It sounds complex, but everyone has come into contact with this packaging design. Complete Packaging Solutions, a veteran-owned and operated packaging manufacturing company,  explains what pressure-sensitive labels are and how they’re used. 

What Are Pressure-Sensitive Labels?

At their core, pressure-sensitive labels are, you guessed it, labels that adhere to surfaces when gentle pressure is applied. Think of them as stickers. 

These labels are a product designer’s dream come true, mainly due to their straightforward application process. You don’t need heat, water, or other adhesive forms to make them stick.

 The adhesive used on the back of these labels is specially formulated to create an immediate and permanent bond when pressed onto a surface. That’s why they’re often referred to as “self-adhesive” labels.

Applications of Pressure-Sensitive Labels

Pressure-sensitive labels are remarkably versatile, making them a go-to choice in numerous industries, including:  

Food and Beverage Industry

From sauce jars to wine bottles, pressure-sensitive labels are ubiquitous in this industry. They provide an excellent canvas for eye-catching branding, nutrition facts, and safety information. 

Plus, they withstand the moisture and temperature variations that are often part of the food and beverage world.

Health and Beauty Products

Have you ever noticed those beautiful labels on your cosmetics and skincare products? 

Chances are they’re pressure-sensitive labels. The flexibility and ability to withstand various product formulations make them a top choice for this industry.

Pharmaceutical and Healthcare

In the world of medicine, precision and safety are paramount. Pressure-sensitive labels are essential for packaging medication, ensuring accurate dosage instructions and traceability. They’re tamper-evident and can adhere to various medical surfaces, like vials and syringes.

Automotive and Industrial Products

These labels are crucial in labeling automotive parts, industrial equipment, and machinery. They must endure harsh conditions and resist solvents and abrasions, making pressure-sensitive labels the preferred choice.

Retail and Consumer Goods

From clothing tags to electronics packaging, you’ll find these labels almost everywhere. They’re excellent for retail because they’re easy to apply, showcase vibrant graphics, and adapt to various surfaces and shapes.

Promotional Products: 

Think stickers and decals. Pressure-sensitive labels are perfect for promotional items and merchandise, allowing businesses to create their own brand identity and promote their products or services effectively.

Making Your Product’s Label Stand Out

If you’re still in the planning stages of your product launch, you’re probably wondering how to ensure your label stands out from the crowd. 72% of Americans say that a product’s packaging influences their decision to purchase. 

Complete Packaging Solutions has a fantastic in-house structural design team. They work closely with our customers to create the optimal packaging for your products. 

Here are some tips from our team to make your labels pop:

Design matters: Whether it’s your logo, product imagery, or a catchy tagline, your label design should be visually striking and convey your brand’s message effectively.

Ensure your color scheme, fonts, messaging, and other design elements align with your brand identity and resonate with your target audience. 

Material selection: Depending on your product and its environment, you might opt for clear labels that let the product show through or textured labels for a premium feel.

Special finishes like embossing, foiling, or spot varnishes are other great ways to create a tactile experience for your customers.

Quality printing: High-quality printing is non-negotiable. The label’s print quality should be sharp and durable. It should also resist fading, smudging, and wear and tear.

Go eco-friendly: In an age of environmental awareness, consider eco-friendly label materials and inks. Sustainable packaging can set your product apart.

Related Post: The Future of Sustainable Packaging: Innovations and Trends to Watch

Be informative: Your label should convey essential information, such as product details, ingredients, and usage instructions, clearly and legibly.

Test the waters: Before committing to a large label order, test a few prototypes on your product. This allows you to check how the label adheres, how it looks in different lighting conditions, and how it stands up to wear and tear.

Incorporating these strategies can help your product’s pressure-sensitive label leave a lasting impression and attract the attention it deserves. After all, your product label is often the first thing customers see, and it can be a powerful tool for building brand recognition and loyalty.

We’ll Help Your Product Stand Out 

Pressure-sensitive labels find their way into countless industries and products. They’re flexible, easy to apply, and offer endless possibilities for design and branding. Your label is your product’s first impression. Make it count! 

The team at Complete Packaging Solutions can create packaging that sets your product apart. Contact us online or call 765-547-1300 to learn more about our turnkey packaging services, from concept to production. 

The post Explaining Pressure-Sensitive Labels appeared first on Complete Packaging Solutions.

Complete Packaging Solutions explains the cost considerations for packaging supplies for small businesses and discusses their unique needs.

Related Post: 3 Packaging Tips for Startups and Small Businesses

Packaging Supplies Every Small Business Needs

You need several basic supplies if you’re just starting or rethinking your packaging strategy. 

Use this checklist to make sure you have the resources you need: 

Boxes and Containers:

• Size variability: Invest in various sizes and types of boxes to accommodate different product dimensions. Corrugated boxes are versatile and come in various strengths.
• Customization: Consider branded boxes for a professional touch. Custom packaging can help your products stand out in the market.

Tape and Dispensers:

• Quality matters: Opt for high-quality packing tape to secure your packages effectively. Invest in a suitable tape dispenser for efficiency.
• Branded tape: If budget allows, a custom printed tape with your logo is excellent for branding.

Protective Packaging:

• Bubble wrap and packing peanuts provide cushioning and protection for fragile items during transit.
• Kraft paper: Ideal for wrapping items, void-fill, and as an eco-friendly alternative to bubble wrap.
• Thermoformed packaging: Custom thermoformed packaging is excellent for securing delicate items inside boxes.

Cushioning Material:

• Air pillows: Lightweight and cost-effective, air pillows provide cushioning while reducing shipping costs.
• Foam rolls: Useful for wrapping and protecting products with irregular shapes.

Labels and Labeling Supplies:

• Shipping labels: Ensure you have shipping labels with adequate space for shipping details.
• Label printer: A dedicated label printer can save time and improve the professionalism of your packages.
• Thank-you notes or inserts: Consider adding a personalized touch to your packages with thank-you notes or promotional materials.

Cost Considerations

For small businesses, cost-effective packaging solutions are crucial to maintaining a healthy bottom line. 

Here are some tips to keep your packaging expenses in check:

Bulk purchasing: Buying packaging supplies in bulk can lead to significant cost savings. Many suppliers offer discounts for large orders.

Evaluate shipping costs: Consider the weight and dimensions of your packages. Optimize your packaging to minimize shipping costs. Dimensional weight pricing can make bulky packages expensive to ship.

Reusable packaging: Depending on your products, reusable or eco-friendly packaging options like cloth bags or branded boxes can save money in the long run.

Consider eco-friendly options: Sustainable packaging appeals to environmentally conscious customers and can reduce long-term costs. Look for recycled or biodegradable materials.

Packaging efficiency: Train your staff to use packaging materials efficiently. Overusing materials can lead to unnecessary costs.

Special Considerations for Small Businesses

Small businesses often face unique challenges when it comes to packaging. 

Here are some considerations tailored to their specific needs:

Storage space: Small businesses may need more storage space for packaging supplies. Consider using a just-in-time inventory system to minimize storage requirements.

Customization: While custom packaging can be a great branding tool, it can also be expensive. Small businesses need to strike a balance between customization and cost-effectiveness.

Related Post: Retail Packaging Solutions to Elevate Your Brand’s Image

Complete Packaging Solutions has various customization options to fit your brand and budget. 

Seasonal variations: If your business experiences seasonal fluctuations, plan your packaging supply orders accordingly to avoid overstocking during slow periods.

Related Post: The Small Business Guide to Seasonal Packaging

Fulfillment services: Partnering with Complete Packaging Solutions fulfillment services can help handle packaging and shipping. This can be cost-effective and allow you to focus on other aspects of your business.

Returns handling: Develop a clear and customer-friendly returns policy and process. Efficiently handling returns is vital for customer satisfaction and can impact your packaging needs.

Quality control: Smaller operations often have a closer eye on quality control. Ensure your packaging is consistent and meets your brand’s standards.

Seamless Packaging Solutions 

Packaging supplies are crucial in customer satisfaction, brand perception, and cost management. 
The experienced team at Complete Packaging Solutions can help your brand stand out and get your products shipped safely.  Contact us today for a free quote: 530-586-0368.

The post Essential Packaging Supplies for Small Businesses appeared first on Complete Packaging Solutions.

Read our answers to some frequently asked questions about retail displays and how they edify your brand.

What is a retail display?

It’s a simple and effective way to promote your products in a store after you manufacture them. It’s part of a visual merchandising plan that offers a first point of contact between your target audience and a particular brand. 

Why are retail displays important?

Your products and brand realize several benefits from great-looking displays, including:

1. Creating attention-grabbing visuals. Combine your brand colors and logos with an attractive display that catches the eye of potential customers. If your products look green, think about having green leaves or green money woven into the visual design.
2. Solving customers’ problems. A retail display can convey why your product is important with an easy-to-see message above the display. For example, temporary shelves for bars of soap can say, “Feel clean.”
3. Telling your brand’s story. Suppose you sell hammers. A retail display can show someone working hard to hammer a nail into a board as a way to show customers that your products work hard.
4. Improving sales. Retail displays improve sales because they stand out from the crowd.
5. Lessening the time to market. Companies like Complete Packaging Solutions offer a way to put products in your display and then ship them to your retailers. This saves you time and money as you try to get your items to market ahead of the competition.

What should be on a retail display?

1. Strong color combinations. This draws the eye to your items.
2. A way to find out more information. Some customers already know what you’re about. Others want more information. A simple QR code on the retail display leads consumers to learn more about the products and your brand’s value.
3. Display it at eye level. To draw customer attention, people shouldn’t have to hunt for it. Floor displays should be tall enough to reach someone’s eye level. If the retail display is on a countertop, the same principle applies, just with fewer materials.
4. Your brand’s logo and name. You want people to identify your brand in conjunction with the visual image of the product.

Who do I contact to create retail displays for my products?

Complete Packaging Solutions has decades of experience in the packaging industry, designing and assembling packaging from see-through thermoformed blister packages to decorative custom retail cartoning.

We’ve helped national brands such as L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble, Biolage, Hasbro, and Hitachi, some of which have required retail displays for their products.

Reach out to us or call 765-547-1300 to talk about how we help your brand by designing and creating retail displays before kitting and fulfillment.

The post Retail Displays FAQs appeared first on Complete Packaging Solutions.

Read our answers to some FAQs about thermoforming and thermoformed packaging.

What is thermoforming?

Thermoforming represents a process by which a machine heats a thermoplastic sheet to its softening point before stretching it across a mold to manipulate it into the desired shape before it cools and hardens.

Why do packages need thermoforming?

If your packaging needs a custom shape to fit snugly against products, thermoforming offers a great choice. 

Thermoformed plastic is also sturdy in that it protects products against nicks and dings during transport.

What products need thermoformed packaging?

• Unit dose products, such as medications and drugs.
• Material handling trays that have several items in the same section.
• Gift packs to keep individual items separate.
• Clamshell packaging for food as well as health and beauty products.
• Products that need custom-fit packaging.
• Trays for nurseries for small plants and seedlings.
• Kits with several parts.
• CPG being sold in club stores, like club packaging.

What is the basic process of thermoforming?

Vacuum forming combines heat and pressure to draw the thermoplastic sheets into the final configuration before it cools. The sheet is placed over a mold, and the vacuumed air moves it into the shape we need.

Pressure forming uses vacuum air along with additional pressure to form more detailed shapes in your packaging.

What is the complete thermoformed packaging process from start to finish?

1. Conversation
2. Design
3. Material Selection
4. Tooling
5. Prototyping
6. Thermoforming
7. Trimming and Die-Cutting
8. Shipping

Conversation is the start of this process. Your chosen packaging solutions company should have detailed conversations with you, including asking questions about your requirements and standards while giving you recommendations on the material and color options and a timeframe for completion.

Design requires input from all sides. Most companies use CAD, or computer-aided design, to create a prototype from precise measurements.

Material selection is an important step. In general, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the plastic of choice for thermoforming. This material is rigid and recyclable. PET also comes in many thicknesses and can be colored any way you want, including transparent.

Prototyping creates a physical copy. Before we mass-produce your packaging, we ensure all measurements meet your specifications. This is probably the most important step aside from the CAD process.

Tooling helps your packaging take shape. This part of the process is when your packaging solutions company turns a design into a mold over which the thermoformed packaging will stretch.

Let the thermoforming begin! Once we verify the prototype fits perfectly, we begin mass production of your thermoformed packaging.

Trimming and die-cutting each piece. Remember, your packages start as a sheet of plastic. Once the sheet receives its shape and cools, we trim the sheets so they fit into boxes for shipping. 

Shipping to your place. The final step is that we ship the packaging to your place so you can fit them around your products. We can ship items for you as part of our kitting and fulfillment service. 

What plastic materials can go into thermoformed packaging?

1. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most common choice for a wide range of industries.
2. High-impact polystyrene (HIPS) for very pliable food packaging. 
3. Acrylonitrile styrene butadiene (ABS) is a very rigid, sturdy plastic with great resistance to impacts, chemicals, and UV light.

What are thermoformed trays?

This type of plastic packaging minimizes movement of components. Thermoformed trays come in handy for medical components, kits, gift packs, food, parts that require assembly (like for the automotive industry), and packaging large quantities of individual items in the same box.

Thermoformed trays, when combined with the right sealing technique (like heat sealing and RF sealing), keep items safe and secure during shipping and handling to keep them intact and in place. This is particularly important when you want to showcase some or all of the products in clear packaging so customers can see your products clearly before choosing to purchase them. 

For example, you sell a meal-kit that has several different components that people can assemble at home. The meal kit includes several colorful fruits and vegetables to make a salad. It’s important to keep the ingredients separate until assembly to prevent spoilage while giving your products a better chance of staying fresh during refrigeration.

What is thermoformed food packaging?

This type of packaging keeps your food fresher by offering sturdiness and sealing your products inside the package. Thermoformed food packaging comes down the line horizontally, then your machines put food inside, and then the seal comes down on top of it to keep foods safe inside.

When you use this type of packaging for foods, you have the potential to reduce damage during shipping while increasing shelf life. This is particularly true for perishable foods that require refrigeration or special handling requirements.

Think clamshells and clear plastic packaging that protects food while maintaining visibility.

What are the benefits of thermoformed packaging?

When you choose thermoformed packaging for your products, you realize several benefits, including:

1. Protecting your products. This type of packaging is durable for protection during shipping and logistics. Numerous sealing options, including clamshell and heat sealing, can extend shelf life while resisting tampering.

2. Cost-effectiveness. This kind of packaging can save you up to 15% on costs compared to injection molding techniques.

3. Sustainability. PET is recyclable, and consumers are becoming more and more conscious of products that are better for the environment.

4. Design options. Thermoformed packaging provides companies with endless creative options for CPG products on the shelf. You have colors, labels, and branding that make products stand out from others.

Related Post: Top Considerations for Thermoformed Packaging

Why should a manufacturer invest in thermoformed packaging?

Your company has several reasons to invest in this type of packaging. 

1. Low tooling costs compared to injection molding. Thermoforming requires less annual volume, as well. 
2. Better efficiency due to a production-line format that maintains a continuous feed from start to finish.
3. High speed for just-in-time (JIT) production when you need packaging fast to reduce storage costs and improve time to market.
4. Easier to customize through computer-aided design.
5. Weight-related savings versus other packaging styles to save on shipping costs.
6. Readily available materials to reduce supply chain disruptions.
7. Customizable to adapt to the needs of several products or production runs.
8. Extensive choices for shapes, sizes, and even textures.

Who do I contact for thermoformed packaging solutions?

Complete Packaging Solutions has decades of experience in the packaging industry. We’ve worked with national brands such as L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble, Hasbro, and Hitachi, some of which required thermoformed packaging for their products. 

Reach out to us or call 765-547-1300 to talk about our full-service thermoformed packaging to take your products and efficiency to new levels.

The post Thermoformed Packaging FAQs appeared first on Complete Packaging Solutions.

What is turnkey packaging?

This refers to a complete packaging system ready to use by the packaging company. Turnkey packaging solutions often use automated machines, conveyor systems, turntables, and sorting machines, as well as machines that cut and fold packaging.

Turnkey also refers to a process where your packaging company oversees the entire project from start to finish. That means the company helps you design the packaging and then deliver your products. 

When you or your customers receive your products, they are ready to use or ready to sell on the shelf.

What are the basic steps of turnkey packaging?

There are several steps involved in the design, creation, and manufacture of packaging.

1. Design, usually through a computer.
2. Prototyping, where a firm creates a few samples to ensure quality control and take measurements.
3. Testing, where a company makes sure the packages fit properly.
4. Production, which involves making the full run of packaging items.
5. Filling, where a company fills the packages with products.
6. Shipping, which means the company ships your items to customers.

What is a turnkey packaging project example?

Turnkey packaging starts with the design before moving to manufacturing. Conveyors or sorters may deliver raw materials to the machine. Packaging may consist of plastic, cardboard, foam, and more.

The conveyor moves the raw materials through the machine. For thermoforming, a sheet of plastic is heated to a precise temperature. The plastic then melts over a mold, or the machine might turn, manipulate, and shape the plastic to create a specific layout that will allow the product to fit perfectly.

Other packaging projects can lay out sheets of cardboard before inserting a product. Then the machine lays down a precise amount of adhesive. Then a blister attaches to the cardboard backing while the adhesive quickly dries to form a secure bond for blister packaging.

How long does turnkey packaging take?

Depending on the types of products and the production run, turnkey packaging may take a few weeks to a couple of months for an entire production run.

What are the advantages of using turnkey packaging solutions?

There are two main advantages of using a turnkey packaging company.

Reduces time to market. Turnkey packaging saves you time because you don’t have to perform extra steps of shipping.

Saves your company money. Professional packaging companies save you money because they are the experts. Years of experience, knowledge of various packaging types, and streamlined processes all lead to faster times to market versus companies that do not have packaging expertise nor packaging machines at their facility. 

When should I hire a turnkey packaging company?

As soon as you have a physical product to send to one. Packaging companies can create the right type of packaging for you based on your precise requirements.

Who do I contact for turnkey packaging solutions?

Complete Packaging Group has decades of experience in the industry. We’ve worked with national brands such as L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble, Hasbro, and Hitachi. Reach out to us or call 765.547.1300 to start the conversation.

The post Turnkey Packaging FAQ appeared first on Complete Packaging Solutions.