Label Planet
Here's our guide to choosing the right label material for the requirements of your application.
As the old saying goes you should always use the right tool for the right job and, here at Label Planet, we’ve got label products to suit all kinds of label applications – but you’ll only get the full benefit of the materials on offer if you pick the right label for your application.
While you might be tempted to settle for standard paper labels, we always recommend taking the time to look at alternative material options because you might find something that will, quite simply, do a much, much better job – especially if you’re creating labels for use in a professional application or you need your labels to work in a more unusual environment.
Different materials provide a variety of qualities and characteristics that can help a label perform much more efficiently or achieve a specific look or finish that you’re after – so if you need your labels to work under more challenging circumstances or provide a perfect finishing touch, it’s worth thinking carefully about the labels you choose to buy.
A Brief Guide To Our Label Materials
Gloss Materials
These materials have a smooth coating that produces a bright, shiny finish; professional AND decorative in appearance, these labels are an ideal option if you’re trying to create a particular look or style while also drawing attention to information or details that are especially important. Our gloss labels are particularly popular for use as product labels or for use on items that are being produced for special occasions or events (e.g. wedding invitations, company brochures etc).
A full list of labels made with a gloss finish can be found on our Gloss Labels page.
Transparent Materials
These materials can be seen through, which makes them a brilliant choice if you’re particularly concerned about how your labels (and labelled items) will look. Transparent labels are a perfect addition if you’re matching a surface that is itself transparent (e.g. glass items or windows), if you’re labelling a decorative surface that you don’t want to cover up, or if you’re having problems with colour matching; these labels are extremely popular for use on product packaging that has been printed with highly decorative designs or branding, as product labels on bottles and jars, or as address labels on patterned and/or textured envelopes that have been selected to deliver especially important invitations (e.g. wedding invitations or birthdays and anniversaries).
All of our transparent materials are listed on our Transparent Labels page.
Opaque Materials
If you need to cover up or replace existing print you should consider using opaque labels. These labels are made with materials that do not transmit light, which means they cannot be seen through – if you’re trying to cover up a mistake, correct out of date information, recycle old packaging or materials, or prevent existing design work showing through and making it harder to read the information on your label, then an opaque label gives you a perfectly blank background to start from.
We have an Opaque Label product, which is made of matt white paper with an opaque adhesive. As this item is a made to order product (minimum order quantity 500 sheets + up to six working days for despatch) you might want to consider using our Gold & Silver Paper Labels as an alternative; the materials used to make these labels provide an opaque finish, which means they are a suitable alternative – providing you don’t mind using a more decorative label.
Synthetic Materials (Polyester/Polyethylene/Polyolefin)
These materials offer properties and characteristics that simply don’t exist in paper materials; they are extremely durable and waterproof, which makes them ideal for a variety of label applications where a label needs to be long lasting even when stored or used in more unusual environments (for example, if they are used outdoors). They are a perfect solution to the challenge of creating professional, decorative labels that are to be used to label unusual surfaces, as long lasting tracking or asset labels, or to work in conditions that standard materials simply cannot cope with. The polyethylene is a thicker material but offers a greater degree of flexibility than our polyester materials. The polyolefin material sits between the two as a compromise between thickness and flexibility.
All of our Polyester, Polyethylene, and Polyolefin Labels for use with laser printers can be found on our website here. We also have a transparent inkjet polyester product, which can be found here.
Splashproof Materials
We have some paper labels that are made with a gloss coating that provides a limited degree of protection against water damage and dirt; these labels can be wiped clean and dry if they are lightly splashed or get a bit dirty. Our splashproof labels provide an ideal compromise between standard paper labels and waterproof labels if you need to provide some protection against water or dirt but don’t have the budget for a completely waterproof solution.
Both our Gloss White Labels and Semi-Gloss White Labels are “splashproof”; these products are suitable for use with laser printers only or for handwriting.
Waterproof Materials
All of our labels made of polyester or polyethylene are waterproof and so will survive in environments where they may come into contact with water and other liquids. For example, they are commonly used to label products that are to be used in kitchens or bathrooms (i.e. on food and drink packaging or on cosmetics containers) or to label items that will be displayed, stored, or used outdoors (e.g. product labels for garden centres, labels on sports equipment, or outdoor signage).
All of our waterproof materials are listed on our Waterproof Labels page; please note that these products are suitable for use with laser printers only or for handwriting.
Coloured Materials
If your number one priority is a decorative appearance then we’d recommend taking a look at the coloured materials that we offer. A coloured label is a wonderful starting point if you want your labels to really stand out and make an impact; they draw attention to important information, strengthen your branding by repeating your company colours, create a luxury or decorative finish, add some creativity to your items, or simply stand out from the crowd. We offer a range of colours from subtle shades of pastels through to flashing fluorescents, magnificent metallics, sparkling mirrored silver, by way of a delightfully crafty brown Kraft paper.
You can find a full list of our coloured materials by visiting our Coloured Labels page.
Premium Quality Materials
For a high end look that promotes a professional finish, premium quality materials offer a more decorative and clean cut appearance than standard paper, so if appearances are everything (for your labels anyway) then it may well be worth spending a little more to get that extra special finish for your items. We have plenty of materials that offer a superior finish, including:
- Matt Premium Quality Paper Labels; these labels are made with high quality premium paper with a special coating that helps to produce an extremely sharp, high resolution print that is perfect for professional documentation and packaging.
- Gloss White Photo Quality Paper Labels; these labels have a high quality gloss finish that makes them perfect for printing high resolution design work – they’re especially well suited to printing photographs or highly detailed designs.
- Transparent Polyester Labels; transparent materials are a brilliant way to create layered design work, with both your label design and any features on the item you are labelling being visible at once. These labels are also perfect for creating professional seals for product packaging or documentation.
- Silver Metallic Polyester Labels; these labels are made with a matt metallic silver polyester that has an attractive finish and is extremely popular for use as long lasting, durable tracking or asset labels on high end electrical or electronic goods.
To find out more or to place an order for ANY of our label products, simply visit our product list page to get started.