High-speed label applicator on a production line.
By CTM Admin Labeling 0 Comments

How Fast Are High-Speed Label Applicators?

Exactly how fast is a high-speed label applicator? If you’ve worked around manufacturing, you know that there are always several factors affecting throughput, and your labeling system is no exception. While the applicator itself may be capable of incredible speeds, making sure every label goes on perfectly each time requires slower speeds for quality and stability. From container shape to printing quality, each change you make to your system affects its speed. Read more

Plastic bottles on a production line.
By CTM Admin Labeling • labeling systems 0 Comments

Best Practices for Labeling Plastic Bottles

While containers like glass, aluminum, steel, and cardboard are mostly uniform, plastics can be made up of a wide range of materials (in addition to variations in casting techniques, surface textures, and chemical additives).

Even if a label tests well on a sample, other issues can crop up in your production environment. Here’s how you can address these issues when labeling plastic bottles.

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Hot filling line in a manufacturing facility.
By CTM Admin Labeling 0 Comments

Is the Hot Filling Process Best for My Product Packaging?

Food manufacturers choose a hot filling process for their products because it offers an excellent balance between sanitation, product quality, and cost. However, this rapid heating and cooling process comes with some complications. The container itself needs to withstand the heat, and the labeling needs to work with containers that undergo major temperature changes.

So, when does a hot filling process make sense, and what changes do you need to make to your production system to create safe, reliably packaged products?

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CBD product label that meets CBD labeling requirements.
By CTM Admin Labeling • Packaging 0 Comments

Keys to Successfully Navigate CBD Labeling Requirements

How do you design labels for your CBD products (Cannabidiol) so they are legally compliant, inform consumers, and require minimal changes when regulations change? Like anything related to the cannabis industry, it’s complicated. Federal enforcement varies, states have their own laws, and the legal landscape is constantly changing. Here’s what you need to know to meet CBD labeling requirements.

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Clear label with air bubbles.
By CTM Admin Labeling 0 Comments

Keys to Avoiding and Correcting Common Label Application Problems

Are you having trouble applying product labels correctly? Do they want to skew or flag? Do they fall off before they reach the end user?

These label application problems can stem from a variety of sources, including the container, the label, the manufacturing environment, and even your label storage methods. Here’s some critical troubleshooting advice for when you encounter common label defects.

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Embossed label on a wine bottle.
By CTM Admin Labeling • labeling systems 0 Comments

Embossed Product Labels: Tactile Marketing

While choosing font and high-quality graphics has a big influence on customer perception, so does the feel of the label. (This is especially true of products sold through brick and mortar retail.) When consumers pick up the container, they can learn as much about the product’s segment from its feel as they can from your font and graphics choices.

Embossed stickers and labels give you an eye-catching, high end way to highlight text and graphics, as well as subtly change background colors. So, how can you implement embossing in your labels for maximum impact, and what do you need to consider for label designs and application? Let’s take a look.

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Secondary container with proper labels at a work site.
By CTM Admin Labeling • labeling systems 0 Comments

Labeling Secondary Containers: OSHA Requirements You Need to Know

A properly labeled container is a safe container. One of the last things you want to ask when you’re working with hazardous materials is “What’s in that container?” To avoid this problem, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has strict regulations on the containers used to store and transport chemicals at worksites.

If you already package chemicals, or other manufacturing supplies, offering secondary containers is a great way to add a new revenue stream. This lets customers order locally-used containers alongside supplies and bulk chemicals. When is this labeling required, and how can you make sure your containers conform to regulations?

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Filled containers with product labels.
By CTM Admin Labeling 0 Comments

Can a Container Label Be Applied After the Container Is Filled?

At what stage should container labeling be part of your production line? Is it useful to label the container first for internal tracking? Can filling a container with a food product damage the label or make it harder to apply afterward?

→ [Free Download] Are you making common mistakes when placing new product labels? Get the guide to find out how to avoid those mistakes!

Here’s what you should consider about labeling containers after filling when you’re using your in-line labeling system.

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Different bottle shapes with blank labels.
By CTM Admin Labeling 0 Comments

Labeling Different Bottle Shapes: How Glass Bottle Curvature & Taper Affects Labels

If you didn’t already know, bottle shape affects the label area that can be utilized. Curvature and taper interfere with label placement and require different strategies to avoid flagging and skewing.

So, how do you determine where you can apply labels to your bottles, and how can you modify your designs to make them work with different curves? When labeling different bottle shapes, there are several; things to consider, such as types of bottles and label materials – let’s take a look.

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Label applied to a plastic container.
By CTM Admin Labeling 0 Comments

Understanding the Surface Energy of Plastic Containers & How It Affects Your Labeling System

Labeling plastic containers isn’t always as simple as rolling on a label. Adhesives need to be spread across and cling to the surface. However, not all plastics are the same. Low surface energy plastics won’t stick to adhesives; they actually repel them.

So, how do you determine if your containers are causing label adhesion problems, and how can you change the surface energy of plastic containers?

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