Label Planet
These simple tips will help you to create waterproof labels for all kinds of labelling applications.
You might be creating labels for items that will be stored or used in the great outdoors or making product labels for goods that will be used in indoor environments where they may be exposed to water – such as the kitchen, bathroom, or perhaps even a swimming pool.
Whatever the situation, there are a few top tips that you’ll need to keep in mind to make sure that your labels don’t end up being a total washout!
1. ALL Of Your Label Must Be Waterproof
You need to make sure that EVERY layer in your label is waterproof; including the face material, the adhesive, AND the print that you add. Generally speaking, labels that are made with a waterproof face material will have a waterproof adhesive to match so you don’t need a detailed knowledge of different materials to make sure your labels are waterproof. At Label Planet, we’ve made it even easier to choose labels that are waterproof by creating a specific “Waterproof Labels” page and by clearly labelling our Waterproof Labels as being “waterproof” across our website.
Although, if in doubt, the best advice to follow is: if you need waterproof labels, DON’T PICK PAPER!!
Some of our products also feature a Marine Standard Adhesive, which is designed specifically for use in label applications that will involve exposure to or immersion in water.
2. Not All Printers (Or Printing Materials) Can Produce Waterproof Print
Our blank labels are designed to be printed with standard desktop printers, which are either laser printers or inkjet printers. If you want to create waterproof labels, you will HAVE to use a LASER printer. This is because laser printers use a dry printing process to bond toner (a dry powder) onto a surface using heat and pressure, which produces waterproof print – while inkjet printers tend to use inks that are water-based, meaning that these inks will run or smudge if they come into contact with water.
If you absolutely HAVE to use an inkjet printer you will need to either source inks that are NOT water-based (which tend to be more specialised, and therefore more expensive, products) OR find a way to create a protective layer over the top of your inkjet-printed labels (for example, by applying a transparent label over the top of your printed labels) OR use special materials that are designed to create waterproof inkjet labels.
We have ONE waterproof label that can be printed with inkjet printers; Matt White Polypropylene. However, this material isn't suitable for all types of inkjet inks so we recommend that you request a sample first to see if this material will work for you.
3. Waterproof Means They Survive Exposure To Water (Not Everything Else)
Some people will assume that, because they have bought waterproof labels, their labels will survive ALL KINDS of environments that contain water AND other elements – which simply isn’t true. While our waterproof labels are strong and durable labels that can survive exposure to a wide variety of environments, there are limits to what they can endure before they begin to show damage.
For example, we have many customers who use our waterproof labels to create product labels for a range of cosmetics that they produce and/or sell. As these products are likely to be used in bathrooms, picking a waterproof label is a great way to make sure that the product labels (and all the vital information that they hold) remain firmly in place and completely legible even if they end up taking a dunk (or two) in the bath! However, it is always wise to take into consideration the ingredients that you use to make these products, particularly with products such as “essential oils”, which may cause the print or the adhesive on your labels to deteriorate over time.
We are also sometimes asked if our waterproof labels are suitable for use on items that will go into washing machines and dishwashers, which – obviously – involve exposure to water. However, NONE of our waterproof labels are suitable for such applications because of all of the OTHER elements involved (specifically the ingredients used in cleaning products), which will cause extensive damage.
If you need your labels to survive in more extreme conditions or you know that they may be exposed to a variety of ingredients and/or substances, then we would always recommend requesting a sample of the waterproof labels that you would like to use so you can give them a test run first.
To find out more or to buy waterproof labels today, simply visit our Waterproof Labels Information Page; to request a sample of any of our waterproof labels to test them for yourself, you can either contact our Customer Service Team OR fill in our online Sample Request Form.