Asking who invented the sticky label is a bit like asking who put the ram in the ram-a-lam-a-ding-dong? Or asking who put the M in Manchester? (actually that was Morrissey), or who invented cocktail sticks, or the biography. The answer is as clear as it is simple as it is well known - even if you don't know you know it. The answer is, um, them. They did. Before they invented the sticky label it didn't exist. After they invented it, it did. The hand guiding the whole process from conception to delivery, the inspiration, the drive, the passion, the vision realised, was theirs. Whoever 'they' were.
And us? We are the fortunate beneficiaries. The inheritors of their fine invention, daily enjoying the fruits of their efforts and taking full advantage of their legacy in creating a sticky label world. Just look around you. They're everywhere, performing a huge number of roles and in a huge range of materials, styles, finishes, shapes, sizes and colours. From bar codes to clear labels to food and medicine use labels, sales labels, promotional stickers, shelf markers, wine labels, security labels, product labelling, textile labelling, user guidelines, mail shot labels. Life without stickers is hard to imagine. More than likely you use them at home or within your company for a whole variety of tasks.
The combination of sticky labels and new technology offers virtually unlimited choice of sticky label designs. Choose from short runs of colour labels on your laser printer to high volume bar code label or mail list printing with a thermal transfer label printer.
Of course the extended range of possibilities means that there are a mind boggling and even slightly overwhelming range of different sticky labels on the market. Your best course of action when considering which type of sticky label will best suit your requirement is to consult a stationery expert. Go online to quickly find a company that not only deals in a selection of different sticky labels but can clearly displays their credentials. Maybe they are well established and already work with a lot of companies, many like yours, maybe they have a reputation that proceeds them. Use their experience and expertise to help identify the labels to meet your specific needs.
Here are some of the label options you will encounter. Address labels that you can use for mail shots, continuous labels suitable for printers such as Dymo Labelwriters and typewriters or for use in dispensers. Filing labels for office administration and organisation are specially designed to fit the spine of Lever Arch, Ring Binders, Elasticated Folders, Box Files and Suspension Files, and transparent labels. Media labels designed to fit electronic data storage media e.g. video cassettes both face and spine, legacy 3.5 in diskettes and Zip disks. Anti-tamper labels which are durable non-tear polymer labels and ideal for securing confidential documents with special label construction revealing a "STOP" message upon attempted removal. White labels, clear labels that blend effortlessly with white and light coloured backgrounds to give you a highly individual and distinctive professional touch. Enough choices for you?
Be sure to look for labels from the best known brands such as Avery, Dymo, and Brother. The better suppliers will have websites bursting with useful advice and guidance to help you use their products successfully without wastage, and will be more than happy to take a call if you want to talk with a specialist in person. You should be able to not only pick up extremely helpful recommendations but also some incredibly good prices.
There are various suppliers of labels and using them effectively means buying at a fair price and printing efficiently. This review provides useful advice to help the inexperienced label buyer. More information about
labels for both commercial and home offices is provided by Mark Bartley in his other reviews.
