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| P2P Magazine | Spring 2013
Autumn 2015
01732 759725
LABELLING
...continued
Get the labelling bug
The Cablebug is a clever solution for labelling
cables, leads and chargers. Ideal for the office
or home, it overcomes the frustration of having
numerous tangled cables that are difficult to
identify. Cablebugs come in two sizes for cables
from 2mm to 7mm. Just snap the Cablebug shut
over your chosen cable and either write directly
onto it with a marker or use printed sticker sheets
that have been designed to withstand the heat
of a comms cabinet. Cablebugs are available in
12 different colours, enabling you to colour-code
cables for easy identification. Buy them from
Amazon, Ebay or
marketing manager at Toshiba, said: “A
dedicated label printer has a very flat
paper path so they don’t suffer from the
jamming issues associated with A4 laser
printing.”
With an in-house dedicated
label printer you have control and
can create and print unique designs
whenever you need to. This is made
easier with printers that offer a range
of connectivity options, such as Near
Field Communication (NFC) andWi-Fi
capability, and have compatible design
software or apps.
Ioana Nitu, product manager
at Brother UK, said: “Our bespoke
iPrint&Label app enables users to
connect their smartphone directly to
their label printer and create unique or
template designs on the spot.”
Being able to print what you need
when you need it is one of the biggest
advantages of having a dedicated label
printer. In addition, printing on demand
saves storage space and reduces wastage
– think of all those partially printed label
sheets.
A dedicated label printer, especially
one designed for coloured labels, might
seem more expensive, but not if you
consider the total cost of ownership says
Epson labelling specialist David Spratt.
“It goes far beyond the cost of the label
or the cost of the printer; it’s to do with
flexibility and holding a stock of labels,”
he said. “What happens if something
changes or you have to wait three
days for the labels to come from the
supplier? The cost to your business of a
two or three day delay is the thing that
businesses need to think about.”
Gregory Schembri, trade marketing
manager at Leitz, also highlights the
importance of flexibility and versatility.
He said: “Since launching Leitz Icon,
we’ve come across a high number of
online businesses needing to adapt our
solution to different applications, for
example eBay.With the requirement for
specific labels growing, we’re developing
Leitz Icon so that it’s versatile enough
to be adapted to the modern day
workplace.”
Outsource label printing
A third option is to outsource your label
printing. Getting someone else to print
your labels for you saves time and lets
you focus on more important tasks. This
solution is ideal for large projects and
should guarantee a professional quality.
Outsourcing can also remove the need
for dedicated machines and materials in
the office, saving space and money.
Avery UK has just launched the
WePrint service, which allows you to go
online, select the label you want and
create your design. Avery will then print
the labels and deliver them to your
office. Avery’s Fiona Mills said: “A busy
small business owner with products
to ship and sell may prefer to take
advantage of how easy and cost effective
it is to have a few hundred product labels
printed withWePrint.”
A disadvantage to outsourcing label
printing is waiting time, as it could take
a few days for the labels to be printed
and delivered to you. If you need labels
quickly, in-house printing is preferable.
There is also the issue of storing the
labels you have had printed. Ordering
a large number of labels might seem
cost-effective, but storing them takes
up space and the labels may deteriorate
if exposed to sunlight or high/low
temperatures. Pre-printed labels can also
become out-of-date.
There are pros and cons to all
labelling options. In the end, it comes
down to picking the right tool for the
job: if you need the same label in bulk,
outsourcing is convenient, cost-effective
and provides high quality results; if you
need bespoke labels quickly, printing
them yourself is your best option and
the more frequent the requirement, the
more sense it makes to have a dedicated
label printer.
