Labels are not only used for product labeling but also for labeling shipments, household items, moving boxes, and others for easy identification and safety purposes. Their versatility provides a lot of advantages because you can pretty much apply them to any kind of surface. But of course, this will greatly depend on the composition of the label.

We have discussed the basics of labeling and the anatomy of labels in our previous guides and now we’ll take a look at the many uses of labels here.

office-files-label

What Are the Advantages of Labeling?

Below are the general advantages of labeling:

1.

To Make Things More Organized

Labeling helps in organizing your household or office items without spending too much on your labeling supplies. A simple piece of paper applied to your items can help sort things out easily especially if you have a lot of things you need to organize. You can also group your items and put them in their proper places in no time to avoid confusion for those with similar or opaque packages.

2.

To Make Products Stand Out

For product labeling, labels not only allow you to communicate information about your product to your customers in a consistent manner. You can use labels to add that Wow factor to your products to make them stand out on the shelves. Labels are customizable and you can print anything on them so you can freely explore your options until you find the best one.

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3.

To Save Time

If you are always having a hard time looking for things in a messy room, labeling helps you find the items you are looking for faster. You will no longer need to rummage through a lot of unlabeled boxes or storage bins before you get what you are looking for. This also requires much less effort, especially when you are unpacking your things after moving.

labeled-boxes-in-warehouse

4.

To Keep Your Items Safe

If you are moving your things to another area, labeling keeps your fragile items safe. Adding FRAGILE labels helps in protecting breakable items to keep them free from any damage until they reach their destination.

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What Are the Uses of Labels?

Here are the most common uses of labels:

1

Product Labeling

Product labels are categorized into four main types:

a) Branding

Branding is important in marketing your products because it allows you to mark your products as part of your brand. It also differentiates your products from your competitors.

b) Differentiation

For different product lines, labeling is also used for differentiation by modifying your original brand. You can change the colors, size, or even create a whole new look.

c) Legal

Sometimes, businesses only use labels just to comply with labeling requirements which we discussed in our basics of labeling blog.

d) Description

Small businesses that have not established their brands often use labels to put descriptions about the products such as instructions, backstories, a short bio of the business, and others.

For further reading, you can also check out our articles about product labeling below:

2

Address & Shipping Applications

Without labels, packages and letters will not be sent to their intended destination. Big companies use standardized mailing labels that may include barcodes for a seamless delivery process in different areas. Wedding invitations, gifts, letters, and bills are often sent through packages whether it is a B2B, B2C, or person-to-person transaction.

Moreover, labeling allows businesses to add branding to their letters and parcels to match different occasions such as Christmas. Personalized labels give positive impacts and improve customer relationships which is great for your business.

3

Streamlined Manufacturing Processes

Factories using lean manufacturing techniques use labels to streamline their production processes. In fact, labels are required from the start to the end of the manufacturing process. Each component needs to be accurately labeled to ensure that each can be easily found (bolts for instance) and used properly by workers.

Manufacturing labels include batch codes, instructions, warnings, functions, information labels, and others. Batch labeling is crucial to businesses because it helps in recalling products. Labeling also allows businesses to send goods to their customers with peace of mind by complying with important labeling requirements.

workers-sticking-labels-in-warehouse

4

e-Commerce

Packages need to have sturdy labels so that the labels will be on the packages at all times. This is necessary to ensure that the package reaches its destination after going through a long journey from the warehouse to the consumer without falling off. E-commerce purchases often require multiple labels before they reach their destination.

Without labels, parcels can get lost and hard to track which can cause delays in delivery. This is not good for the health of businesses because they can lose customers due to unsatisfactory service. Barcode labels allow companies to track packages so that when unexpected problems occur, issues can be resolved in no time.

Lastly, labels are also helpful in verifying that customers receive the right items they purchased. This can be done by simply checking the package’s address.

5

Relocation or Any Household Labeling Application

Labels are also used for relocation purposes because they help in keeping your things organized and safe. Putting labels such as FRAGILE or This Side Up tells movers to take extra care of your things.

Labels on all sides of your moving boxes also help you find where your things should go without flipping the boxes multiple times. This also avoids damages to the content of the boxes. Here are 10 tips for labeling moving boxes and moving tips to reduce your expenses you can read.

Aside from labeling moving boxes, you can also use labels to organize your household items such as:

  • Food containers (specific ingredients that cause sensitivities or allergies)
  • Leftovers with expiration dates to avoid serving spoiled consumables
  • Hazardous or fragile items
  • Contents of solid bins or containers
  • Similar items to differentiate them
  • Storage bins for clothes, snacks, toys, and others

In addition to household items, you can also organize your office by using labels.

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6

Stickers

Stickers are frequently used for political campaigns, advertising, and promotional purposes. They are versatile which is why they remain popular. They are used for objects that require identification through an idea or word. Businesses attach brand stickers to their products to show that the products belong to their company. Stickers are also used to put product characteristics that are not obviously seen.

Moreover, brand stickers help in spreading a message in an interesting manner. Customers often enjoy receiving free stickers which can greatly help in promoting your brand, especially if you give them attractive stickers.

Label Types and Their Uses

Lastly, below are some of the widely-used types of labels and their uses:

1.

Direct Thermal Labels

  • Their color changes when heated
  • They don’t use ribbons, ink, or toner
  • Labels are created by heating a chemically-treated paper and applying it directly to the item
  • They don’t last long because the colors can change and obscure the message

Uses

  • Shipping labels
  • Receipts
  • Event tickets
  • Coupons
  • Visitor passes
  • Name tags
  • Barcodes

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2.

Thermal Transfer Labels

  • Ideal for applications where using direct thermal labels is not advisable such as items that will be exposed to heat sources
  • They are printed using ribbons that use resin, wax, or a combination of both
  • They are less fragile and last longer

Uses

  • Tracing, tracking, logistics, and warehousing applications
  • Heavily-used products
  • Shipping labels
  • Barcodes
  • Safety signs
  • Wayfinding markers
A patient bracelet bearing a barcode

3.

Pressure Sensitive Labels

  • Most common types of labels in the market
  • Made of three main layers: face stock, adhesive, and liner
  • Can be permanent or peelable
  • Easy to apply by machine or by hand
  • They are usually digitally-printed which is cheaper
  • Can be easily customized

Uses

  • Spirit bottles
  • Wine bottles
  • Food and beverage containers
  • Household goods
  • Chemical pails
  • Automotive products
  • Toys
  • Medical devices
  • Corrugated boxes, etc.

4.

Die-Cut Labels

  • Have unique shapes and outlines that are custom-made for branding and aesthetic purposes
  • Made via the die-cutting process to make labels in custom shapes

Uses

  • Label panels, packages, and containers with unique shapes

5.

In-Mold Labels (IMLs)

  • Made from plastic or paper
  • They are molded or fused to the product during the manufacturing process
  • They are created through thermoforming, injection molding, or blow molding
  • They don’t require adhesives
  • They appear to be part of containers
  • More durable compared to other label types

Uses

  • Warning labels
  • Liquid dispensing bottles for industrial, household, personal care, and food products

6.

Shrink Sleeve/Wrap Labels

  • Printed on polymer plastic films that wrap around an entire container and then heated to shrink it to the container
  • You can apply the heat through heat tunnels for large productions or handheld guns for low-volume productions

Uses

  • Unusually-shaped containers
  • Bottled beverages

Other Types of Labels

Here are other label types that you will usually see in the market:

1.

Dry Peel Labels

  • Labels that you can easily peel away and removed from products
  • They used an adhesive that sticks temporarily to surfaces
  • You can put another label underneath them without destroying the label

Uses

  • Instant redeemable coupons

2.

Fold Out Labels

  • They can be folded and stacked
  • They are unfolded to show additional information
  • They are used with the primary label on the container

Uses

  • Products that need labels with long content
  • Additional copies
  • Redeemable coupons

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