Why
should I use your company rather than a "normal" print-shop?
What does "four color process" mean?
Why are there no plate charges?
What standard sizes do you have?
What are your credit terms?
What kind of materials can you print on?
What is your delivery time for my labels?
Can I print a spot PMS color?
What type of proof will I receive?
What is the minimum number of labels I need to
order?
Can you print gold or silver ink?
Will my custom labels come on rolls or on sheets?
What are "unwind directions" and how do they
affect me?
I've never had to produce labels before - where
do I start?
Why
should I use your company rather than a "normal" print-shop?
This is a very complex
question and the answer is long enough to justify its own page -
see Digital Advantage. Basically, if
you need relatively small quantities, or you have multiple
designs, or you want to manage your cash flow better while
getting the best quality possible, digital printing is the
answer.
What
does four color process mean?
Four color process
describes the printing process that is used today to print the
full color that you see in magazines, newspapers, brochures and
labels. Basically a color image is separated into the four
primary colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (known as CMYK)
by the use of filters and screens. The result is a color
separation of four images that when printed make up the full
color image.
Why are there no plate charges?
Lightning Labels is an
all-digital label print shop. This means there are no plates
involved in our printing process. Instead of using plates to
transfer the image on to the paper, our press uses advanced
laser technology to transfer the images directly onto the
material.
What standard sizes do you have?
Keep in mind that we do
not carry "pre-cut" labels - everything we print is custom
produced and die-cut after it is printed. We have a large and
ever-expanding selection of die sizes. They are viewable via
our Instant Quote page (just select the
shape you want, then drop down the "Size" field to see all sizes
for that shape). We are adding dies all the time so we will
most likely have a size very close to what you want. If not,
call us and we can provide a quote for a custom die.
What are your credit terms?
In order to keep our
prices as low as possible, we process the vast majority of
orders on a credit card basis (we accept Visa, Mastercard and
American Express). If you have a substantial history of
regular orders with us and would like to be considered for
invoice terms, please complete and submit our
credit application form.
We will then undertake credit checking and advise you of the
result. Please understand that we do not offer this
facility to first-time or infrequent customers - if in doubt
please contact your Customer Service representative for
clarification.
What kind of materials can you print on?
Our most popular material
is White BOPP (a polypropylene label stock that is waterproof
and impervious to oils, creams etc). We also carry Clear and
Chrome versions of the BOPP material, as well as Vinyl, Foil,
and even a special "textured" paper stock which is often used
for wine labels. See our Instant Quote
page for an explanation of all the available materials.
Top of page
What is your delivery time for my labels?
Our normal turnaround
time is five working days (from proof approval) providing we
have the die and material on hand. Many jobs are printed and
shipped in just 3-4 days from proof approval. We ship
exclusively via UPS, so you can choose from all the usual
methods - Ground, Overnight, 2-day or 3-day delivery (to most
locations).
Can I print a spot PMS color?
Not currently. Our
HP-Indigo press uses a "four color process" (CMYK) build. While
we cannot print an actual PMS spot color, we can print a close
approximation to the color. Keep in mind that we offer free
"press proofs" of your custom labels before going into production, so you can easily
see the results before committing.
What type of proof will I receive?
This is one of the beauties of
digital printing - we have two options for proofing. If your
job is color-critical or you'd like to see the "real thing"
before committing to a production run, we offer a set of free press
proofs before starting production (subsequent sets are available
for an extra fee). What this means is that we
print your artwork on the actual press, using the same material
that your finished labels will be printed on. You can even peel
the backing paper away from your proofs and apply them to your
products for a final "look and feel" check. Unlike traditional
"flexo" printing, we can do this because there are no "plates"
and setup involved - we simply submit your artwork files to the
press and the rest is "magic".
However, if you're in an extreme hurry, and/or you are simply
re-printing an existing job, we can also offer PDF proofs -
which are emailed to you for approval so you can confirm that
we're printing the right files.
What is the minimum number of labels I need to
order?
We have a minimum
quantity of 100 labels for each "version" of artwork. However,
you can "mix and match" quantities within an order (e.g. 100 of
label A, 250 of label B, and so on), and still gain the benefits
of "ganging" multiple designs into the same run.
Can you print gold or silver ink?
No, we are unable to
print metallic inks – however, we can often achieve a similar
effect by combining the right colors with the right material.
For example, many customers have discovered that using yellow
ink on our Chrome BOPP material produces a close approximation
to "gold" ink.
Will my custom labels come on rolls or on sheets?
All our labels are produced on rolls (with standard 3" cores). This provides
customers with the choice to use special labeling machines to
apply their labels rather than hand-applying them.
What are "unwind directions" and how do they
affect me?
Unwind directions are an
industry term that dictates how the rolls of labels are produced
- so that the labels are facing in the right direction on the
roll at the time of application. It's usually only important to
specify an unwind direction when the labels are going to be
machine-applied to the end products, and it ensures that the
applicator is receiving and dispensing the labels in the right
direction for the container (bottle, jar, etc) they're being
applied to. If you're intending to hand-apply each label,
unwind direction usually isn't important. See this
chart for a
more visual explanation.
I've never had to produce labels before -
where do I start?
Feel free to download and print our White Paper
"An Introduction to
Product Labeling" - it should answer the many questions you
probably have. Please note you will need Adobe Acrobat
Reader to view this file. If you don't have the utility it
can be downloaded for free from this link.
