You’re surrounded by barcodes.  From the clothes on your back, your electronics in your pocket and to the courier parcel posted through your door – barcodes are everywhere.  With the barcode taking such an important, yet un-noticed role in your life – here’s a fun quiz to see how much you really know about this unsung hero of the last forty years:

Let’s look at eight ways to make your asset labelling a success so that you can build a future proof way of asset identification.

1. What assets do I need to keep track of?

Does everything need to be labelled? Work through from the most valuable and at risk items such as cameras and computers before moving down to air conditioning units or furniture.  Prioritise the highest value, most at risk items.

2. What type of asset labelling do I use?

If your assets are not subject to weather or wear and tear then a paper label may do the job. However, if it’s likely to be  rubbed or spend any time outdoors in the sun or rain, then a waterproof, scratch-resistant label is essential.  Scratch resistant label materials start with plastic and move on up to etched aluminium tags.  A metal tag can cost £1 each, so you need to be sure that the benefit you’ll get from tracking these assets is worth the investment.

3. What do I print on my labels?

Once you’ve decided on the label you’re using, decide what gets printed on it. Asset labels, at the very minimum, need an identification code which you can trace back to a list of assets. If you’re printing labels you’d be wasting a big opportunity if you didn’t include a barcode. Barcodes will speed up the process of managing your assets and improve accuracy.

4. What barcode should I use?

Traditional 1D barcodes (which are what you see on groceries) are a first start.   1D codes are like a numberplate on a car. A car registration plate tells you nothing about the car it simply refers you back to database which stores the information.  Using a 1D barcode provides a fast way of scanning a code which you use to refer back to your list, but a 2D code is much more powerful.

2D codes fall into couple of categories– the QR code which is very flexible and can be read by any smartphone with the proper app installed.

Other 2D codes have increased security and may be smaller in size than a QR code.

5. Should I use a 1D code or a 2D code on my assets?

Where 2-D codes are useful is where you want to store information about the asset on the label. Using a 2D barcode you can store paragraphs of information about an asset – it’s make and model, serial number,  date of purchase, purchase cost etc.  If your assets are located in rural settings without guaranteed mobile phone coverage this can be a useful  for engineers to access important (but limited) information about the asset they are working on.

However there are more benefits to be had where you have mobile phone coverage.  2D codes can encode a URL so you can scan your code, go to an asset webpage and see all the asset information you need.  You’re able to share and update asset information on site. You can record information such as who serviced it, when it was serviced and what was done to it.

6. Where do I locate the label on my asset?

Labels are affected by the weather and handling. Whilst labels are available that can last more than 10 years, they are more expensive. If at all possible locate your label on your assets in such a place that’s not in bright sunlight. Sunlight is the biggest cause of damage to your labels outdoors.

Secondly, with electronic device assets such as cameras, handheld scanners or laptop computers, the biggest cause of damage to these labels is wear and tear. Constant handling will damage the barcodes and rub off the text. The challenge now is to put the label in such a place that will not be touched, but is accessible enough to be able to read.  Over laminate film, that resembles Sellotape, can do a good job protecting labels from abrasion – ask us about it. Remember; it’s not necessarily hands damaging the label, it’s putting the asset into it’s case which could damage it.

7. Test, and test again.

Pilot your asset labelling system before you put labels on everything.  Test how well the labels remain attached and readable.  Test that the barcodes are able to deliver the information you need them to.

8. Where do I get asset labels?

You’re in the right place.  We can provide you with samples of all kinds of label materials for testing.  We can advise on which handheld barcode terminals or software would be best to read your assets with and we are able to print the labels for you or provide the printer and software you’ll need.  Contact us and take the first step to tracking your valuable assets.

Finally, asset labelling is the easy bit.  Getting everyone to follow the new system is the difficult bit.  If you’d like help with implementing your asset tracking system – email us at info@expertlabels.co.uk.  We’ve set up asset management systems all around the world and would love to help.

Useful Links

If you need to print your own labels – read our intro to thermal printers page.

Help to decide: print your own or pre-printed labels

Waterproof labels

With around 7% of the world trade affected by tampering or counterfeiting each year, it should come as no surprise that security labels have become the answer to keeping products and valuable assets safe after they leave your warehouse or business.  Let Expert Labels help protect your products and assets.

Tamper-proof and tamper evident labels are just a few security products which are used by a whole host of companies to protect their goods.

With a wide range of security labels to choose from, it is important to pick a label which suits your products best.

At Expert Labels we have a pool of knowledge to draw from which can advise you to choose the appropriate security label.  Call or email us to see what suits your products best.

Here’s a few security labels which will help keep your products secure.

Tamper Evident Security Labels

As the name suggests, tamper evident labels are used to detect whether a label has been removed or tampered with. When the label is removed, it leaves behind a residue which has the word “void” written on it.

The word void indicates that the seal has been broken, but many companies like to customise the residue by adding their name or logo. Contact us and choose your own logo or text.

These products are typically used as an effective visual security aid and have value in loss prevention, brand protection and quality assurance.

Tamper evident labels can be used on a lot of different surfaces including cardboard, polyester and even glass.

However, what you must consider is if you are using the packaging more than once. If so, you want a tamper label which will allow you to clean off the residue so the packaging can be used again.

Tamper labels are an excellent product for identification but you must consider what surface you will be labelling.

Easy Break Labels Or Security Cuts

Usually made from paper, easy break labels are a low cost and effective solution for keeping your products secure.

Security cut labels are normal labels but made with a special die that cuts an intricate pattern of cuts onto the label.  They’re easy to apply but once they’re stuck, they’re nearly impossible to move in one piece from one item to another.  Staff can see in a moment that the labels have been moved from one item to another.

These cutter type labels are quite pricey, but the materials used to make them like paper and plastic aren’t that expensive.

They are commonly used by retailers to stop shoppers moving discount labels from one product to another. However , the reason they are used on so many products is because after the initial investment in a complex cutter, on going labels can be made inexpensively.

Ultra-destruct labels

Another type of security label is made from ‘ultra-destruct’ material.  Once applied, these stickers break apart as you try to remove them.  It’s almost impossible to remove all the label, making is impossible to remove the label and stick it to something else.  Used as a seal – you can’t open the seal without the label breaking.

Next Steps

Contact us and describe your situation.  Let us advise you on the best label to suit your situation.  Understand the cost of complex cutters make small production runs (fewer than 5,000 labels for example) expensive.  Special label materials like the void labels or ultra destructable labels are usually supplied in minimum quantities and again can make production runs expensive if they are small.  You might be in luck however and find we have surplus materials that can be used.

Resources

Read more about security labels on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_tape

Security labels: http://expertlabels.co.uk/applications/security-labels/

Updated: 29 Apr 2020

It’s a company’s nightmare. You’ve worked hard creating a new product, and you’ve finally got it on the shelves of Aldi or Tesco. But, one eagle-eyed customer spots a small but irritating mistake. There’s a label typo.  

Don’t panic, Expert Labels are the proof-reader you never had – we help our customers eliminate any label typo and present quality products.

With the world of social media, there is no place to hide as customers are very keen to point out a stray apostrophe or a misspelt word as the likes of Waitrose and Ribena have found out recently.

Can you find the typos on the products below?

Label typo in Aldi’s wine selection

If you read the description carefully, you will spot that this bottle of Winking Owl goes well with “Asain cuisine and grilled meats.”

Of course, it should say “Asian cuisine” but a typo like this will result in the supplier having to reprint labels before their product can hit the Aldi shelves again.

Aldi were only aware of the mistake when a customer pointed it out to them on Twitter. This just highlights how errors can just slip through the net despite all the quality control processes.

A Teacher’s typo nightmare

Look away teachers, or anyone who can’t stand poor grammar.

Apostrophes are normally the common culprit when it comes to typos on labels. But, when you’re promoting a product for teachers, you’d like to think you’d get an A for grammar.

Waitrose were bombarded with messages about the mistake in the Canary Wharf store. Despite this, many are still complaining that the label hasn’t been changed with the correct grammar.

Design of wine label ruined by mistake

A designer would’ve spent a long time creating a label for this bottle of white wine.

However, one spelling mistake seems to be more enticing than the sophisticated logo and design.

The bottom of the label says: “Brimming with zesty lemon flavour and freah notes of apple.”

This small mistake really undermines the design of the label which tries to convey the product to be classy and cultured.

As with the first picture, the labels would need to be reprinted with the correct spelling. Costing the company time and money, not to mention damage to a carefully built brand.

Typo in water description

We’ve saved the hardest until last.

There’s a lot going on with this label design. But, in the small paragraph section you will see the phrase: “Preparation, that what you need.”

The large amount of writing on the label means that it would be harder to spot a mistake like that.

However, it didn’t get past one customer, who politely pointed out the label typo to Glaceau Water on Twitter.

These examples show how important it is to get your labelling right. Just a small mistake can undermine the hard work you’ve put in to create and design the project. It can mean you have to spend extra cash just to re-design and re-print labels – not to mention the hit your valuable brand takes.

Here at Expert Labels, proof-reading is all part of the service.  Before you approve your label, we carefully check spelling and grammar – preventing any of these calamitous typos getting to print.

Let us work with you to make your labels and your brand the best they can be – contact us and tell us about your project.