The Label Printers Blog

Why Custom Labels are More than Just Stickers

Written by Lori Campbell | Feb 27, 2025

Consumers are exposed to thousands of brand messages daily as they move about their homes, and virtual spaces. All the while, their attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter. So when they scan the labels on store shelves consumers only see your label for a fraction of a second. That means everything on that label has to work toward capturing and keeping their attention.

Your label is your product’s introduction to the customer – their first impression. So, your label has to not just communicate your brand values but also hold up under real-world conditions, such as exposure to moisture, heat, or cold.

That’s a lot to ask a label to do.

With that much riding on it, the decisions you make when sourcing your custom label are more important than you think. Yet many businesses still treat custom labels as simple stickers, often relying on self-serve online vendors where they upload artwork, pick a size, and hope for the best. This oversimplified approach can lead to costly mistakes and missed opportunities for your vital products. Here's why custom labels deserve more strategic consideration.

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Custom Label Performance Goes Beyond the Surface

Consider this real-world scenario: An industrial equipment manufacturer learned the hard way that not all labels are created equal. Their labels, which looked perfect in digital proofs, failed to adhere to equipment surfaces covered in industrial dust and oil. The solution wasn't just ordering new labels – it required a highly aggressive adhesive specifically engineered for contaminated surfaces.

This example highlights a crucial truth: Custom labels are engineered solutions, not just sticky paper with printing.

An experienced label provider will understand the application and usage factors in relation to materials and design, and they will be able to recommend the perfect label that will impress and perform.

If your vendor isn’t taking the time to ask questions that uncover how the label will be applied and used, you may end up on the wrong end of the science behind labels.

The Science of Custom Label Adhesion

With label adhesives, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. What works perfectly for a scented candle could fail completely on a bottle of salad dressing.

Standard stickers typically use general-purpose adhesives designed for ideal conditions – clean, smooth surfaces at room temperature. But how often does your product exist in perfect conditions?

Think about a pressure-sensitive label, where factors like environmental conditions, surface type, and application method can all impact your label’s performance. For instance, freezer-grade adhesives are designed to perform in subzero conditions. If you use a different kind of label adhesive that isn’t meant to withstand extreme cold, the label might fall off.

Consider these critical variables:

  • Temperature exposure: Will your product face freezing conditions or high heat?
  • Surface material: Is it smooth, textured, or contaminated with oils?
  • Application environment: What conditions exist when the label is applied?
  • Usage conditions: Will the container be squeezed, exposed to moisture, or handled frequently?
  • Duration requirements: Does the label need to be permanent or removable?

Another factor: choosing your label material.

💡 Label ordering tip

Don’t just leave it up to your purchasing department. Bring other stakeholders into the conversation, especially those that can provide essential information about your branding and your performance requirements, such as marketing, engineering, and operations teams. The more your label printing partner is integrated into your product’s lifecycle, the more readily they can find ways to optimize your budget and your design.

Selecting Custom Label Materials

When designing a label, it’s easy to get caught up in what the label material might look like. Glossy! Matte! Textured papers!

But there’s more at stake here than just appearance. Choosing the wrong material can not only drain your budget, but it can also result in a label that doesn’t stick properly, doesn’t perform the way you want, and doesn’t help you sell your product.

For example, polypropylene (PP) is a great choice for labels that need to achieve the "no-label look" on clear bottles. But if you’re looking for something that will hold up in an industrial setting with heat, chemicals and abrasion, Polyester (PET), is a better option.

As with adhesives, custom label printers can offer a much wider range of materials than can generally be found through self-service, mass-market options. And customer label printers have extensive experience and expertise that will help guide you toward the most cost-effective and impactful label material that will perform exactly as needed.

Either way, before you spend any budget, make sure you have the answers to these questions:

  • What label material will offer me the aesthetic I’m looking for? Glossy materials are an obvious choice for eye-catching colors and graphics. But what if your brand image is natural or organic? Using matte or textured materials may convey that image better to your target consumer.
  • Is the adhesive and material right for my product? Will it adhere to my plastic bottle and will the material be flexible enough to wraparound?
  • What are my must-haves? There are multiple decision paths that can take you to the look you want for your label if you’re open to ideas. Working with an experienced custom label manufacturer can get you a label that looks great while still fitting within your budget.

Focusing on End-User Experience — and Channel

Think about your product label’s main function.

Is it to inform and educate? To warn? To establish or demonstrate compliance with regulations? Build brand awareness? Draw the consumer’s eye?

By considering your label’s ultimate purpose, and communicating that to experienced custom label manufacturer, you can optimize your label’s design for your target audience and your sales channels.

A good example of this is with is e-commerce. Online shoppers can’t hold your product. They can’t try it or taste it, either. What they can do, however, is view your product label.

Online buyers look to product labels for information about key ingredients and your brand’s values.

A great-looking, high-performing product label can contribute to the premium unboxing experiences that thrill younger e-commerce shoppers, nurturing lifelong brand fans.

Conversely, in a retail environment a clean, easy-to-read label with a larger font will be much more legible to older shoppers, increasing their buying confidence (and your sales).

An experienced custom label manufacturer will know to raise this subject — and can offer guidance if label design isn’t your forte.

Custom labels are engineered solutions that combine material science, adhesive technology, and application expertise. When you work with a professional label supplier, you're not just buying stickers – you're investing in a crucial component of your product's success.

With the right custom label manufacturer and enough knowledge about what your label needs to do, you’ll find the perfect label for your needs.

Find out how the digital printing process works with our Digital Printing E-book.