Custom labels for food and beverage
What we can print
Digital, full color
Short and mid-size runs in full color. Good for several versions of one label, such as a line of snack-stick flavors.
Flexographic
The workhorse for long runs and spot colors. Lower cost per label once quantities climb.
Lamination
A clear film over the print that stands up to moisture, scuffing and handling. Gloss or matte.
Custom die-cut shapes
Circles, ovals, bands and custom outlines cut to fit your package.
Tags
Hang tags and unsupported tags for products a label won't stick to.
Labels we've made
Fresh cuts, sausage and ground beef
Digital print
One label family across vacuum-packed chops, smoked sausage and ground beef chubs.
Snack sticks
Digital print
Full-color labels with nutrition facts, ingredients and a barcode on a hanging retail pack.
Sausage in the retail case
Digital print
Labels that read clearly from the aisle and stay put in a cold, humid cooler.
Sauces and dressings
Digital print
Wrap labels for bottles that get handled, chilled and wiped down.
Scale labels with your brand
Flexo print
Pre-printed with your logo and the safe handling panel. Your scale adds the product, weight and price.
Vacuum-packed steaks
Flexo print
A clean, branded label on a vacuum bag, with the cut name and weight where the customer looks first.
Minimums and lead times
| Detail | Digital labels | Flexo labels |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Thermal transfer scale and printer labels. | Direct thermal scale and printer labels. |
| Minimum order | 500 labels | 3 cases (deli scale labels) or 5,000 for non-deli scale labels |
| Typical lead time | 7–10 days for up to 25,000 labels, 10–20 days above 25,000 | 8–10 weeks for new custom orders, 4–6 weeks for reorders |
Lead times are typical, not promises, and run from proof approval. Tell us your deadline when you ask for a quote and we'll say plainly whether we can hit it.
Materials and finishes
Extended color. CMYK plus orange and violet for brighter, truer brand colors, plus white for clear and metallic stocks.
Digital
CMYK plus orange and violet (extended color gamut, used as needed), plus up to two hits of white. Varnish is applied separately from the digital press.
Papers
- White semi-gloss
- Estate 8
- Estate 9
- White cover stock
- Silver paper
- Holographic paper
- Dissolving paper
Synthetics
- BOPP
- BOPP with 1.2 mil clear liner
- Silver
- Silver with 1.2 mil clear liner
- Pearl
- Clear
- Clear PLA
- Primax
Laminates
- Clear laminate (0.75 mil)
- Clear, thermal-printable
- Matte
- Soft-touch matte
Varnishes
- Gloss UV (thermal-printable)
- Gloss scuff
- Matte
- Satin UV
Flexo
Up to 8 colors. The 8th is usually a water-based varnish, but it can run a color.
Materials
- Pressure-sensitive (PS) paper
- Paper tag
- PS film
- Film tag
- Direct thermal, with spot varnish
Printing plates: $75–$95 per color
Finishes
- Water-based varnish
- Clear / gloss laminate
- Matte laminate
- Soft-touch laminate
- Gloss varnish or lamination, on large runs (over 100,000 on thermal transfer labels)
Runs over 100,000 thermal transfer labels usually move to flexo.
Built for the meat case
A meat label has a harder life than most. These are the things we ask about before we quote.
Freezer adhesives
Standard adhesive lets go on cold, frosted packaging. Freezer-grade adhesive is made to grab and hold at low temperatures.
Moisture
Coolers, condensation and wet hands. Film stocks and overlaminates keep the print readable when paper would wrinkle.
Weight and price zones
If your scale prints the weight, price and barcode, the artwork needs a blank area the right size, in a stock your printer can mark.
Safe-handling statements
We can pre-print the safe handling panel so it's on every label. You decide what your product requires; we make sure it prints clean.
From file to finished roll
Send what you have
A finished file, a rough sketch or a photo of the label you use now. Upload artwork or attach it to a quote.
We check it
We review your files against the artwork guidelines and tell you what, if anything, needs fixing. The artwork check is free. Artwork changes are made as part of an order and billed with that order.
You approve a proof
You see the label before it runs. Nothing prints until you sign off.
Printed and shipped
Our print partners run the job. We track it and ship the rolls to your plant, wound the way your equipment needs.
Questions we hear a lot
I don't have artwork. Can you still help?
Yes. Send what you have, even a photo of a current label or a logo on a business card. We'll tell you what we can work from and what we'd need. The artwork check is free. Artwork changes are made as part of an order and billed with that order.
What file types do you accept?
Vector files are best: AI, EPS or PDF. We also take SVG, PSD, TIFF, PNG and JPG. The artwork guidelines cover setup in detail.
Will I see a proof?
Yes. Every new or changed label gets a proof, and nothing prints until you approve it in writing.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes, and it's low for digital. Digital labels start at 500 labels. Flexo labels start at 3 cases for deli scale labels, which is how they are sold, or 5,000 labels for non-deli scale labels.
How long does an order take?
Typically, digital labels take 7–10 days for up to 25,000 labels, 10–20 days above 25,000, and flexo labels take 8–10 weeks for new custom orders, 4–6 weeks for reorders. Your quote includes an estimated ship date.
Tell us what you need to label.
Send the size, quantity and what it sticks to. We'll come back with a price, or with questions if something won't work.
Or call 800.482.7225 and talk it through.