We’ve all been there: You spent hours researching a new identification, tracking or data collection system. Just when the allocated funds have been spent and the scanners and management software systems are installed, you think: “Just one small task left to finish this huge project—pick a label.”
Only label selection isn’t a small decision to make. Most engineers quickly realize that choosing a label that will work perfectly for a specific application isn’t easy, and no one wants to spend the time or the money to test multiple labels.
To make things more complicated, a label consists of five elements, and each element must be considered when choosing a label. Those elements are:
Unfortunately, a magic genie does not appear every time you need to select a label material. “You need a tamper-evident label for an asset-tracking project in a harsh environment? Well then, a durable polyester base with a permanent acrylic adhesive is for you!”
So where should you turn if you need help while label shopping? The following five steps will point you in the right direction.