, they should be stored as follows:

• Keep label rolls tightly wound and taped
• Keep rolls in poly bags, tightly sealed
• Keep bagged rolls inside a closed carton to protect from light
• Store boxes at normal room temperature (72 degrees F, 22 degrees C) and normal room humidity

If self-adhesive labels are stored under these conditions, they have a shelf life of one year.