Please recommend a printer for cosmetics labels

[parangles]

Can someone please recommend an older/used printer for some friends
who have a small cosmetics manufacturing business and want to start
printing their labels themselves. Current labels are non self
adhesive, water resistant printed (overcoated?), sizes from
2" X 2" to 4" X 8" , most have small, full color images, quantities
of individual labels per run are from 1,000 to 5,000, reliability/user
repairability is important as they are not near a large city. It would
be good if they could do ink refills themselves. Any suggestions would
be really appreciated !

 

[ato_zee]

Can someone please recommend an older/used printer for some friends
who have a small cosmetics manufacturing business and want to start
printing their labels themselves.

A lot depends on what the labels are going to be applied to, and
how much waterproofing is required.
For good water resistance a colour laser printer might be a
possible choice. The toner is plastic fused into the paper
and pretty well waterproof. New they come with a warranty,
and produce good quality images. For similar quality
images with inkjets you need coated thicker paper and
waterproofing might be an issue.
With lasers you can use Avery or similar gummed stock,
if adhesive backed is needed. You can fit multiple labels
on a sheet.
For short production runs I once used Ulano Photo Stencil
to make a silkscreen(s), then used oil based ink. Oil based ink
is again fairly water resistant, and there is a wide choice
of inks for different substrates, card, plastic, fabric, or
whatever. So I was able to print directly onto the product,
no labels involved. One screen is needed for each colour,
and you need to get the registration of each image right,
or design so that it is less critical.

 

[parangles]

A lot depends on what the labels are going to be applied to, and
how much waterproofing is required.
For good water resistance a colour laser printer might be a
possible choice. The toner is plastic fused into the paper
and pretty well waterproof. New they come with a warranty,
and produce good quality images. For similar quality
images with inkjets you need coated thicker paper and
waterproofing might be an issue.
With lasers you can use Avery or similar gummed stock,
if adhesive backed is needed. You can fit multiple labels
on a sheet.
For short production runs I once used Ulano Photo Stencil

Thanks !
Screen printing would be too difficult for them with preparing
separations
and making positives, burning screens etc.
The labels only need to be water 'resistant' and not waterproof.
I had heard that color laser printing is not as good quality as
inkjet.
Wouldn't laser be acceptable quality for the small images of fruit
etc.
on plastic body lotion bottles ?

Can anyone recommend a specific brand/model laser for this
application ?

 

[Ivor Jones]

[snip]

: : Screen printing would be too difficult for them with
: : preparing separations
: : and making positives, burning screens etc.
: : The labels only need to be water 'resistant' and not
: : waterproof. I had heard that color laser printing is
: : not as good quality as inkjet.

For very high quality photo prints, I would agree. For most applications,
yours included, laser wins hands down.

: : Wouldn't laser be acceptable quality for the small
: : images of fruit etc.
: : on plastic body lotion bottles ?

Perfectly. Unless you're printing 10x8 photos or larger.

Ivor

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

Wouldn't laser be acceptable quality for the small images of fruit
etc.
on plastic body lotion bottles ?

Yes.
Color laser printers are very good for printing small images of fruit.
However, they are not acceptable for printing images of vegetables.

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

Wouldn't laser be acceptable quality for the small images of fruit
etc.
on plastic body lotion bottles ?

Yes.
Color laser printers are very good for printing small images of fruit.
However, they are not acceptable for printing images of vegetables.[/QUOTE]

Ummmm.....

 

[parangles]

Can anyone recommend a specific brand/model laser for this
application ?

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

Can anyone recommend a specific brand/model laser for this
application ?

Do you mean a brand of laser printer for printing vegetables?

I prefer inkjets for vegetables, whereas the laser process is better for
fruits. The image is more durable, too, as others have pointed out.

Essences of vegetables can be mixed into the water-based inks, which
impart the vegetable aroma that literally jumps off the paper into your
customers' nostrils. Unfortunately, vegetable essences will only work
with thermal inkjet printers, such as HP and Lexmark, which cook the
vegetables. This is effective when your customers are hungry, but works
best soon after the labels have been printed. This method is not good
with piezoelectric printers such as Epsons due to clogging.

The difference works in our favor because most people don't appreciate
the smell of cooked fruit the same way that they do cooked vegetables.

Bon apetit!

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

Do you mean a brand of laser printer for printing vegetables?

I prefer inkjets for vegetables, whereas the laser process is better for
fruits. The image is more durable, too, as others have pointed out.

Essences of vegetables can be mixed into the water-based inks, which
impart the vegetable aroma that literally jumps off the paper into your
customers' nostrils. Unfortunately, vegetable essences will only work
with thermal inkjet printers, such as HP and Lexmark, which cook the
vegetables. This is effective when your customers are hungry, but works
best soon after the labels have been printed. This method is not good
with piezoelectric printers such as Epsons due to clogging.

The difference works in our favor because most people don't appreciate
the smell of cooked fruit the same way that they do cooked vegetables.

Bon apetit!

yer an idiot

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

yer an idiot

Define "yer."

 

[OnlineLabels]

I work for a company named OnlineLabels.com. We sell blank labels for
printing in standard laser and inkjet printers. We have a waterproof
labels for laser printing and waterproof labels for inkjet printer
available in a wide variety of sizes.

Our waterproof laser printable polyester labels would probably be an
excellent choice for your application. As long as you get good toner
fusion from your laser printer to the surface of the material, the
laser printable polyester labels are a very durable and waterproof.

If you don't have access to a color laser printer, we also have
waterproof inkjet printable vinyl labels available. These are not
quite as durable as the polyester material for laser printing, but
they do have good resistance to water and as long as you don't scratch
at the surface of the label they work really well on applications that
require a waterproof label.

Dave Carmany
OnlineLabels.com
http://www.onlinelabels.com

 

[parangles]

Thanks Dave... I had found your site while I was working on this
project
and have bookmarked it. The die cut labels will be very usable.
I am still hoping for recommendations on a printer.
Cheers.

 

[Ivor Jones]

: : Thanks Dave... I had found your site while I was
: : working on this project
: : and have bookmarked it. The die cut labels will be very
: : usable. I am still hoping for recommendations on a
: : printer.
: : Cheers.

I have an HP 2605dn colour laser and it's excellent. A few hiccups with
the duplexer now and again but all in all a good printer. It or something
similar should be fine for your application.

Ivor

 

[parangles]

: : Thanks Dave... I had found your site while I was
: : working on this project
: : and have bookmarked it. The die cut labels will be very
: : usable. I am still hoping for recommendations on a
: : printer.
: : Cheers.

I have an HP 2605dn colour laser and it's excellent. A few hiccups with
the duplexer now and again but all in all a good printer. It or something
similar should be fine for your application.

Ivor

Thanks -I was looking at HP 4550's but will check out the 2605.