Online Labels Forum

I have used White Gloss Labels for inkjet for my jar products and Weatherproof Gloss Inkjet Labels for my lotions, shampoos, etc. for almost 10 years now. I have a Canon Inkjet MG6620 and a Canon Inkjet IP4920. I run both these labels on the setting of "Glossy Photo Paper" because it seems to give me the best quality print with no smudging.

I have always noticed some fading of labels over time in stores, especially if the store has florescent lighting, but today I was making a delivery to a seasonal customer and noticed that all the products she had left from my last delivery just a month ago are so faded it looked like they had been sitting in the sun for months. She does not have the labels exposed to sun, and she uses warm florescent bulbs for store lighting. Do the warm bulbs fade labels faster than the cool bulbs?

Can anyone shed some light on how I can get my labels not to fade so quickly? Do I need to make different printer settings, use different ink, use a laser printer, or use a different label material. Faded labels hurt sales because they make the product look like it has been sitting on the shelf for months.

Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Jim

I'm sorry to hear about the issue that you've experienced and I'll be happy to offer any assistance that I can.

Pigment-based ink is generally considered to be more durable than dye-based ink, but I haven't seen specific data indicating a definitive improvement in fade resistance over time. Before purchasing a new printer and ink, I would definitely try to track one of these printers down for some testing. If you don't know anyone with a pigment-based inkjet printer you may have some luck at a local office supply store. We've had a number of customers report that they were able to demo specific printer models in-store. Some retailers may have policies against it, but I would definitely inquire before making a purchase.

Before you look into purchasing a new printer you may want to consider trying a clear-coat protective spray. Applying a clear-coat protective spray to your labels after printing should drastically improve durability. Some of the available sprays even come with built in UV protection, so they could potentially resolve the fading issue that you have experienced. We recommend a spray called Krylon Preserve-It, which can be purchased locally at retailers such as Michael's and Hobby Lobby. You can view a step-by-step guide on applying a clear-coat protective spray by visiting the link below:

http://www.onlinelabels.com/howto/how-to-give-your-labels-an-extra-layer-of-protection-label-overcoa

I hope you find this information useful. If you should require any additional assistance please just let me know.

Krylon Preserve-It is only one of the clear-coat sprays available. I mentioned it specifically because it's the spray featured in our step-by-step guide that I linked to in my initial response. I haven't had an opportunity to test it myself, but Krylon does have a UV-Resistant spray available as well. You can view the product details at the link below:

http://www.krylon.com/products/uvresistant-clear-coating/