Labels play a vital role in ensuring that products are marketed successfully. They are responsible for grabbing the attention of the consumer and ultimately influencing purchasing decisions.
But have you ever wondered what happens when a customer requires a label that is unusual in shape or size? This is exactly what happened to a customer who needed a curved label that would wrap all the way around a paint bucket. In this blog post, we will tell you how we helped the customer get the perfect label for their paint bucket.
The 1st Challenge
Printing a label for a curved surface is not a simple task. In this case, our client required a curved label for a paint bucket. The circumference of the bucket is quite wide – 896 millimeters to be exact. Most traditional printing presses would either not be able to print it that wide or cut it that wide.
Most label printers have a maximum width for their labels when using roll-fed machines, but this customer needed them on rolls. The length of the labels was too long for traditional tooling, so they couldn’t be made on roll-to-roll presses. Our client needed them on rolls – this was an important part of the brief.
Several other printers were unable to meet this challenge. This is where we came in.
The 1st Guru Solution
We made use of our laser cutting facility to cut the label in tiles and joined it all up. This allowed us to create the size label the customer needed on a roll.
Our laser cutter was a real game changer for our client, allowing us to quickly and cost-effectively produce pre-production samples. It also saved them money on tooling costs, since he didn’t have to pay for a die, which usually costs around $800.
The 2nd Challenge
It is not just the width of the label that needs to be taken into consideration. When the label is being put on a curved paint bucket, it needs to be able to handle the taper of the bucket. Putting a flat label on a curved bucket will cause it to crimp around the edges.
The 2nd Guru Solution
To solve this issue, we utilized our software to come up with a way to morph the label so that it had a curve to allow for the curve of the bucket.
Artwork is another important aspect that needs to be modified to allow for the curve of the bucket. Our team spent a lot of time and effort in modifying the customer’s artwork to ensure that it would look great once the label was on the bucket. We did many pre-production runs to ensure that everything was perfect.
The customer had approached several other printers before us, but none were interested in the project because of how technical it is. At our company, we are always up for a challenge and are willing to try new things. This was no exception, and we are happy that we were able to help the customer get the perfect label for their paint bucket.
Here’s what he has to say about our service.
"We were looking for an affordable and quality printing company and we contacted Guru Corp. They managed our work perfectly. Once we provided them with the artwork, they recommended the best way of doing printing. Honestly, it was hard to find someone to understand what we were trying to do. Our artwork was large with lots of details. Nick and Stef did a great job. We are very pleased with the outcome. Well done!"
Got an unusual brief?
In conclusion, getting the perfect label for an unusual shape or size can be a real challenge. Producing curved labels on a roll is another challenge traditional printers are unable to meet.
However, with our laser cutting facility, high end software, design skills, and dedication, we were able to help a customer get the perfect label for their paint bucket.
Our team spent a lot of time and effort to ensure that the label looked great and handled the taper of the bucket perfectly.
If you have an unusual label request, we are always up for a challenge and would be happy to help.
Contact us today to see how we can help you get the perfect label for your product.
