While there are plenty of printers and materials to choose from for your store, selecting the right type can save you time and money in the long run. In this blog, we’ve broken down our most popular labels and what our customers typically use them for.
Why Can't I Just Use My Regular Printer?
It might be tempting to use a typical office or inkjet printer. Yet, using a regular printer means printing out sheets of labels at a time, which takes up plenty of ink and resources. Using a specifically dedicated label printer helps speed up your processes around the store.
Label printers use either “direct thermal” or “thermal transfer” printing methods. What this means is how the material is printed on the label. Direct thermal uses specific chemically treated labels that react to heat from the printer. Thermal transfer printers use an ink ribbon to print material on the label. We offer both types of label printers (see image above).
Our Recommendations
Hang Tag: A hang tag label is a great choice if you want to hang the tag on a product – like an article of clothing. This tag comes with a hole at the top so you can thread a string or other attachment through.
Good to Know: Our clients often use other labels, like our popular 2 x 1 label, to cover up information on the hang tag. For example, some merchants choose to cover the UPC code on the hang tag so shoppers can’t easily look up the product online and buy it elsewhere.
String Tags: These work well for jewelry stores and businesses that sell small products. These come adhesive-free as well, which leaves less risk of damaging delicate pieces.
Barbell Tags: Another popular choice for jewelry tags and stores that need smaller labels that “loop” around attachments. These labels are also adhesive free. Some even come in different colors, like gold or gray.
3-Across: Our most popular label. These labels come three-across on the roll, which lets you print more labels at once. At 1 ⅛” by 9/16”, these work great as inventory tags.
Mailing Labels & Customer ID: Need to mail out marketing materials? Consider printing your customer’s shipping information on our mailing label tags. Similarly, you can also use these tags to print a Customer ID with the customer’s name and barcode.
Thermal Transfer vs. Direct Thermal Labels
Thermal transfer labels are typically more durable than Direct Thermal labels and last longer under direct light, making them a great fit for long-term product labels.
Direct thermal labels fade quicker than thermal labels due to their sensitivity to light. So, they’re better suited as short-term labels.
Removable Adhesive vs. Permanent Adhesive
CerTek offers removable adhesive labels and permanent adhesive labels. Removable labels are easier to take off of surfaces and are great for temporary use. Permanent labels are better for long-term use.
On invoices from us or on our webstore, you’ll see a product name with a specific acronym at the end. For example, an SSL-101-TTR is a Thermal Transfer Removable label.
Explore other label options in our catalog, or by contacting sales@certek.com or 877-723-7835.
