Shrink wrap & Labeling

[jennyannlowe]

I spent the weekend thinking about labeling, packaging & started working on graphics for my logo & brainstorming for company names.

I'm not by all means ready to sell but never too early to start thinking about what I would call my company when I'm ready. I can still go in and register my company name, get the DBA..once I've got a good one.

I made up a list a bunch of names and got my friends to give me their opinions & I think I've got it narrowed down.

I was gonna post my logo and potential company name ideas but I wasn't sure if that's a good idea until I've made it officially mine....is this something to consider? Cause I sure would like some feedback on what I have come up with so far. Ok to post it? Or should I send a PM to a couple of you for your opinion?

also started working on some graphics and a label and boy I'm glad I started working on it early because what a tedious chore that is! It's pretty challenging to try to come up with an original logo. I consider myself highly-skilled on the computer but it's mostly in the way of spreadsheets. I have worked in some graphic design but not much and it was really a headache to try to use Microsoft Word to create an original label..trying to create a logo & position it around the text that would be the soap name/company name.

So I've got a good start on that but what I really wanted to talk about is.....I'm gathering all the supplies that I have that could possibly be used for labeling soap.

I see some people just wrap paper bands around their soap & some shrink wrap.

I know that it's not good to shrink wrap until it is fully cured. What I'm thinking is this... I'll probably would only use a simple paper cardstock band around my bars of soap, but I also have Texas shaped soap & Rose shaped from silicone molds. I would not be able to fix a paper band around them.

I had to have a roll of gift wrap or shrink wrap, I'm not sure exactly what kind it is, I bought it at Target years ago. I think I can use it to shrink wrap. I also have a big roll of labels from a thrift store. It was really cheap & I guess these labels were probably used for some sort of specific machine. So I'm trying to think what would be the best way to use these labels in some fashion.

I can print paper bands using cardstock from my color printer & that I was thinking maybe I could shrink wrap the Texas & Rose soaps and use a sticker

I don't have a heat gun, so I haven't been able to test it yet. I have a hair dryer but it didn't really work out very well when I tried it.

At the thrift store where I bought the labels they had a bunch of heat guns for pretty cheap. I may go and get one.

I'm wondering how I could actually print on those labels without having to put it in the printer label by label on a piece paper. maybe there's a way I could efficiently print on these labels. Maybe I could use Word and some template. I haven't yet tried to feed the labels on the printer. Wanted to see what you guys think first.

I also have laminate sheets, I have plenty of them.

I also have a punch that is 1.5"x 1.5" and a hand held steamer that I've got at the same thrift store to steam my soaps for soda ash.

I'm gonna try and see if it would shrink them. if not I'll probably go and get a heat gun the thrift store.

anyway, I could really use some input about what do you think is most efficient way to use these materials to label my soaps for free at home?

If you have any bright ideas, let me know.

oh by the way, if I do end up getting some shrink wrap bands, not a whole lot just some for the Texas soap & Rose soap...where's the best deal?

I was looking at eBay & WSP and I saw they had 200 pieces for 6.95... but then next to it it says 4 to 50 piece. What does that mean?

I'm thinking it's probably better to go ahead and shrink wrap the Texas soaps because it being somewhat of a novelty, they might get handled too much.


anyway I appreciate any thoughts you have thanks

 

[snappyllama]

I like to use MS Publisher for my labels. I keep a "Master" document and then just copy/paste changes to name and ingredients. You could also look at the Avery website. They make it easy to create and save labels, but I like to use my own fonts...

I have no patience with trying to align label paper into my printer, so I use full page clear labels and then use a paper guillotine to cut out individual labels. Ten full labels with fronts/backs fit on a single sheet of label paper for me. I normally wait until I have 5 or 6 batches to label so there is little waste. Warning: if you have a laser printer, do not try to send a sheet through it more than once. The heat of the printer will mess up the sticky backing (ask me how i know).

I wrap mine in scrapbook paper. Each 12*12 paper is cut into 3 pieces (4*12). Then I wrap the soap like a present and stick a label on front and back. Tip for wrapping: use the bar as a guide on the sheet and then make creases against the tabletop. It will keep you from squishing the edges trying to get sharp corners (ask me how I know).

Since I only gift, I don't care that my recipients cannot see the soap design inside. If I sold (especially at craft shows), I don't think that approach would work since folks want to see what they are buying.

I don't have a heat gun but have found that my hair dryer works *okay* on jars and such. The trick is to find the sweet spot where the wrap is getting just the right amount of heat. Rubbing the freshly wrapped jar on a towel while the wrap is still hot helps smooth down any wrinkles.

 

[cmzaha]

I am with Snappy and use MS Publisher and a glossy paper that goes with my printer. Previously I used 2x4 label stock which Publisher is great for lining up correctly, but my labels would get to beat up with all the packing and unpacking, doing 4 markets per week. I purchase 4x6 shrink bags from Papermart, cut my labels with my Rototrim paper cutter, and now I put the label on the inside then shrink wrap over it. I have a smallish heat gun, from Michaels, that I keep in a bucket so when at market I can quickly tighten up packaging if necessary. I think when I started, 6 or 7 yrs ago, I tried every method. Wrapping in paper got beat up, would shrink and come loose, Cigar Band would fall off so it just did not work for me. We find the 2x4 labels will format well and wrap around most soaps.

 

[jennyannlowe]

Victory!! I finally was able to find a way to print my labels on this giant roll! I found this roll in a thrift store.. Ive been using it for a year and a half for other stuff so it was bigger when I got it. It was only like $10 I think. And they had more rolls. I only got one. Anyway...I had been printing my logo, using the punch but on my oddly shaped soap I can't put a band on, I have to shrink wrap. So I punched out the logo and then cut out laminate to put over it. Too much work!! I just wanted to print one kind of label to use on all...using the giant roll so it wouldn't cost me anything. Spent all evening doing it but I finally got my printer to print on them using an index card template. I remember now, it was a roll of 1000 4x6 sticky labels for $10. Yea me!

 

[penelopejane]

Congratulations your soap mold looks lovely.