Custom Labels and Stickers FAQ

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 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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, Vinyl 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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.