Consistent Color over Time – here’s how!

Consistent Color over Time – here’s how!

Consistent Color Over Time – RRWC

In our business, many of or new label print jobs are considered ‘RRWC’ – Re-Run With Change.  This is not a NEW item (something we have never printed) and not an exact reprint – it is somewhere in the middle.  The most common example in our business is wine labels.  If we printed 2018 Chardonnay last year, and then this year you want another run – 2019 Chardonnay – then this item is RRWC.  We have printed Chardonnay before, but we are updating (changing) to the new vintage and often a new alcohol percentage.

 

Baled Cans

Revising the Current File – Best Option

When we get an order for Rerun with Change, the BEST option is for Rose City Label to revise our current file and send a proof for approval.  This is the best way to ensure a color match with the existing item.  This is the best way to have consistent color printing.  Providing a new file is not required – and can be detrimental – on RRWC jobs.  Letting us make the file changes per your specification is the best option for the most consistent color printing.  

Fine Tuning After the File is Submitted 

Part of the difficulty with the submission of new files on RRWC jobs is that internally we do several additional processes to your submitted files after the proof is signed.  There is considerable calibration, setup for die cutting and potential foil stamping, and several other steps before the file is ready to print.  And, then we color correct the output to match the desired end sample.  All of this work has to be redone from scratch when you submit a new file.  This is a huge additional task that adds no value to your label production and actually slows down delivery of your labels.

Unintentional Changes = Big Time Wasters

Finally, sometimes when a new file is submitted for a RRWC job, there can be very small, unintended changes that throw off the color match to the previous label.  One small change in how a logo was built, one small change in a background image… Any of these changes can make a big difference and add hours to the label production. Because we don’t generally know what has been changed, we end up spending extra time playing detective to find the correct formula to match the prior label.  This is wasteful in time and material, and adds no value to the final label.

RRWC – Don’t Submit a File, Just Submit your Edits

For best results, trust the experts at Rose City Label to make your edits and send corrected proofs for approval.  Don’t waste time and energy sending new files unless you want a different look!  If you want consistent color printing, let us use the existing file as the base to work from, and edit from there.  Together, this will allow us to get the best results with the fastest turn around time.

Thank you for partnering with us and trusting our 94 years of label experience work for you.  Questions?  Call us today!

Label of The Month – Beautiful Blakeslee Vineyards Rose’

Label of The Month – Beautiful Blakeslee Vineyards Rose’

Label of The Month

This is the first in our series highlighting beautiful, eye catching labels.  We will select labels that showcase excellent design from our designer partners, but also highlight the technical expertise of Rose City Label.  Our aim is always to communicate the desired message on your product, and to do it in the most cost effective way possible.  By using our expertise and maximizing the capabilities of our equipment, we get the very best outcome for you – our very important customer.

This first label is the Rose’ of Pinot Noir from Blakeslee Vineyard Estate in Sherwood, OR.  This premium wine producer has a tasting room with indoor and outdoor seating (very COVID-19 safe) and a breathtaking view.  On top of that, the wine is fantastic and Bill and Sheila Blakeslee are wonderful to work with.  If you love good wine, this is definitely one to put on your list for tasting.

Design and Execution

This amazing Label of the Month was designed by our friend Chris Noud at Now Design Creative Services.  We are happy that Chris trusted us to execute his design for our mutual client.  We take this responsibility seriously.  Using our Premium Digital Printing and Foil/Embossing presses, we are able to deliver these labels reliably, on time, at a very fair price.  Another important part of this label is the premium paper we use that is specifically designed for wines that are stored in cold, wet conditions.  This is specifically designed to survive an ice bucket – the killer of lower quality labels.

Key Challenges

  • Very tight tolerance embossing and foil stamping
  • Fine, closely spaced parallel lines that have to be foil stamped cleanly
  • Detailed image of bird logo
  • Durability in Ice Bucket environment

Label of the Month

If you have a great product, and a passion to connect with your consumer, please call us today.  We are label experts!  Challenging labels that allow us to elevate your brand – these are the things we love to work on.  Maybe if we work together well, your label could be featured as a Label of the Month in a future post.  Call us today at (503) 777-4711.

Rose City Label Difference!

Rose City Label Difference!

Welcome Home!

In the past 6 months, we have had three different former Rose City Label customers come back to us for labels. When people try other vendors and then come back for ‘the Rose City Label difference’, it really makes us proud of the work we do here.  Interestingly, these were very different companies – a distilled spirits company, an herbal supplement company, and a coffee roaster.  All of them were willing to share their experience, and why they came back to Rose City Label.

We Are All Good

One item to note – nobody came back to us (primarily) for price or print quality. Having competitive pricing and outstanding print quality is almost a given. In today’s market, you can’t stay in business if you don’t meet these minimum requirements.  The difference was service.  Here is a compilation of what brought them back:

Quick Response to Change Requests

When new items are being designed, things often go through many changes.  People don’t know what they will like until they see it on the proof.  These returning customers remarked at how fast and responsive our graphics team is on updated proofs.  We keep the project moving forward and always try to be responsive to the customer.

 

Offer Good Ideas about Design and Finish

In one case, we suggested eliminating an embossing feature from the conceptual label design. This feature started out as being very important, but when we weighed the cost and time required to add this in, we suggested a less expensive option.  This helped them get the new branding out into the marketplace sooner and saved money over the long haul.  The added cost didn’t seem to be worth it given the small impact on the final design.

Press Proofs – See before You Buy

We charge for press proofs, but we always recommend them on new projects.  These buyers appreciated being able to see the printed label, on the real label stock, before we print the full order.  As good as PDF proofs are, there is no substitute for seeing an actual label.  This protects us from having an unhappy customer and it makes sure the product looks great on the shelf.  This is an extra step in the process, but it is an important part of the customer service we provide.

 

We Make Them Feel Important

More than anything, these people all said in one way or another that “The other printer didn’t make me feel like an important customer”.   Another said, “It almost seemed like I was a bother to them…”.  Not every buyer is a fit for every vendor, but this one was shocking!  These are established, mid-sized label buyers that will be sending ongoing, repeat business to us for years to come.  It is hard to see how someone would be ‘bothered’ by dealing with a customer.

Want to Join or Re-Join the Rose City Label Family?

We remain very busy and growing, but always have time to add new customers to the family.  We have the quality to meet all your needs, and our service is outstanding.  Please call us today – we look forward to printing for you soon.

Black Is Beautiful – Thank You Weathered Souls!

Black Is Beautiful – Thank You Weathered Souls!

Black Is Beautiful Beer

Rose City Label is proud to be a part of the solution – using BEER as a force for GOOD!  With great leadership from a wonderful brewery in Texas, we were able to partner with the Oregon Brewers Guild to support this wonderful program.  We offered FREE labels to the first five OBG member brewers that wanted to brew this beer, but we got 10 fantatsic breweries signed up that same day so we decided to print FREE labels for all 10. What an amazing outpouring of support here in our own community – well done Oregon Brewers!

Thank You Weathered Souls!

Big thank you to Weathered Souls Brewing in San Antino, TX for getting this project moving so quickly.  Just a short time after the public outcry about police brutality toward people of color, the team at Weathered Souls had a dedicated website built to help all of us use beer as a force for good.  Check out Black is Beautiful – the hub for this project that has attracted over 1,000 breweries in all 50 states and 19 countries.  Well done!

Their website gave label artwork, recipe, and a description of the cause.  All they ask is that you donate the proceeds to any good cause that benefits justice for people of color.

Amazing Oregon Brewers that Stepped Up Big!

These 10 were the first to jump in for free labels, but several others have joined in later.  (** For anyone who still wants in on the program, we are offering the labels at a wholesale cost basis from here on out).

Thank You Sasquatch Brewing

This is the first amazing Black is Beautiful label I got to drink personally, and it was wonderful – the flavor, the color, the brewer, and the cause it supported!  Thank you Sasquatch.

Premium Label Foil Stamping and Embossing

Premium Label Foil Stamping and Embossing

Premium Label Foil Stamping and Embossing

Premium labels can be enhanced with foil stamping and embossing. Rose City Label is a premium label foil stamping and embossing expert. We can help with all kinds of premium labels. The image above shows the deep, impact-producing effects of an embossed label. The back of the label and the brown label backing show this deep impression – that is the magic of embossing.

Clear Foil Makes an Impact

Nothing makes an impact quite like clear foil. The two-tone gloss/matte contrast makes a label catch your eye on the store shelf. Some printers use a spot varnish, but clear foil is generally more effective and impactful. Read this previous post about amazing clear foil

Foil Stamping – Make it Shine!

Premium gourmet foods can benefit from foil stamping. Gold shows a very specific message in the minds of our customers.

Silver, copper, bronze – all of these foils look good in their own way. Work with your designer to make sure your branding is consistent. If you are providing a premium product, your packaging has to measure up. Small details can’t be printed with a foil plate, and overdoing the use of foil can ruin the effect. Use it sparingly, and foil stamping will help your label shine (literally!).

Read our previous premium Foil Stamping Post

Foil Stamping in Action – YouTube!

Reading is great, but seeing the press in this 4 minute video will also help you understand the technology. The results of embossing can be seen in this wine label. The main company name and the icon is raised on the label. You can feel the texture and quality when you touch the bottle. Look for it in a wine shop near you!

Check out the press in action Foil Stamp Press Video

Call Us Today

Rose City Label has been foil stamping since the 1980s – we have the experience, expertise, and equipment to upgrade your label. Foil stamping and embossing are great ways to show off your product on the retail shelf. Call 503-777-4711 to schedule a consultation today.

Prop 65 – Do you need a label update?

Prop 65 – Do you need a label update?

Keeping Consumers Safe with a Prop 65 Label

There is a huge new burden on manufacturers that sell products to consumers in California – and it may require a label update:

All manufacturers, producers, packagers, importers, suppliers, and distributors, regardless of whether they are located in California or out of state, must provide a warning if their products cause exposures to any listed chemical to individuals in California.

If you are selling anything with ingredients on the prohibited list, you may need to update the language on your labels. The NFIB has an excellent summary of the newly updated law on their website.   According to NFIB,

More specifically, a warning label is required if the chemical included has either a 1 in 100,000 chance of causing cancer over a 70 year period, or unless it may be said that exposure to 1000 times the amount of the chemical within the product has no observable effect on reproductive health

The update effective in August 2018 is actually just a more strict interpretation of the law passed in 1986 – Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act This law requires disclosures if any of 900 listed chemicals are present in your product.  Read the full NFIB article by clicking here.

California even has a specific website dedicated to the new law.  Check more on that site by clicking www.p65warnings.ca.gov

We are All About Full Disclosure

This law seems onerous, but it is no more so than the mandate 20+ years ago to provide nutrition facts on all food packaging.  Now, this consumer information seems standard, but at one time, it was a big change for all food producers.  This will be the same.  Besides marketing and branding, your labels need to give consumers clear and complete information.

Easy Redesign

We aren’t a graphic design company, but we can help with basic layout changes.  Editing your label to be compliant and still be attractive – we can do that.  We are experts at fitting lots of information onto a small label.  The cost for this redesign is very affordable in most cases.  And, if you need a full rebranding, we can refer you to some excellent design agencies.  Adding a separate Prop 65 label to your packaging is another option – we can help with that too.

Other Label Questions?  We can help

As always, we are here to help with any and all label questions.  We can help with technical, aesthetic and financial questions related to your label project.  Please call us today.  We would be happy to help.

This article is intended to provide Oregon and Washington businesses with general information and is not intended to serve as legal advice regarding any specific matter; information should not be acted upon without legal advice.