Miscellaneous

Home Canning & Labeling Resources

canning tips & free label templates resources

Thousands of people can their own foods at home, and more people are getting involved in this form of food preservation all of the time. Canning is not something you should just jump right into though, there are some basics that need to be known to avoid problems with the food spoiling when not preserved properly. It is also very easy to get sick eating canned food if it is not canned the proper way.

We love to provide resources for our customers, and since home canning is so popular we figured a good resource on the topic would be helpful to many of you. In this post we cover some food preservation basics, as well as safety tips, and last but not least, links to some nice canning label templates.

The holiday seasons are a great time for giving, and giving friends and family some of your delicious homemade preserves can make a very nice gift.

Beginner Canning Resources

Home Canning FAQ – Here is an excellent resource for home canning beginners. This guide covers the most basic canning techniques and goes into some of the more complex techniques and tips.
A Beginners Guide to Canning – This is a great guide for beginners and it can give you a basic understanding about how canning works, the history of canning, and advice and directions for getting started.
Food in Jars – Canning 101 – Food in Jars is a popular site that is dedicated to providing reliable and relevant information about canning. The Canning 101 page on their site is a good one, and it covers a wide range of topics to answer your simple to tough questions.
National Center for Home Food Preservation – The NCHFP website is a very important resource that is loaded with all kinds of quality information related to home food preservation.
Complete Guide to Home Canning – Having a handy guide to reference when you are just getting started with canning can be a nice asset. Here is a complete guide to home canning created by the USDA.

Canning Safety

Keeping Your Family Safe – When it comes to home canning there are many important factors that you need to pay attention to. This article goes over some of these things so you ensure the health of you and your family.
Home Canning and Botulism – Botulism is a rare, but very dangerous disease that is caused by a bacteria called “Clostridium botulinum”. Improperly preserved canned goods can develop the spores that can cause botulism, so following proper canning procedures is important to prevent the disease.
Home Canning Safety Ti p s – Canning safety is extremely important since canned foods can become a breeding ground for germs if they are not preserved properly.
Safety First when Home Canning – This article gives a nice overview of home canning procedures and safety precautions. The more you learn about home canning safety, the safer all of your canned goods will be.

Canning Label Templates

Garden Therapy Free Printable Canning Labels – Garden Therapy has some nice canning label templates that work great with 2″ round labels that are meant for mason jar lids.
Canning Lid Label Designs – Here are some more nice free label downloads to help make your canning project be more organized. In addition to these canning labels, the site also has some excellent free Christmas label downloads.
Free Mason Jar Label Designs – Limeshot has another nice selection of canning labels for you to download, they also include instructions on how they use these styles of labels. If you prefer to avoid the glue you can purchase the blank labels to print them on.
Printable Jam Labels – This site has these awesome jam labels that you can download if jellies are what you plan on canning. Jams make great holiday gifts for friends and loved ones as well, so these labels can help you give a nice personalized, homemade gift.
Canning Labels – Here is a selection of high quality labels that will work perfect for any canning project that you are working on.

Want to Prevent Labeling Disaster? QC Tech Makes No Mistake

Got milk?

A label for one bread crumbs manufacturer did not. Last year, their simple labeling error failing to list “milk” as an ingredient led to nine Class I FDA recalls for more than 3.5 million pounds of food.

Make no mistake: When it comes to labeling, the stakes couldn’t be higher. You’re holding people’s lives in your hands, sometimes quite literally. The smallest labeling errors can quickly become breaking news nightmares on CNN.

And even beyond the FDA and criticality issues, labeling mistakes threaten the success of marketing campaigns and compliance. Shoddy labeling can deter a sale, as well as incur substantial fines from big box stores and online retailers.

It’s enough to keep any manufacturer up all night, whether you’re Chef Boyardee or a small craft brewery bottling IPAs in your basement.

Want to sleep great at night? Implement a system of quality control (QC). It’s practically melatonin for any manufacturer looking to destress. Detect a labeling error while the product’s still on the line and the adhesive’s still sticky and not overly aggressive. QC measures catch problems before they become exponentially expensive.

The 3 Primary Approaches to Quality Control

The good news is QC technology is prevalent, easy to use, and can integrate seamlessly to solve nearly any challenge presented by the most robust labeling systems. It only depends on how intricate an analysis you choose to implement, according to the criticality, expense, and complexity of the labeling production.

Essentially, there are three technological methods to ensure quality labeling: photoelectric sensors, ultraviolet detection, and visual camera inspection. Each of these can be integrated cooperatively together to assure reliable compliance.

Photoelectric Sensors use infrared light to analyze the contrast between the label and the background of the product to ensure the presence of a label.

Ultraviolet Detection uses electromagnetic radiation to detect the presence of ultraviolet responsive ink on a label. It is used to detect a label that does not have a contrast detectable by a photoelectric sensor, such as a white label on a white product.

Visual Camera Inspection takes a photo of a label to provide a deeper inspection into the quality of the label itself. As highly sophisticated QC, camera inspection can accept or reject according to acutely specific quality standards at accelerated cycle rates. It does more than just tell if a label is present – it can determine if the label is positioned correctly. It can evaluate text on a label, measure color coding as well as the accuracy of a barcode. It can read batch codes, lot numbers, or expiration dates. And yes, it can tell you if the label for a dairy related product accurately lists “milk” as an ingredient.

Yet even the best QC tech should always be used in conjunction with traditional manual inspection through spot checking. There is always the risk computers have been programmed incorrectly, or that sensors have been configured for the wrong setup. Despite the benefits of technology, there’s still nothing better than a set of eyes at the end of the line to guarantee a product is bonafide shelf worthy.

How to Strategize Priority in QC Integration

In any healthy relationship, communication is essential. To implement the best quality assurance, first find out what issues are most critical to the customers you supply. What are their biggest concerns, challenges, and priorities when it comes to accuracy and critical error? What are they looking for? What keeps them awake at night? Don’t just guess or assume what’s critical or a priority. Quantify concrete specifications to which the QC needs to conform through clear and open communication with the client who receives your product.

Next, take that information to your labeling distributor or supplier and pick their brain. At CTM Labeling Systems, we insist on reaching out to the companies who use our label applicators to determine what criticalities are at stake. Then we can sit down together and discuss what QC technologies should be implemented to ensure quality, accuracy, and compliance throughout the labeling process.

Perfect Labeling Evolving in the Flow of Continuity

When it comes to labeling systems, everything is on the line, both literally and figuratively. The criticality of immediately identifying errors cannot be overstated. QC technology provides efficient and comprehensive tools to ensure the integrity of labeling productions. Nevertheless, manual human inspection continues to be an essential cog in any quality assurance integration.

Naturally, as companies grow and evolve, so do their labeling systems and their needs for QC. Say you start out as a small brewery hand-labeling bottles in the family garage. As business improves and expands, your labeling needs grow conjunctively, as do concerns for accuracy against critical error. Rather than simply adding on new features and QC measures, it is often best to start fresh with a new labeling and QC system that can better handle this new stage of evolution. Talk to your labeling systems provider about what options might suit you best.

In the end, you can achieve a robust labeling and QC system that meets your needs and identifies critical errors right on the production belt. The FDA never knocks on your door. Nobody gets sick or poisoned. CNN calls someone else. Life continues to flow smoothly like the beltway of product continuously streaming off your manufacturing line, every package labeled correctly and ready for the shelf.

They can quote larger and more valuable opportunities and accept more projects.

Want to learn more about how to get the most out of your next labeling project? Check out CTM Labeling Systems’ FREE GUIDE, “The Secret to Planning a Labeling System.”

Guest Post By Ed Schneider | July 16, 2018

Ed Schneider is the Director of Sales and Marketing for CTM Labeling Systems — a leading manufacturer of pressure sensitive labeling systems located in Salem, Ohio. He has held this role for over 10 years.

Prior to joining the team at CTM, Ed spent 22 years with a major plumbing manufacturer in Salem, Ohio where he held various positions during his professional development, ultimately holding the position of Plant Manager for 7 years prior to his departure and current position held at CTM.

Ed earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Malone University in Canton, Ohio where he received his degree in Business Management. Ed currently resides in Columbiana, Ohio with his wife Cindy.

How To Make Labels For Bottles

Making bottle labels can be easy and fun. Whether printing yourself or buying from a printer, any bottle label will need to be determined by a few important factors:

Determine your quantity needs and production schedule
Choose a size label to fit your bottle and design
Pick a label material for your bottle’s use requirements
Determine your label type: rolls, sheets, or cut-to-size
Printing your labels or buying custom labels printed

Understanding Quantity Needs For Ordering

Knowing your quantity requirements is one of the main ingredients to putting together a solid purchasing plan to keep your costs efficient and your output on schedule. Bulk ordering can significantly lower production costs and save you time and money, but over ordering can also leave you with unusable inventory when certain products become obsolete, updated or require new designs.

Be careful to understand dynamic market forces and how they can affect your purchasing. You may print in house with an inkjet printer and soon learn that a laser printer is much easier for your increased volume demand, or you may choose a printed roll label for label applicator and later find that you need a larger production applicator that requires a different direction of label placement.

Choosing a Label Size & Shape

Label sizes can be found in a wide range of stocked sizes and shapes, and custom sizes or shapes may be made easily with new tooling to match your exact need. Its typically easy to find a size that is already stocked or for which tooling has been made.

Shapes can include square, rectangle, circle, oval, triangle or any custom die cutout to match our logo or design ploy. Some standard unique shapes include starburst, diamond & heart shapes that are readily available off the shelf or through a digital printing setup.

Bottle Label Material Options

Some of the widely used bottle labels include bopp, paper, or finished materials, and most of these options include gloss or matte laminate options depending on the process you choose. Obviously if you are using a label for an oil bottle or a refrigerated product, you’ll want something waterproof or resistant to the climate for the life of the label’s usage.

Paper labels are a great way to save money for products that don’t need the overkill of vinyl or bopp. A nice laminate or finished paper label can bring out an amazing appearance to your design and be the perfect solution for a professional product appearance that won’t destroy your profit margin.

Blank label materials can sometimes work on both laser or inkjet printers, but often you’ll find specific labels for laser printing or inkjet printing. Make sure you find the right material for your printing method if printing yourself, and make note that the ink from these printers will have a different look to your design – they are not always interchangeable when considering your brand consistency.

Label Type Options For Your Bottles

Determining the type of label will come back to a few factors such as knowing your volume, size & shape, and application requirements. Labels are typically available on sheets, rolls or cut to size. If you’re buying blank bottle labels, you’ll likely be purchasing sheets to be fed in your injket or laser printer. You can also buy custom printed bottle labels at great prices on lower volumes for most hand applied bottle labels, and another great option for hand applying is printed cut-to-size labels.

Custom roll labels are great for higher volumes, usually over 500 labels minimum, depending on the label size, and these labels come in variable layouts for either hand or machine applicator requirements. Roll labels form digital UV printers offer a wide variety of materials as well as laminating options for extra sheen and protection against the elements.

Printing Yourself or Buying Printed Labels

Printing labels on your printer can be easy and rewarding, as well as cost effective. You also have to consider factors such as time, ink costs, and artwork setup requirements that can be a setback to self printing. Purchasing custom labels is often a great way to take the burden off the process and even save money at any volume of label requirements.

Create Food Labels that Consumers Can Trust

create trustworthy labels

In 2017, customers are getting savvier and savvier about the ways they spend the money in their wallets and the foods they put into their mouths. Even though FDA labels are meant to inform consumers about the nutritional value of a food item, they are often not clear enough for many consumers to deem them trustworthy.

It’s no secret that food manufacturers sometimes lie and mislead consumers to get them to purchase a less-than-perfect food product. But in 2017, customers are getting savvier and savvier about the ways they spend the money in their wallets and the foods they put into their mouths. Even though FDA labels are meant to inform consumers about the nutritional value of a food item, they are often not clear enough for many consumers to deem them trustworthy.

Throughout this article, we’ll talk about what makes clear and concise food labels that customers can really trust.

Get Real About Serving Sizes

First of all, FDA labels tend to throw shoppers for a loop when it comes to determining the safety and health benefits of a product, mainly because serving sizes are so unrealistic. While the sugar, fat, or calorie content may seem low at first glance, it’s often unrealistic that the product would be consumed in that small of amount—so in reality, the actual fat, sugar, and calorie content is much higher.

Instead, be honest and upfront about serving sizes. Customers will either care that the sugar content is higher than they expected or they won’t—but ultimately, they’ll appreciate the transparency from your company.

Don’t Throw Around the Words Organic, Natural, or Grass-Fed

All natural, organic, cage-free, and grass-fed products are all the hype right now. However, throwing those words around carelessly may have the opposite effect on shoppers if the words aren’t used correctly. Plus, shoppers are now realizing the real definitions of organic, natural, grass-fed, or cage-free, and brands will have a harder time misleading them or tricking them into purchasing something that doesn’t stay true to its claims.

Understand FDA Labels and Food Regulations

While there are no real regulations when it comes to labelling products as natural or all-natural, consumers generally only want brands to use these terms if they mean it. If a product doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, or synthetic additives, it’s probably safe to say it’s all-natural. However, it’s difficult for companies to label anything as all-natural if there is any sort of processing involved.

To ensure that your company is staying on top of the most recent FDA labels and regulations, be sure to visit the FDA’s website for updated information.

Effective Colors for Label Design

The Psychology of Color

The psychology of color plays an essential role in the way that products are viewed by consumers. What does this mean? Marketers need to take the time to understand the importance and impact of color when it comes to labeling and brand identity. A brands impact on consumers can be heavily swayed by color, font, and calls to action on a products labels.

There are other important elements to consider when you are choosing your label materials, and one of them is matching the colors used on the label to the actual package design. You do not want your label to clash with the packaging, so choosing the best colors that look good together is a factor.

Colors and Influence

Red

One of the boldest colors to use in your label design is red. It can help your product stand out when sitting next to competitors products. Red is associated with impulse buying, excitement, and warmth.

Blue

Blue is associated with trust and reliability, as well as feelings of calmness and security. This makes it another one of the more popular colors to be used in different types of design. Blue is also the color that is commonly preferred by men.

Orange

Orange is said to create feelings of warmth and vitality, and is also tied to excitement and adventure. It is an energetic color, which is why it invokes positive, warm emotions.

Green

These days green is often associated with the environment and eco-friendly products, and many people that energy conscious are attracted to the color. Green is also associated with feelings of good luck and tranquility. Green is thought to relieve stress and can create a calming effect for consumers.

White

White is another popular color because of its simplicity and it will match well with any other color. It represents purity, cleanliness, and simplicity.

Yellow

Yellow is the most attention grabbing color that there is, this is because it is the most visible color when used for design. It is associated with cheerful and warm emotions. It is important to not over use yellow in design, because too much of it can have a negative impact because it causes fatigue to the eyes.

Brown

Brown is another color that is often associated with natural products, and it can create feelings of comfort and security.

Other Factors to Remember

Actual Package Color (or product color if clear)

When choosing colors for your label printing you need to make sure that the colors you choose will be compatible with the actual package color. If the packaging that your brand is clear then you need to make sure that the label colors are compatible with the color of the actual product.

Fonts/Legibility

The font is another element that needs to be considered. It should be an easy to read font, and it should also be big enough so people are not straining their eyes to read it. Legibility is a very important factor in all different areas of design, because if people cannot read the product label, they most likely will not buy it.

7 Ways to Ensure a Product’s Package is Retail Ready

It’s a fact, retail shelves and shoppers discriminate and they’ll judge your product’s packaging for what it is or isn’t. You might have thought the hardest part of getting your product on the market was getting a spot on store shelves, but who wants a product that just sits there collecting dust? About 1/3 of buying decisions are based on a product’s packaging. Here are 7 ways you can ensure your product’s packaging is market ready.

Ensure Packaging is Functional and Stands Out

When you look down a store aisle, do similar containers catch your eye or do uniquely shaped containers pull you in? Choose packaging that suits your product, yet also helps it stand out from your competitors. Even well-known brands often repackage their product to keep up with changing consumer needs and interests. In 2011, the iconic Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey spirit bottle was refined with a more pronounced square shoulder and simplified label to continue the legacy of the brand’s distinct look.

Packaging for convenience with the consumer in mind is another important factor. Packaging needs to be functional, durable, and easy to access. Consider whether the product needs to be squeezed, poured, sprayed, or consumed directly. Does it have a handle or none at all? The type of container, cap, and packaging material (e.g. glass or plastic— from clear, transparent, to colored) used helps to address these issues. It is necessary to note that stores have their own requirements too, in terms of packaging sizes and other preconditions.

Product Information Transparency

Today’s breed of consumers demand information and want it in the easiest, most convenient way possible. According to the 2016 Label Insight Food Revolution Survey, 37% of consumers were willing to switch to another brand if the competing brand had more detailed product information. Make sure you sell your brand using clear and concise language. Provide important information on the product label, instructions for use, reasons why the product is better, and its benefits. Avoid an overload of content, misinformation, and most importantly, inconsistencies in your language. Your potential customer wants to be an informed consumer, not a confused reader.

Font Should Represent the Product

A packaging label’s font helps set the tone for the product’s brand. Using modern and easy to read letters allows consumers to quickly scan for information. Font style, size, and color stirs up various types of consumer emotions. Make sure you’re connecting with the right audience (age, gender, race, and lifestyle) for the right reasons. Is your product more formal and serious or fun and youthful? Black creates a serious tone, whereas green is happy and often associated with healthy products. Too much or too little of the same color can also affect product perception.

Visuals Bring the Content to Life

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then purchasing decisions are based on visual appearance. Images on labels help connect shoppers to a product and visually provide an explanation for the product’s use. Products such as air fresheners come in various scents and to convey this to the consumer, images or colors of flowers representing the scent can help to define the smell more than the word itself.

Disclose Important Regulatory and Warning Information

From potential allergies consumers can avoid to hazardous or poisonous products, risks associated with your product should be clearly stated on the label. Certain industries have to comply with specific federal, state, and local requirements and at times, may require certification. These regulations are in place to protect the consumer, from warning labels, heath risks, to nutritional facts. How this material is presented and its format on the product’s label design must meet necessary provisions.

Hire a Professional Designer

Product labels are a form of advertisement, offering a sneak peak to what is inside the packaging. Trained label designers can create labels that give a product more direction and a clear message. They can also help select complimentary fonts or visuals to make the product unique. More experienced designers can provide better feedback based on their previous work with clients who have similar products

Find a Good Label Printer

While printing your labels with your home printer is an affordable option, selecting a good printing company will provide you with more high-quality labels. Printers can offer advice on potential problems a label artwork may have on the press and can work with you to select a label material that works best with your packaging. They also can mass produce product labels quickly and efficiently into various printed label styles and sizes that suit your packaging needs.

Nothing beats a great product but the packaging is the first impression consumers have of a product, be it online or in store. Think of it as persuasive elements that guide someone to pull the buy trigger. Packaging can tell a brand’s inspiring story or can be used as an additional marketing tool for other forms of product engagement, from recipes, sweepstakes, QR codes that are scanned with smartphones, to peel and seal product information labels or coupons. Just make sure you have the basic ingredients to making your product consumer and retail friendly before taking the plunge.

Case Study: Labels At Cottage Door Press

Cottage Door Press publishes high-quality board books for babies and toddlers. Seeing a book go from concept to finished product is fun and rewarding—but it’s not a quick process. Once our work is done and we’ve sent our finished files to the printer, we wait several months to receive the first boxes of the printed books.

While we wait, our sales team is busy presenting our newest titles to book buyers. But without the printed books, what can our buyers review? That’s where label paper comes in! We print our finished files onto label paper (we use the repositionable matte finish paper) and then apply the printed label paper to blank white “dummy” books that are the same size and shape as the real thing.

The “comp” books that we create are a great way to give buyers a good understanding of the finished book, especially for new concepts like this Lift-a-Pop™ book, which combines lift-a-flaps with pop-ups

Contribute a Guest Post Article

Interested in writing a guest blog post for SheetLabels.com? Send us an inquiry or an article to review. Pitches should be relevant in topic, 350 or more words, contain valid trustworthy resource links, and they should be well written.

Some of our guest post categories may include topics around:

food production & packaging
beer & wine, home-brewing, craft breweries
diy label and sticker projects
planner stickers
product packaging & design
useful industry infographs and statistics

Please review our products before submitting articles and make sure you’ll be providing some useful tips & information to our audience. We are happy to share your work to get the message out!

Requirements

Please ensure all content is original and any images have usage rights requirements met. No plagiarism or hurtful, hateful content. Please ensure correct spelling and grammar before submitting articles.

Remove The Static From Your Labels Instantly

remove static from label sheets

Ever try to throw a stack of labels into a printer only to find out that they are ‘magically’ stuck together? Static can make labels hard to separate or run through your laser or even inkjet printer.

This blog is going to walk you through the process of removing static from your label sheets! The process is quick and easy and by the time you’re done, using your labels is going to be a breeze!

Removing Static From Labels in Seconds

First, you are going to place your stack of label sheets on a hard, flat surface. Hold one side of the label sheets firmly in your hand. Now, pickup and fan the opposite side.

Next, repeat the process for the opposite side of the sheets of labels.

You are going to continue this process until the static is no longer between your sheets of labels.

Again, removing static from between your sheets of labels is going to help your labels run through your printer with ease!

5 Things to Know About Labeling Frozen Foods

According to the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), the ability to freeze food is the act of pressing nature’s pause button. Frozen foods provide the benefit of affordability, convenience, food safety, and food freshness. And in celebration of frozen foods, the month of March is dedicated to Frozen Food Month. However, frozen foods must meet all regulations and requirements for USDA and FDA labels. Below, we’ll discuss these guidelines in more detail to help you put your best foot forward during Frozen Food Month.

1. Follow USDA Guidelines

A lot of work goes into the creation of food and beverage products, and frozen foods are no exception. If your frozen food products include meat or eggs, you need to follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) frozen food guidelines. While these are only the basic guidelines, all frozen foods regulated by the USDA must contain the following information on the product label: the product name, a handling statement, safe handling instructions, an inspection legend, net weight information, an ingredients list (including all potential allergens), a nutrition facts label, and the company’s name and address.

2. Follow FDA Guidelines

All pre-packaged frozen foods not monitored by the USDA are monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Like frozen foods monitored by the USDA, FDA labels must contain the following information: the name of the food product (or a statement of identity), the net weight of the product, the company’s name and address, a list of ingredients, and a nutrition facts label. As you can see, the main difference between USDA and FDA labels is the need to include safe handling instructions on USDA labels.

3. Single State Guidelines

Generally, smaller food companies do not need to follow federal labeling regulations if the food product is only sold in the state it is produced. However, frozen food manufacturers must always follow their state’s specific food guidelines. To learn more about your specific state’s food service regulations, visit the FDA’s website.

4. Small Business Exemptions

While all meat and egg product producers must follow USDA guidelines, many small business are exempt from FDA labeling regulations. Visit the FDA’s website for additional small business labeling regulations.

5. Freezer-Grade FDA Labels

In addition to the rules and regulations of labeling frozen foods, the product label material you use is another important factor to consider. At SheetLabels.com, we sell agriculture labels, food product labels, and more. When it comes to labeling frozen foods, you mustn’t use anything less than strong and long-lasting weatherproof or all temperature product labels. For example, our Vinyl Laser Weatherproof labels can be used in temperatures as low as 30 below, and our White Polyester Weatherproof labels may be used in temperatures as low as 40 below.

Other freezer-friendly label options include our White Uncoated All Temperature labels (which are FDA-approved and suitable for temperatures as low as 65 below) or our High-Tack White Polyester Weatherproof labels (which are suitable for temperatures as low as 45 below). When you sell frozen foods, your labels need to withstand freezing temperatures, and we have plenty of freezer-friendly labeling options for you to choose from. Contact us to learn more!