Q. What will paper labels adhere to?
A. Glass, plastic, metal, wax, paper, fabric, wood. Jars, bottles, bags, boxes, CD's. Labels will adhere to wax candles, although they can be pulled off easily. Paper labels will not adhere to frozen surfaces. If you have something in your freezer you want to label, remove it from the freezer for a minute, apply the label, then put it back in the freezer; the label will stay stuck. On most other surfaces, paper labels are difficult to remove, so you should plan on not removing them. The adhesive bond becomes stronger as it ages, so you can reposition a label on glass or metal containers for up to an hour. After this time, to remove paper labels, soak overnight in hot, soapy water, or heat them with a hair dryer to soften the adhesive. With either of these methods you can remove the labels, but you will not be able to re-use them.
Q. What will vinyl labels adhere to?
A. Vinyl labels are removable from glass, some plastics and metal. Labels will stick to wax candles, although they can be pulled off easily. Jars, bottles, bags, boxes, CD's. Vinyl labels are permanent on paper, fabric, wood or any other porous surface. Vinyl labels will not adhere to frozen surfaces. If you have something in your freezer you want to label, remove it from the freezer for a minute, apply the label, then put it back in the freezer; the label will stay stuck. Vinyl labels use a removable adhesive which holds strongly, yet removes easily (and without residue) from glass, metal and plastic surfaces, so they can be repositioned at any time, and re-used if you peel them off your container carefully and replace them on the carrier sheet they came on.
Q. Are the labels waterproof?
A. Vinyl labels are waterproof, and they are available in most label sizes. Vinyl labels can withstand immersion underwater for long periods of time without softening, wrinkling or bubbling. This is the perfect material for something you store in a damp environment like a refrigerator or a humid climate.
Q. Can I re-use the labels?
A. You can re-use vinyl labels if you peel them off your container carefully and replace them on the carrier sheet they came on. You can also re-position vinyl labels at any time if you are not happy with how you placed the label on your container. You can also write on them if needed.
Q. What is the best way to apply the labels?
A. See the blog for a demo. For best results apply labels to a clean, oil-free, room-temperature surface. Condensation on a cold container (a cold wine bottle for example) will prevent labels from adhering properly. The adhesive bond becomes stronger as it ages. Our waterproof vinyl labels use a removable adhesive which holds strongly, yet removes easily (and without residue) from glass, metal and plastic surfaces, so they can be repositioned at any time, and re-used if you peel them off your container carefully and replace them on the carrier sheet they came on.
Q. What is the best way to be sure the labels are put on straight?
A. See the blog for a demo. Lay the container on its side on a flat surface so you can look down at it. Peel the label off the carrier sheet. Hold the label at the top center and the bottom center edges, visually line it into position above the container, then carefully press onto the surface at those points. Rub it down carefully from the center out to the edges.
Q. I bought some bottles of beer and wine and want to put my own custom labels on them, but I have to remove the existing labels. What is the best way to do that?
A. There are several types of adhesives used to apply labels to bottles. The most common is a water-soluble adhesive, which can be removed by soaking the bottles — labels submerged — in warm, soapy water. They will usually slip off after a few minutes. If not, allow them to soak in the warm soapy water overnight. If a petroleum-based adhesive is used, heat the label with a hair dryer to soften the adhesive. If this does not work, soak the bottles — labels submerged — overnight in hot, soapy water. They will generally have softened enough to scrub off. You can of course opt to put the labels over the top of the existing labels, which if you are not too particular, will work fine if your new label is larger than the one on the bottle.