SGIA Journal Graphic November/December 2016 - 18

label stocks that provide excellent print
density and ink anchorage to produce
full-bleed labels that print bold colors
and sharp, clear text to the edge of the
label. The labels must also stick securely
in potentially extreme temperatures
experienced in transport, refrigeration,
freezers, microwaves or outdoor events
with sun exposure, as the application
demands.
To ease the printing process, such
labels should a lso work seamlessly
and reliably with digital printers, with
superior lay flat properties. In order to
facilitate this, it is a good idea to work
with a label provider with a product that
is tested by the OEMs and certified or
verified to run in digital presses.
2. Get Attention With Eye-Catching
Substrates

With limited shelf space in the market,
graphic designers must get attention for
their clients' products and services. To
this end, there are a number of unique
premium substrates available today
that will help labels stand out from the
competition.
For example, to give any item a
metalized look without the use of metallic
ink, use a unique silver matte label. Such a
metalized look often works well for highend food, wine, beer, drink mixer or even
spa products, where the graphic designer
wants to lend a feeling of opulence.
To convey a premium feel, designers
can try a full metallic finish with minimal
text. Or, to create emphasis, they might
print heavy blocks of black or a solid color,
leaving specific portions unprinted so the
metallic area shines through, say for a
knife logo design on a deli product label.
When high-end health, beauty and
skin products need to stand out, consider
labels with have a special coating, such as
Avery's White Soft Touch™, that gives
them a velvety texture without requiring
post print coating, which reduces cost and
speeds the label printing process.
This type of finish has been available
for magazine and book covers as well as
packaging, but there is nothing like it
in the pre-die cut pressure-sensitive label
market. Such a coating can serve as more
than just a touch point to affect the feel
of the label; it can be used to shape the
customers' perception of the product on
which the label appears.
Designers can a lso create some
interesting tactile 3D effects using soft
touch. For example, leaving the area
within a feather shape unprinted so the
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November/December 2016

consumer feels the softness of the feather,
or printing a photo of moss that actually
feels like moss.
When a raw, handmade or authentic
look is desired, graphic designers can add
it to products, packages, boxes, bottles
and bags with a natural, organic looking,
Kraft Brown pressure-sensitive label. The
label, which hearkens back to traditional,
unbleached, natural materials, uses an
FDA-compliant permanent adhesive so it
is safe for indirect food contact.
Occasionally, graphic designers want to
place a bright white label on a dark object
like a wine bottle or box. The challenge,
however, occurs when the dark object
shows through the label, making it appear
gray or off-white instead of bright white.
In such cases, graphic designers have the
option of using a label with a blocking
layer built into it behind the bright white
face stock, such as a True-Block® label.
Unlike typical labels which have a blue
backing, this allows the white to maintain
a cleaner look.
3. Streamline the Process

With commercial printers using sheet-fed
digital printers that can produce highquality short run labels on a par with
traditional long-run custom jobs, graphic
designers now have a number of tools and
options to streamline the label printing
process, improve quality and cut costs.
Another way to significantly cut time
and cost from the label printing process
is to work with a label provider that
offers quality pre-die cut stock of the
most common label shapes and sizes. This
eliminates the expense of dies and extra
handling, allowing more of the budget to
go into graphic design and effects.
While label printing has usually taken
from three to five working days, requiring
considerable pre-press coordination
including ordering dies and choosing
stocks, turnaround time can be cut to as
little as same day if press time is available.
If graphic designers provide the printer
with a fully laid out press sheet, all they
have to do is drop it in the print queue and
wait for press time.
To save va luable pre-press time
and accurately align products, graphic
designers and printers should use free
digital press tools and design templates.
They find such templates intuitive and
easy-to-use since they are similar to those
used on more common office labels.
With such design templates, there is no
guesswork. The graphic designer knows
the label's dieline, can create a design or
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SGIA Journal Graphic November/December 2016

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