Custom General Purpose Labels

Choosing General Purpose Labels Material and Adhesive

Paper labels are the most common and cheapest choice. Uncoated paper takes pen and printer ink well, which makes it ideal for labels you will write on. Gloss or matt coated paper gives brighter print and a smoother feel but can smudge ballpoint ink, so test before choosing it for handwritten labels.

For labels that face moisture, handling or cold, such as on jars in a fridge or boxes in a damp stock room, a film label in white or clear polypropylene lasts much longer. It resists tearing and does not wrinkle when wet.

Adhesive matters as much as the face material. Permanent adhesive suits parcels and products. Removable adhesive peels off cleanly and suits shelf labels, files and anything that changes regularly. Freezer-grade adhesive is available for labels going on chilled or frozen goods.

Kraft paper labels are a further option for brands with a natural look, though dark kraft makes fine print and handwriting harder to read. p3 Film labels for wet conditions are covered on our BOPP labels page.

Shapes, Sizes and Layouts

Rectangles with rounded corners are the most practical shape, as they peel easily and fit most surfaces. Circles suit jar lids, bag seals and envelopes. Ovals and custom die-cut shapes are available if the label needs to match a product or brand mark.

When choosing a size, think about the longest line of text it must hold. An address label needs room for a long street name and postcode in a readable font; a shelf label needs a product name, code and price box; a seal needs only a logo. If the labels will run through an office printer, tell us your printer and we can match a standard sheet layout so your existing templates line up.

Leaving a clearly defined writing or printing area in a pale colour keeps added details legible. Dark backgrounds look striking but leave nowhere to write. p2 Round seals for bags and envelopes follow our circle stickers page for diameter advice.

Common Uses Across a Business

Return address labels with a logo are the most popular single use, closely followed by product and stock labels with a space for a code. Retailers use round seals to close tissue paper and paper bags. Makers use rectangular labels on jars, pots and candles where a full product label is not needed. Offices use them for file spines, archive boxes and asset tags on equipment.

One print run can often cover several of these jobs if you design a flexible layout: logo at one end, a blank area for details, and perhaps a small line for date or initials.

Hospitality and food businesses often use them as allergen or date labels on prep containers, with a printed grid for the item, the date made and a use-by day. Event organisers print simple round labels for lanyards, goody bags and table numbers. Trades businesses stick a branded label inside a boiler cupboard or on a fuse board with a space for the service date, so the customer knows exactly who to call next time.

Tips for a Smooth First Order

Before ordering, stick a plain sample label on the actual surface it will go on, such as a cardboard box, glass jar or plastic tub, and leave it overnight. Some surfaces, like textured card or curved plastic, need a stronger adhesive or a smaller label to stay flat.

Count how many labels you use in a typical month and order several months at once; labels keep well in a cool, dry drawer, and longer runs bring the unit price down. If you think the design might change soon, start with a smaller run and reorder once the layout settles.

Ask for a few spare sheets if you print variable details yourself, so you can test alignment without wasting good labels.

Keep your artwork file simple and editable. If a phone number or address changes later, you want to be able to update one line and reprint quickly rather than start a design again from scratch. p3 Sequentially numbered versions are described on our die-cut roll labels page.

Stick a Plain Label to the Real Surface Overnight

General purpose labels fail on the surface, not in the print. A textured kraft carton, a curved plastic tub and a cold jar each need a different adhesive, and the only reliable test is to stick a plain label of the same material to the actual surface and look at it the next morning. Do that before you order, then tell us the surface, the size and whether anything will be written or printed on the label afterwards.

If the labels run through an office printer, name the printer so we match a standard sheet layout and your templates line up. If they go on a dispenser, give the core size. Count a month's use and order several months, since the unit price falls with the run. The custom quote arrives by email within one working day, from £0.25, with the minimum set per job.

The free proof shows the label at actual size and the full sheet or roll layout. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and the labels reach UK mainland addresses by free tracked delivery. Businesses that post a lot usually add our printed address labels with a logo in the same stock.