Life without vinyl labels

Vinyl labels are a commodity without which it is hard to imagine how the retail industry would manage. vinyl labels have become so much a part of what we take for granted that they can almost be forgotten. Look in any kitchen cupboard, or the back of most cars, and on nearly every shelf in a supermarket, and you will be presented with a huge variety of vinyl labels in a whole range of different styles and designs.

Vinyl labels, more often referred to as 'sticky labels' are used in a wide variety of contexts to communicate information, often directly onto the product or its packaging. The manufacture of vinyl labels involves the printing of text or graphics on a thin vinyl film, which is then bonded to an adhesive, which is usually a permanent one. Most vinyl labels are designed to be fixed to a surface and kept there, rather than being removed and replaced.

Examples of where vinyl labels are used include labels on wine bottles, food nutrition information, bar codes, window displays and notices, security labelling, pharmaceutical labelling, bottle and chemical labelling to name just a few. It is easy to see in these cases why permanent labelling is important.

Most usually, vinyl labels are used to provide detailed information on products, but they can also be used to advertise or promote products or services, often being used either in windows or other external surfaces. Vehicle window stickers are a common and cheap method of advertising, where the graphics or text are printed on to the vinyl surface in reverse, and the adhesive film added to the front of the label. A temporary protective film which partially resists the adhesive protects it until the vinyl label is needed.

Vinyl labels can be produced either in the standard matt finish, or given a high gloss finish, which also acts as a protective film, and helps add a level of protection against moisture.

Because they are so cheap to produce, vinyl labels are often made in large sheets, with each sheet containing several identical labels, such as names, addresses and contact details. These are often purchased by private individuals for labelling, for example children's school equipment or clothing. Clear, bold colours and distinctive, easy to read text make these a cost effective and successful solution.

There is no specific size for vinyl labels – although most fall between the size of a large stamp and postcard size. However, exactly the same process can be used to make labels for other purposes, such as for adhering to vehicles as advertisements. Vehicle advertisements are a highly effective way of generating business, as the advert is seen by many more than the number of casual passers by the shop would normally expect.

As with many signs, vinyl labels are often created according to either given templates from which the client can choose, or designed from scratch by a professional designer using computers, often generating draft proofs before the final product is made and distributed.