May 7, 2008

Shrink Sleeves: There's a reason they're everywhere

Ever walk through your grocery store and look at the packaging? What, you haven't, hmmm, I guess I'm just a nerd. Anyway, should you ever do this, you'll notice that there are hundreds if not thousands of products that use custom printed shrink sleeves. Everything from Beverage containers to odd shaped foods & products, shrink sleeves are taking all shapes, covering all things.

Why are shrink sleeves so popular? There are many containers/products that aren't uniform in their shape. There are beverage bottles that have multiple curves in them, so traditional labels would wrinkle and printing directly on the package is expensive. We've made sleeves that become the packaging itself, by shrinking around multiple items to form one larger package. Another reason they are so popular is that they can be used as a coverup. We've done shrink sleeves that were special editions and the sleeve was meant to cover up the normal packaging with a limited edition design.

Our newly re-designed CenturyLabel site has a fairly extensive section on shrink sleeve technology, applications, materials, and advantages. We've been printing on shrink material for a while now and have amassed quite a bit of experience in this complex technology. There are materials that shrink only in one direction or in multiple/all directions. The inks used and any coating or varnishes applied can make or break the success of a shrink sleeve product. Extensive testing by our staff has allowed us to stay on top of this ever evolving material.

If you want to learn more about shrink sleeve technology and how it can help your business, give us a call today (800.933.0643) and we would be happy to share our knowledge. If you want to just poke around and pick up some helpful hints here and there, check out our shrink sleeve articles section over at CenturyLabel.com.

May 6, 2008

CenturyLabel: New Design, New Focus, New Products

We are proud to announce the (re)launch of our new specialty website CenturyLabel.com. CenturyLabel.com replaces a website which previously displayed a number custom printed products and price markers. With the launch of the new CenturyLabel.com, we are showcasing our specialty products under a completely new design.

Prior to this site launch, CenturyLabel.com was completely redesigned. Aesthetically, the site was updated to feature new product images and a home page flash video. CenturyLabel was also enhanced with a user-friendly product organization and an article display offering helpful information pertaining to imprint processes, printing materials, and legal regulations for labeling and packaging.

CenturyLabel.com has also been updated with a new focus intended to inform you about the broad spectrum of printing services offered by Century Marketing. Now devoted to specialty products, CenturyLabel showcases printing capabilities that have yet to be shown on any of the company’s previous websites.

In addition to acknowledging services offered, the new website showcases many products that are making their web debut on CenturyLabel.com. Among the new products displayed are eco-friendly hang tags and shrink sleeves, tamper evident shrink sleeves, and digital tags. The website has also been updated with our new styles of printed ribbon, including organza ribbon, sheer edge garbo ribbon, and metallic edge satin ribbon.