Clear Labels

Want to to create a striking package for your product? Clear labels (and some skillful positioning) will help you achieve the effect you’re after – They’re incredibly versatile.

It’s cheaper than printing directly onto a bottle or jar with screen printing, particularly on short to medium print runs.

Best of all, you get all the benefits provided by digital label printing, such as being able to print variations in the same print run (on labels that are all the same size and shape).

It’s no wonder so many brands and businesses are using clear labels for their products.

We’re often asked to print on clear labels with white ink. For these requests we actually print them twice—white ink on top of white ink—to ensure a high quality. (Any more and the ink can be scratched away from the label too easily.)

White ink can also be used as a form of ‘undercoat’ on clear labels. You don’t see it because it appears behind other colours in the design. But it makes them look like they should rather than translucent, as the white ink simulates the effect of printing them onto a white paper material.

Clear labels can only be printed on a select range of materials. We use transparent polypropylene (PP) film, which has the added benefit of being waterproof and oil and chemical resistant.

You also need to think about the adhesive being used. Ours is a permanent, industry-ready clear adhesive that can’t be seen once the label is applied.

When you print your custom labels on transparent film, you can take advantage of a number of design and finishing options such as:

• Experimenting with colour transparency
• Experimenting with with matt film laminations to create that ‘frosted’ look perhaps for Christmas labels
• Using hot foil stamping
• ‘Sandwich’ printing your labels

It is important to note that we offer two variations of transparent PP label materials; each with subtle differences and both available in our Online Calculator. If you are looking to create a “no-label” look for your brand and product then these subtle differences become quite important. A truly no-label look is created by printing designs on a “Transparent PP Film 50µm with a PET Carrying Material.” It’s important to note that as an online label printer, we also offer a “Transparent PP Film 50µm with Glassine Paper Carrying Material.”

Although not necessarily apparent to the naked eye, “PET carrying materials” is much “smoother” than a “glassine paper carrying materials.” As a result, when removing labels from their roll, whether by machine or manually, the adhesive is far less “disturbed/ruptured.” Where glassine paper carrying materials are used, ruptured adhesive will create a slightly visible “milky” layer when the label is applied to a container; the last thing you want to see when a “no-label” look is required.

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