How much do you spend on packaging/labels?

[Katina Grimm]

I use parchment paper, run landscape bands on the computer, cut 4 bands per sheet, run yarn through punched holes & tie it off..probably about .03 cents per bar, maybe. My yarn is from WalMart and is a 500 yard skein with 4 strands, I separate it & now I have 1000 yards of yarn. Really cheap..

Could you post a picture?

 

[SoaperForLife]

I do a two cigar band wrap - the first band is colorful scrapbook paper and the 2nd is a cream colored band with all my logo and all the info on it. A few years ago I decided to change my bars so that I could fit more on my craft show display shelves. Since only the corners are exposed I could get away without using shrink wrap and the customers could smell the bars (but I use shrink wrap anyway).

 

[SoapOfTheNorth]

I've used a bunch of different labeling and packaging. I like to design labels using Publisher and printing 4 per page. I also like brown kraft paper with labels I design and stick on. Pretty printed paper with a label is nice too. I tried boxes and didn't really care for it. Some wraps I like more rustic and some more sophisticated. It's almost as fun for me as making the soap. None of these are very expensive, pennies per bar.


Good info in the blog! I always list my ingredients as saponified oils of _____.

I love the Kraft labels... I find they don't hold up well in bathrooms.. the ink fades and comes off over time.. what has your experience been?

 

[dalewaite48]

Smoky Bay

• dalewaite48
• Apr 18, 2019

I wrap my with Kraft paper and then put a transparent label over the top of it. I just started doing this way a month or so ago. I used to print right onto the Kraft paper and then pre-crease the paper to match the soap size, but found many times the crease to not always come out where it needed to on the soap. Now I don't crease them at all, I just lay my soap onto the Kraft paper and crease it as I wrap the bar. Then I attach my pre-printed transparent label to Kraft paper. I makes for a nice clean looking label that always comes out perfectly where it needs to lay onto the soap. The Kraft wrap cost about $.20 cents per label and the transparent label cost $0.062 cents per label so ends up being about 26 cents per bar of soap.

 

[Lin19687]

I love the Kraft labels... I find they don't hold up well in bathrooms.. the ink fades and comes off over time.. what has your experience been?

How long are you talking about it being in the bathroom out in the open? I think most people put them in a Linen closet. I have not had any issues with kraft paper printed on.

 

[cmzaha]

I've used a bunch of different labeling and packaging. I like to design labels using Publisher and printing 4 per page. I also like brown kraft paper with labels I design and stick on. Pretty printed paper with a label is nice too. I tried boxes and didn't really care for it. Some wraps I like more rustic and some more sophisticated. It's almost as fun for me as making the soap. None of these are very expensive, pennies per bar.

Good info in the blog! I always list my ingredients as saponified oils of _____.

As far as FDA goes saponified oil of ..... does not work, they do not recognize the term Saponified Coconut Oil, etc. If you want to list what comes out of the pot which is the sapoinified oil of comes into play you would use the saponified term of the oils such as sodium palmate for palm and sodium Olivate for Olive Oil. Problem with labeling out the pot is the fact none of use know exactly what is still intact after saponification such as how much glycerin is in the bar of soap. So this leaves the best way to label is to use either the INCI method or the common name method. I used to use INCI but years ago changed to common names, in descending order.

As for using just bands they can loosen up so much over time you end up having to relable. I can take a heat gun with me and quickly tighten up shrink wrap soaps when at a market. I will say I have never lost a sale using shrink and I sell at a very diversified market at a large hospital.

 

[earlene]

How long are you talking about it being in the bathroom out in the open? I think most people put them in a Linen closet. I have not had any issues with kraft paper printed on.

But not everyone has a linen closet. In fact, I didn't have one for years and years. I believe this house is the first house I've owned with a linen closet (and it is upstairs, whereas our master bath is downstairs, a good distance away, so the soap in the bathroom is in the cupboard under the sink.)

 

[Lin19687]

@earlene Mine too. I don't remember having any issue with soap under the sink......... unless it got wet
That was why I asked how long left out. Just curious why "ink fades and comes off over time" meant.

 

[Andrew]

for soap that I do not make regularly or soap I am giving away I use these. For the other soap, I put them in a kraft box and then put on a full wrap around label. That is significantly more expensive, but stores and ships well.

 

[earlene]

@earlene Mine too. I don't remember having any issue with soap under the sink......... unless it got wet
That was why I asked how long left out. Just curious why "ink fades and comes off over time" meant.

I assume (not being the person this happened to) that it may be the quality of the ink in combination with the texture of the paper. In my experience laser printers create a better quality than ink jet printers, and I have had inkjet ink smear or wear off of rough paper quite easily during handling.

 

[dixiedragon]

I like to cover my labels with clear tape to waterproof them myself. I looked at the water resistant labels on Online Labels and it was a huge price jump from the basic paper label to a waterproof label. I've gotten super picky about the tape I buy, though. The tape at dollar stores is terrible and just shreds. Measure the tape against the tube - some brands are just a TOUCH wider.

 

[Andrew]

I assume (not being the person this happened to) that it may be the quality of the ink in combination with the texture of the paper. In my experience laser printers create a better quality than ink jet printers, and I have had inkjet ink smear or wear off of rough paper quite easily during handling.

ink vs toner IMHO toner wins

 

[sudszensoaps]

As far as FDA goes saponified oil of ..... does not work, they do not recognize the term Saponified Coconut Oil, etc. If you want to list what comes out of the pot which is the sapoinified oil of comes into play you would use the saponified term of the oils such as sodium palmate for palm and sodium Olivate for Olive Oil. Problem with labeling out the pot is the fact none of use know exactly what is still intact after saponification such as how much glycerin is in the bar of soap. So this leaves the best way to label is to use either the INCI method or the common name method. I used to use INCI but years ago changed to common names, in descending order.

As for using just bands they can loosen up so much over time you end up having to relable. I can take a heat gun with me and quickly tighten up shrink wrap soaps when at a market. I will say I have never lost a sale using shrink and I sell at a very diversified market at a large hospital.

I've listed ingredients in descending order as well, but have taken the ' saponified oils of ____' idea from other soaps I have purchased. People don't understand when sodium hydroxide is listed as an ingredient. Since I don't claim any properties on my soap no one really cares. I only give them to friends and family. I have used shrink wrap, back when I sold. I find it does not lend itself to the natural vibe of hand crafted soap. To each their own, no two styles alike.

 

[Bladesmith]

Yeah, I have seen the saponified oils of ___ from some pretty big companies. I was trying to figure out if that was okay. Seems like it is?

For example, Zum bar does it.

 

[earlene]

And do people know what saponified oil means?

 

[Susie]

99% of the population does not know what saponified means. The rest of us are soapers or in the chemistry fields. I use plain names of what goes in the pot. I do use *no sodium hydroxide remains in soap at the bottom on my bars I sell. For friends and family, I don't. Nor do I bother with weights. Only when it has to be legal do I bother.

I just got started shrink wrapping, LOVE IT!!! I still print labels on my home printer on colored stock and cut by hand to put under the shrink wrap. I am desperately trying to fix that, but I can't justify the expense yet. The soap has to bring in enough money for the added expense of labels and professional printing. Not to mention that I have so many different scents right now that it would not be easy to have 48 different labels created.

 

[sudszensoaps]

99% of the population does not know what saponified means. The rest of us are soapers or in the chemistry fields. I use plain names of what goes in the pot. I do use *no sodium hydroxide remains in soap at the bottom on my bars I sell. For friends and family, I don't. Nor do I bother with weights. Only when it has to be legal do I bother.

I just got started shrink wrapping, LOVE IT!!! I still print labels on my home printer on colored stock and cut by hand to put under the shrink wrap. I am desperately trying to fix that, but I can't justify the expense yet. The soap has to bring in enough money for the added expense of labels and professional printing. Not to mention that I have so many different scents right now that it would not be easy to have 48 different labels created.

Susie, you get a cutter instead of using scissors, office supply stores have them. You could create your own stick on label with a Xyron. You could buy Avery stick on labels and use their on line program for labels. Incredibly inexpensive options.

 

[earlene]

99% of the population does not know what saponified means. The rest of us are soapers or in the chemistry fields. I use plain names of what goes in the pot. I do use *no sodium hydroxide remains in soap at the bottom on my bars I sell. For friends and family, I don't. Nor do I bother with weights. Only when it has to be legal do I bother.

I just got started shrink wrapping, LOVE IT!!! I still print labels on my home printer on colored stock and cut by hand to put under the shrink wrap. I am desperately trying to fix that, but I can't justify the expense yet. The soap has to bring in enough money for the added expense of labels and professional printing. Not to mention that I have so many different scents right now that it would not be easy to have 48 different labels created.

Agreed.

Regarding hand cutting your labels. My MIL used to have a stamping hobby & when she gave it up, I got her paper cutting/trimming tools. Walmart and many other places that sell crafting stuff sell them. I notice they are not all that cheap, but not as expensive as the old-fashioned office supply style paper cutters. Anyway, if you know anyone who stamps (card making and that sort of thing) maybe they might have a spare they could give you in trade for some soap.

Here's what I'm talking about:

 

[Susie]

Just got that and decided I was never using scissors again to cut labels. WONDERFUL tool for OCD soapers! Nice straight lines, no weird shapes.

 

[sudszensoaps]

And do people know what saponified oil means?

No, but they don't like or understand 'lye' or 'sodium hydroxide' either.