Whether you need wholesale label printing, OEM or ODM label printing, or other commercial label printing services, you may ask key questions before bulk label orders. Then you get accurate label quotations. The article is a label quotation guide which shows you five key questions and ways to avoid reprints.
Why Clear Label Quotation Matters to You?
Many purchasers only provide sizes and non-standard artwork files for label quotation. Or they merely tell label suppliers about making food labels or custom packaging labels and ignore the key production information.
This is one of the common mistakes when quoting labels. The incomplete information causes repeated communication with label manufacturers and raises communication costs. Different custom label suppliers may offer vastly different custom label quotes. Many suppliers will add hidden label costs during production.
Incomplete label quote requests will also cause repeated sample revisions or make your labels incompatible with automatic labeling machines. You may face delivery delays and longer lead times. It will fail to stick on the label application surface and disrupt your overall production plan.
5 Key Questions Before Label Quotation
What Are the Label Size and Quantity?
Label size and quantity are key factors which decide the label printing costs and production process. They also decide custom label prices.
On one hand, the label dimension decides whether you can use existing dies or make new dies, which affects tooling costs. Appropriate size adjustment can help reduce material waste, fit automatic labeling machines, and improve overall label printing efficiency.
On the other hand, the label quantity decides the right production process. Small orders with multiple SKUs are suitable for digital label printing. Large and long-term orders are suitable for flexographic label printing. Total order volume also affects bulk label prices, and helps you control overall costs.
Before you send an inquiry, confirm the two label order details:
- Exact label size, order quantity.
- SKU number.
This helps label manufacturers come up with the best production plan and give you cost-effective label solutions.
What Substrate Surface Will the Labels Stick to?
Substrate surface for label application is an easily overlooked key detail. It will cause labels to fall off.
Label suppliers must confirm the material of the sticking surface. Different substrate surfaces need different adhesive types. For example, curved or rough surfaces require special adhesives. Inappropriate adhesives may cause bubbles, edge lift and label fall off.
Many price inquiries waste time on repeated checks of substrate and adhesive choice. To reduce risks of choosing wrong adhesive, you need to share the following information with label suppliers before inquiry:
- Container material.
- Flat or curved sticking surface.
- Manual labeling or automatic labeling.
- Permanent label adhesion or removable label adhesion.
What Is the Application Environment?
The application environment greatly affects labels and drives up hidden costs.
Environmental conditions decide label durability. If you ignore environmental details in inquiries, you may often face adhesive failure in cold chains, edge lift during transportation, UV fading and damage from chemical exposure. These problems will cause test failure, bulk scrap, product rework and compliance risks.
Confirm label application environment with label manufacturers to match proper materials and reduce reprint costs. State the following label environment requirements when quoting to improve procurement efficiency:
- Storage and working temperature.
- If exposed to oil, water or chemicals.
- Indoor or outdoor use.
Which Material and Printing Method to Choose?
There are no best or worst label materials or printing methods. The only standard is whether they fit your procurement and usage needs.
- You need to know these points for material selection.
- If you focus on cost control, use labels indoors in dry conditions or only for promotion labels and retail product labels, common paper labels are suitable for your packaging.
- Choose BOPP labels for better moisture-proof, oil-proof performance and glossy appearance, such as cosmetic labels and clear labels.
- Choose vinyl labels for industrial label use for higher durability.
- Choose PET for food packaging labels which require high-temperature resistance.
- PE labels are commonly used for the products in low-temperature cold chains.
- If you need eco-friendly materials such as recyclable, compostable and renewable materials, talk with label printers in advance.
- You need to know these label printing details to avoid label reprints and reduce label printing costs.
- Digital printing is suitable for the orders with many SKUs and small batch quantities.
- Flexo printing is suitable for large-volume and long-term orders with lower unit cost.
- Screen printing is suitable for decorative labels with large patterns and thick ink layers. It can offer strong coverage capability and scratch resistance.
- Offset printing is suitable for high-end labels with strict requirements on color.
It is recommended to confirm material, printing process in advance based on your brand packaging needs, compliance requirements and budget. This can help label suppliers calculate custom label prices accurately.
Are There Any Artwork File and Delivery Time Requirements?
In most cases, non-standard artwork is a main cause of label printing failure. Blurry images, missing fonts and wrong file formats cause color difference and unclear print. These problems will cause production delays and label rework.
Suppliers require standard file formats to avoid mass production errors. You need to note the following points when submitting an artwork.
- Most printing suppliers accept AI (Adobe Illustrator) files and print-ready PDF files for label printing. The print-ready artwork files can keep the layers and color data complete. They are convenient for printing.
- You need to convert all text to outlines before sending print files. This helps turn the words into graphics and avoid missing or replaced fonts when printers open your files to keep printing stable.
- Keep your label artwork files at 300 DPI or higher for clear printing.
- Set up a bleed and safe zone. Bleed means extending the sticker’s background beyond the trim line. It can prevent white edges caused by slight cutting errors and keep edges clean. The safe zone is an area for key content, such as text, QR codes and brand logos. It can protect the core information from being cut off during cutting errors. Lost key information will cause waste and affect your brand image.
Do not only check lead time for delivery. State your needs clearly about rush orders, split shipment, stock preparation and product launch deadline. Label printers usually offer two delivery options: all at once or over a period of time. This can meet your custom label requirements, including make to order, make to hold and make to stock.
Special processes and raw materials need preparation time. Clear delivery requirements help the label manufacturer arrange production and support fast printing delivery.
To get accurate label quotation, you need to prepare complete label order details before inquiry. Clarify label application surface and label environment requirements in advance. This can help you avoid label reprints, reduce hidden costs and improve communication efficiency. It also lets label suppliers offer production plans and cost-effective label solutions which best fit your needs.
How Enterprises Reduce Bulk Label Purchase Risks?
Comply With Regulatory and Industry Standards
Special industries such as food, pharmaceuticals and chemicals have specific regulations for label materials and printing standards, which are important to label compliance.
For example, qualified candle safety warning labels must strictly comply with industry standards such as ASTM in the United States, meeting compliance requirements for exporting to Europe and America. The content, placement and clarity of labels must meet the regulatory requirements, which is the prerequisite for your products to be launched smoothly. If your candles lack the safety warning labels, you will face high additional costs.
When you send label inquiries, you need to confirm whether the supplier can provide:
- Compliance certifications.
- Food-safe materials.
- Meeting durability requirements.
Check Supplier Production Capacity
Many label suppliers do not have stable mass production capacity. The bulk orders in the peak season often face quality fluctuation and delivery delays.
When you choose a label supplier, do not judge only by sample quality. Check these capabilities:
- Stable and reliable lead time.
- Ability to handle multi-SKU orders.
- Consistent quality across multiple batches.
- Professional quality inspection capability.
- Inventory stocking support.
This method can help check the reliable supplier, avoid color difference, printing rework and unstable delivery in mass production. It also helps reduce hidden risks in bulk label purchases.
FAQ
What Other Information Is Needed When Making an Inquiry?
- Color Requirements
CMYK colors work well for common labels with no strict requirements. You need to choose Pantone spot colors for strict brand colors and zero color difference.
- Surface Craft Requirements
Tell the label printer in advance if you need hot foil, cold foil, emboss, high build, textured coatings, spot coatings or specialty inks. Special craft requirements may increase costs.
- Label Packaging Requirements
Labels come in three packing methods: rolls, fan-fold, sheets. Roll labels are suitable for automatic applicators. Sheet and fan-fold labels are suitable for thermal printers and office printers.
- Roll Quantity & Core Size
State the label quantity per roll. Automatic applicators have limits on label roll diameter. Common core sizes include 25mm, 38mm, 41mm and 76mm.
Why Does a Difference of a Few Millimeters in Label Size Change the Price?
Label size influences layout efficiency, material waste and the use of existing cutting dies. A slight size adjustment can reduce waste and decrease unit price. It is recommended for you to ask label manufacturers for recommended sizes if they have no impact on packaging.
Why Do Label Jams and Misalignment Often Happen On Automatic Applicators?
Most problems do not come from the labels themselves. They may be caused by mismatched roll direction, core size and label output direction with your machine. You can provide your applicator brand and model when quoting, so the suppliers can check compatibility in advance.
Why Do Suppliers Keep Confirming Your Label Lifespan?
Label lifespan decides the choice of materials and adhesives. Labels for short-term promotion and long-term storage have different costs. You need to state your actual label lifespan and storage time clearly.
Final Thoughts
These explained label prices factors help you clearly understand how to get accurate label prices. In this way, you can control bulk label prices and minimize production delays. If you are looking for a professional and reliable label printing supplier, feel free to contact us.
