FAQs

Most food products available in the United States are required to display Nutrition Facts labels as regulated by the FDA. The labels contain information about the nutritional content of the food product and other important health messages.

The Nutritional Information

The Nutrition Facts label contains product specific dietary information, including serving size, calories, vitamins, and fat content. The labels also include a footnote which includes Daily Values for 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diets. The footnote is required on all food labels, and labels on larger packages will include recommended dietary information for important nutrients, including fats, sodium, and fiber.

The FDA provides a guide to Understanding Nutrition Facts Labels.

Printing A Nutrition Facts Label

The information displayed in a Nutritional Facts label is determined by a chemical analysis of the food product. Master Tape Printers cannot perform the required chemical analysis, however we can create the label for you after the testing is completed.

Once the testing is completed, we will choose the Nutritional Facts layouts which best works for the information you need to display and the design of your label.

Contact Us now to ask a question about Nutritional Labeling.

Universal Product Codes, or UPCs, are the 12-digit numbers that appear under the barcodes on many products. Master Tape Printers can print UPC barcodes, but only after you have already obtained the code.

Obtaining a UPC

UPCs are given out by GS1 US, a nonprofit group that sets standards for international business. You can obtain a UPC by becoming a member of the group.

GS1 membership requires an initial fee, as well as an annual renewal fee. The cost is determined by the number of different products for which you will need barcodes. GS1 US includes a downloadable Barcode Estimator to help you determine the number of barcodes that you will need and the cost of your membership.

After a company joins GS1 US, they are given a unique company prefix number, which is licensed only for your company’s use. This number will appear as the first part of the UPC.

The second part of the UPC barcode is known as the “Item Reference Number” and is assigned by the manufacturer. Each unique item must have its own reference number.

The last number in the UPC is the “Check Digit.” It is calculated from the company prefix number and the item reference number. During checkout, scanners use the check digit to determine if the item was scanned correctly.

Many applications require a label that can withstand certain challenges: moisture, sun, extreme temperatures, or “squeezable” packaging. There are several film options—each uniquely suited to those particular challenges.

Film materials include polyester (or “Mylar”), polypropylene (also called “BOPP”), vinyl, polyolefin, and polystyrene. They can be white or clear, with polyesters also available in metallic gold or silver. A clear film can also be used as a lamination over a printed label for ultimate durability. Lamination adds protection from abrasion, moisture and chemical resistance, and can be wiped clean without damaging the printing on the label.

Deciding which film is right for you depends on your specific application.

• Polyester—The most durable film is polyester. Polyester labels offer excellent moisture resistance, heat resistance, and durability in various weather conditions. They are often required for applications requiring UL authorization.
• Vinyl—Vinyl is also used for labels resistant to moisture and environmental exposure where the ultimate durability of a polyester is not required. Vinyl is a perfect choice for bumper stickers, outdoor decals, and labels on glass, windows, and mirrors.
• Polyolefin—Polyolefin is a thin, flexible, and conformable film, which is why it’s a superior choice on any product that is squeezable. It is available in white or clear. Polyolefin is used most often on squeezable tubes or products where the label must wrap around a curved surface.
• Polypropylene (“BOPP”)—BOPP labels offer an economical alternative to other film materials, while still providing superior print quality and resistance to moisture. BOPP can be used on a variety of consumer packaging, such as cosmetics, food and beverages, and household products. Clear BOPP is ideal for a smooth “no label” look on many surfaces.

Contact us for help in selecting the correct materials for your specific labeling application.

If you can draw it, describe it, or doodle it, we can create a label in that shape. Complete customization of nearly any shape and size of label is available. Master Tape Printers can offer any size and shape because of our extensive collection of dies, our experience in creating custom dies, and our digital die cutting capabilities. We offer both die-cut and butt-cut labels (die-cut labels usually have rounded corners and spacing between each label on the roll and butt-cut labels have square corners, with no spacing between each label).

A Collection of Thousands of Dies

Any shape is possible for your label because of our extensive collection of thousands of dies. We have squares, circles, ovals, curved rectangles, and specialized shapes (stars, clouds, specific dies for certain applications in an industry). If we don’t have the shape you need in our collection, we can make a die for your project.

Digital Capabilities

With digital processes we can cut special shapes without even using a die. Digital printing is an economical option to give a very detailed label with crisp graphics, vibrant colors, and special shapes if you are making smaller quantities.

Some very unusual label shapes that were no problem for us to handle:

• A bowling alley wanted labels that had a cartoon picture of a bowling ball with two pins next to it. We made a customized die for this.
• We’ve made detailed logo labels using a digital process where the logo is printed and then the label is cut cut out around the exact shape of logo.
• An obstetrician’s office needed custom labels in the shape of safety pins—blue labels for boys and pink labels for girls.
• We made a custom die for labels shaped like a police badge.
• A custom “barbell” shape was created for a label used to wrap around and seal a clear bakery clamshell package.

Do you have an unusual shape for a label that you need? Contact us for help in understanding the different choices available, cost considerations and possible customization.

Businesses often have product and sales information that needs to be changed quickly. Sometimes a store needs to add a sticker to show that a certain group of products is now on sale, or to show that certain items are being sold as previously used. Sometimes companies might need a label that can be removed without leaving any residue, like on the back of a new credit card.

There are a number of labels that can be added on top of other labels, removed without leaving any residue, and sometimes removed and then reattached somewhere else.

Removable stickers and labels are made from all of the same types of papers as the rest of our labels, but they use special adhesive that allows them to be removed without leaving any residue.

There are a number of considerations and different types of removable labels which can serve a number of functions depending on the specific needs of the company.

Different Types of Removable Labels

Removable Labels

Removable labels can be removed without ripping in half. These labels often indicate sales or a change in price. Stores will place them on products during the sale and then remove them once the sale is over.

Validation/Activation Labels

These labels come right off without leaving a residue behind. A common example is the removable label placed on credit cards with activation information (designed to be peeled off before using the card).

Ultra Removable

The ultra-removable label can be removed and then reattached somewhere else. The majority of labels can’t be used in this fashion; they either fall apart or won’t stick to a new surface, but these labels are made with  a special adhesive that allows them to be applied multiple times.

Contact us now to ask a question about our different removable labels.