Your Guide to Industry-Specific Labelling That Works
At GSM Barcoding, we understand that barcode labels aren’t one-size-fits-all. From retail to manufacturing, the right labelling solution can enhance efficiency, ensure compliance, and withstand the demands of your specific environment. Whether you’re printing in bulk or need specialist materials, choosing the correct barcode label is crucial to keeping operations running smoothly.
In this post, we’ll break down how to choose barcode labels that best suit your industry, helping you make informed decisions that save time and money.
Know Your Industry’s Demands
Each sector comes with its own challenges and labelling requirements. Here’s a detailed overview of what to consider when selecting barcode labels for your industry:
Retail
In the retail sector, barcode labels enable transactions and play a role in customer experience, branding, and inventory control.
- POS performance: Labels must scan quickly and reliably at tills to keep queues moving and reduce errors.
- Aesthetic appeal: Your label is part of the customer-facing experience and should reflect your brand while maintaining excellent readability.
- Clean removal: Labels should peel off cleanly without damaging packaging or leaving residue, especially for items like gifts, clothing, or electronics.
- Price/promo flexibility: Retail often needs price changes and promotional tags, so removable labels and relabelling solutions are ideal for this.
- Product variety: From tiny cosmetics to large appliance boxes, label sizes and adhesive types should suit a wide range of surfaces.
GSM Barcoding offers custom retail labelling solutions that balance visual appeal, functionality, and durability, ensuring your labels enhance rather than hinder the sales experience.
Manufacturing
Labels in industrial settings must endure heat, abrasion, and sometimes chemicals. Durability is key, and synthetic materials often work best here.
- High temperatures: If your operations involve ovens, kilns, or heat tunnels, labels must not degrade or fade.
- Rough handling: Abrasion and physical wear are common on busy production lines. You need labels that won’t tear or become illegible.
- Chemical exposure: Chemical-resistant materials and adhesives are crucial in environments with oils, solvents, or cleaning agents.
Healthcare
In healthcare, labels must be trustworthy under the most demanding conditions.
- Tamper evidence: For medication packaging and patient records, tamper-evident labels help ensure safety and regulatory compliance.
- Sterilisation resilience: Labels must withstand autoclaves, UV light, or chemical sterilisation without degrading or peeling.
- High readability: Whether scanning wristbands or medication, accuracy is vital, especially in fast-paced clinical settings.
- Adhesive security: Once applied, labels must stay fixed to equipment, vials, or samples, especially in cold storage or high-humidity environments.
- Data sensitivity: Labels may contain critical patient or dosage information—fade resistance and smudge-proof printing are essential.
We offer specialist healthcare labelling solutions including wristbands, tamper-proof materials, and synthetic labels compatible with hospital-grade sterilisation protocols.
Logistics and Warehousing
Long-distance shipping and varied storage conditions call for scannable, long-lasting labels. Smudge resistance and adhesion are important.
- Wide temperature range: Labels may be exposed to freezing cold or high heat during transport.
- Moisture and dust resistance: In warehouses or shipping containers, environmental conditions can be unpredictable.
- Durability: Labels should remain readable through rough handling, stacking, and outdoor exposure.
- Sequential barcoding: For efficient stock rotation, scanning, and asset tracking, serialized labelling is often needed.
Food & Beverage
If you’re working with chilled or frozen goods, moisture resistance and temperature stability are top priorities.
- Cold storage compatibility: Freezer-grade adhesives are necessary for products stored below zero.
- Food-safe materials: Where labels may come in direct contact with food, safety-certified materials are required.
- Condensation resistance: Labels should stay legible and adhered even in humid or refrigerated conditions.
- Compliance: Clear nutritional labelling and best-before dates are vital for regulatory and customer transparency.
Choose the Right Material
The right label material can make all the difference in reliability and readability.
- Paper Labels
A cost-effective option for short-term or indoor use, such as basic packaging or shipping. - Synthetic Labels
Ideal for high-durability needs. These resist water, chemicals, and general wear and tear, making them great for manufacturing, healthcare, or logistics. - Specialist Labels
We also offer tamper-evident, freezer-grade, and opaque relabelling options. If you’ve got a unique requirement, we can help.
Get the Right Size and Adhesive
When it comes to barcode labels, size really does matter.
- Label Size
Choose a size that fits the product properly without hiding important details or affecting readability. - Adhesives
- Permanent adhesives are ideal for long-term use or harsh conditions.
- Removable adhesives are better for temporary labelling where the label needs to come off cleanly.
Some surfaces (like curved plastic or textured materials) may need special adhesive solutions.
Match Labels to Your Printer
Label performance also depends on the type of printer you’re using.
- Thermal Transfer
Uses a ribbon and is perfect for long-lasting, smudge-resistant prints. - Direct Thermal
No ribbon is needed, ideal for short-term labels like shipping and inventory control.
Remember to check your printer’s roll size and core compatibility. And if you’re not sure which format is best, our team can help guide you through the available options.
Don’t Forget Compliance
Staying compliant with product labelling laws is essential, especially in regulated sectors.
We recommend reviewing the latest UK government guidance on product labelling to ensure you meet legal requirements. This is particularly important in industries such as food and drink, cosmetics, and medical supplies.
Custom Labelling with GSM Barcoding
With over 40 years of experience, GSM Barcoding offers more than just off-the-shelf labels. We provide:
- Custom label printing tailored to your sector
- A wide choice of adhesives and materials
- Labels compatible with your existing printers
- Expert advice and full technical support
Whether you’re running a small retail shop or managing a nationwide logistics operation, we can help you find the right barcode labelling solution.
Need Help Finding the Right Label?
We’re here to help you make the right choice. Our team can advise you on everything from materials to compliance and even printer compatibility.
Explore our barcode labels range to get started or contact us for a tailored recommendation.
