4 key elements to improving your labeling operations

Labeling doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are some tips to help you turn your labeling operations into a well-oiled machine:

1. Keep it simple

Too many people think every label has to be unique. This is only true for a) labels that identify your product/service for a customer, and b) vital information particular to your operations that must be included.

Customizing a label for any other reason is like painting a mural on a tool shed in your backyard. It may make you feel better, but it costs time, money, and doesn’t help the shed be a better shed!

Wherever possible, use an existing generic label.

2. Standardize everything

Try to standardize labels on a single-size plain white label or a single-size label with a universal pre-print. This allows you to avoid the misprints and lost time associated with manually changing out labels before each print run or the cost of dedicating printers for each size. Additionally, don’t preprint a custom label. Instead, let your label printing software do the work.

If you really want to go the extra mile, try to standardize your printers! This prevents avoidable surprises that occur when someone uses a printer that doesn’t support color, or the label width, or is only 203dpi where the design printer was 400dpi. This can save time, money, complexity, and unnecessary waste.

3. Lock your templates down

Every time someone opens a template to “improve” or “fix” a label, you run the risk of what we call Label Bloat and increase the chances of the wrong label getting printed or a locally-modified version not getting that essential brand, style, or compliance update. You can avoid these issues by granting editing access to specific users only.

4. Move online

Web browsers are the best way to control your printing -- not custom applications. This lets you print with almost any computing platform instead of just one flavor. It also easily scales and supports printing via the Internet, making your labeling system easier to use, faster to scale, and available wherever and whenever.

Revolutionize the way you print and manage labels

Take the first step in improving your labeling operations with BarTender Cloud. The easy-to-use SaaS solution simplifies your printing processes and lowers your IT burden.

Learn more about what BarTender Cloud can do for you by downloading our datasheet or contacting us today.