Label Printing

CD Printing
The CD label print for 100 items costs around $250. To print CD covers in the quantity of 100 will cost about $200. The cheapest option is DIY CD printing.

Label Printing

Label printing is needed in almost every aspect of our life. Starting form bumper stickers and ending in bar codes. Essentially, this is also the most visible product. The label printing is a cumbersome undertaking.

For large scale operations which require thousands of products you need really a cheap and reliable label printing operator. This means that the cheapest online label printers will set the price for your entire product. For lower volumes you can still outsource the label printing job or do it yourself. Irrespective if you DIY or use the external contractor, there are certain basics you must know about the label printing.

Label Printing Steps

In most cases you cannot sell your product without labels. Thus, it is worth to review some steps:

Browse online and get multiple quotes
Choose your material to print labels
Make a final design for the size and the colours for your label printing

You can order the entire process from the external contractor or do it yourself. There are number of online businesses which provide very good service. For large orders (10000+) you should not be afraid to tap into a Chinese label printing operator. ChinaSupplies and Printing-In-China are relatively reliable businesses. To have a backup you can also make few orders from Label Lab, Lighting Labels and PrintMyThing. Thus, in the case of emergency, when the cost-effective Chinese supplier fails, you can always use more expensive but reliable operators.

Label Printing Material

The same applies to the material to print labels. The printing contractor should provide the printing substrate. The reason for this is that not all types of printers will work on all types of the paper. By ordering the entire project from the contractor, you ensure that the problem is out of your head. Yes, it may cost more but you do not need to deliver the paper and ensure that it is compatible with the printing process.

Label Printing Design

You can also order the design from the label printing company. However, this it is not necessary. There are plenty of DIY printing and graphic software which will produce a professional look. When you decide on DIY, ensure that the label is cheap. Clever designs do not use a lot of colours (main colours of the logo will do) and the size of the label only needs to display the information to the customers. The standard 9 or 8 size font for the small print is fully acceptable.

Label Printing Barcodes

Barcodes form a large section of label printing market. For most companies, barcodes are a real Achilles heel. For starters, the label printing for barcodes has to form a reliable image. Otherwise retailers are not capable to sell the product. Secondly, barcodes have to be readable. It is ok if your logo is smeared but the barcodes must always be ready for scanners.

Label Printing Types

There are 2 types of label printing:

Thermal transfer
Direct thermal

The thermal transfer is more expensive but the print lasts very long. This method uses ribbon and thus requires refills. The direct thermal is much cheaper. It transfers heat on the special paper which generates the print. The direct thermal is cost effective but does not last long. It is suitable for products which have limited due dates.

Label Printing Prices

It is impossible to evaluated prices for all types of label printing. However, we can give a general idea about the label printing costs. If you order clear stickers of a rectangular shape and business card size then you will pay around $300 for 500 units. The same stickers with dimensions: 20cm by 14cm will cost $500 for 500 items.

The 500 oval, transparent stickers with the diameter of 20cm will cost $1200. The ordinary paper stickers of the same dimensions will cost about 30% less. The above prices of label printing are rough figures.

However, whatever the application for your label is the product will follow similar price line. The paper quality, the print quality, special surfaces, etc. all will determine the final cost. Thus, do not go overboard with the label design. Make 3 versions of the same label: small, medium and large. Only then contact the label printing company and ask for free quotes on all your options.