Yellowing labels

[fmsojka]

Well, this thread sure explains some things. I too have had a real issue with this on the glossy labels. I would think that the companies selling these need to be the ones figuring it out, or all of us send them back when they yellow. I am trying to get a large wholesale account, but with this yellowing thing it is interfering. I can't sell a product that does that. Doesn't matter how long it is on the shelf. Can't have a product whos appearance alters from light or air. How goofy is that? Our products do sit under lights, (duh, what store don't they?) Either in our store or in a store we sell wholesale to, or in a customer's home, what is the difference.

I appreciate the efforts on your parts to resolve it, but I think their answer is pretty lame. I am going to contact them too, if we all flood them with complaints it might move them to help resolve it through the manufacturer. They have more clout then we do. These labels are faulty. Period. They need to go back to the drawing board and create a label that doesn't yellow. Instead of selling billions of them as if nothing is wrong.

I am going to do the spray, but dang, I hate backing up to that again. And I don't think that looks very professional.

I really like labelsbythesheet, but this is their main business. They need to resolve it, or stop selling the glossy labels.

That is one of my biggest gripes in this business is raw materials. It seems like they never stay consistent. It is hard to make a great quality product when the raw materials are hit and miss.

Phew, at least I feel a little better.

[grama]

Holly think I am inclined to agree on the environmental issues. You know with all the pots cooking and the "fumes" and moisture in the air. I know the gift shop in town that has my "stuff" the labels do not yellow. So that right there says to me environment. I quite using them except on B&B. I now use the clear labels and really love them. Have no problems with them.

Everybody keeps calling them glossy labels, but I guess you are all talking about the waterproof vinyl labels, they are the ones I am referring to. To me the glossy ones are more like the clear ones.

[sharyl55]

I've been following this post and have some limited experience with the printing industry. I have to agree with those saying the problem is probably environmental and not the base stock. Commercially printed labels are coated after the final ink lay-down. It would be interesting to do a test with the product Doreen mentioned.

[HeavenScentU]

I am curious if these are recycled labels and this might be the cause of the yellowing. This just seemed to start in Oct-Nov.. I have a few labels that turned completely dingy yellow. The look like they have been sitting in an attic for years....

[Holly]

I sure understand your frustration. Fortunately, I only use the high gloss round labels on the bottom for warning labels. I have tags on my candles. I went through a time where the Avery business card stock was yellowing in time as the candle sat on the shelf. This was maddening. I notice that they have not been doing it lately and it appears that the texture of the card stock is slightly different. Maybe they got complaints and changed their material.

The water proof vinyl labels really discolor badly.

I do get wrap around labels from Online Labels and I have noticed a slight discoloration with these on some as they sit for longer periods. It is not quite as drastic though.

I have never used the spray. So, it is really noticeable? If so, I don't think I would want to use that not to mention the extra time.

This is very frustrating. What do the big companies do?

Well, this thread sure explains some things. I too have had a real issue with this on the glossy labels. I would think that the companies selling these need to be the ones figuring it out, or all of us send them back when they yellow. I am trying to get a large wholesale account, but with this yellowing thing it is interfering. I can't sell a product that does that. Doesn't matter how long it is on the shelf. Can't have a product whos appearance alters from light or air. How goofy is that? Our products do sit under lights, (duh, what store don't they?) Either in our store or in a store we sell wholesale to, or in a customer's home, what is the difference.

I appreciate the efforts on your parts to resolve it, but I think their answer is pretty lame. I am going to contact them too, if we all flood them with complaints it might move them to help resolve it through the manufacturer. They have more clout then we do. These labels are faulty. Period. They need to go back to the drawing board and create a label that doesn't yellow. Instead of selling billions of them as if nothing is wrong.

I am going to do the spray, but dang, I hate backing up to that again. And I don't think that looks very professional.

I really like labelsbythesheet, but this is their main business. They need to resolve it, or stop selling the glossy labels.

That is one of my biggest gripes in this business is raw materials. It seems like they never stay consistent. It is hard to make a great quality product when the raw materials are hit and miss.

Phew, at least I feel a little better.

[Holly]

I've been following this post and have some limited experience with the printing industry. I have to agree with those saying the problem is probably environmental and not the base stock. Commercially printed labels are coated after the final ink lay-down. It would be interesting to do a test with the product Doreen mentioned.

I think this may be the case. It does seem like the commercial product labels have some sort of coating on them. They usually are attractive, so maybe this product that Doneen is talking about will not look bad. But, what a pain to have to add another step.

[jrogers397]

bringing this up again to see if anyone has had any luck with the yellowing problem. I just bought some "matte" labels from blanco label for my primera and am trying them out but I am also lightly spraying them as well with Krylon, just started that. I need to print some without spray to test as well.

Janis

[NattyCat]

no joy with mine - still yellowing. I'm really not satisfied with the answer I got. So it's "environment" that causes this problem? Well, my products are on shelves, being sold to the general public - I can't store my products in a darkened box just to keep the labels white - my products are subjected to light, dust, and are sat on wooden shelving - that's RETAIL!

The whole REASON I got my labels printed was because it would be more professional than anything I could produce myself. My labels are beginning to look totally disgusting as they are mostly white. They look like they've been sitting around since the 50's, not two months.

Why should I now have to spray a protective gloss onto my professionally printed labels to stop them yellowing? Surely it's a manufacturing fault and it should be the supplier looking into ways of ensuring our label remain white and pristine instead of the piss yellow they seem to turn when not hermetically sealed in a darkened box?

[Holly]

no joy with mine - still yellowing. I'm really not satisfied with the answer I got. So it's "environment" that causes this problem? Well, my products are on shelves, being sold to the general public - I can't store my products in a darkened box just to keep the labels white - my products are subjected to light, dust, and are sat on wooden shelving - that's RETAIL!

The whole REASON I got my labels printed was because it would be more professional than anything I could produce myself. My labels are beginning to look totally disgusting as they are mostly white. They look like they've been sitting around since the 50's, not two months.

Why should I now how to spray a protective gloss onto my professionally printed labels to stop them yellowing? Surely it's a manufacturing fault and it should be the supplier looking into ways of ensuring our label remain white and pristine when used on products displayed in retail stores or not.

I am having the same problem. I totally agree with what you have said. I do not get my front labels printed professionally but the ones that I print myself are yellowing in time on the shelves and I hate it! I have a very critical eye and something like this really bugs me. I do get my warning labels professionally printed and even some of those have yellowed -- only some. I was having the yellowing problem with the Avery business cards that I use for my tags as well. But, for some reason, the last several packages of business card sheets that I have bought have not had the problem. Really weird! Maybe customers complained and they fixed the problem.

[jrogers397]

I sent primera an e-mail on this, probably wont get much of an answer but I still sent it. I'll tell you what I originally thought it was, I thought that since I used wax and oils in the house to make soap and candles it was my "air" quality. I have a yellow

kinda layer that gets on my heat ducts and on my walls from all the wax and oils I use here at home so I thought man I need to get my heat ducts clean but from what I've learned the labels yellow in a "retail" environment that is seperate from a manufacturing type environment. I don't mind having to "spray" my labels if it cures the problem but I agree with y'all that if I was paying a professional to do my labels I would expect them to handle this problem, after all that is what they get paid to do. It is interesting that some people with the lasar labels say that the lasar glossy do not yellow, would like to hear more on that subject.

Janis - who is still irritated about the yellowing labels

[jrogers397]

I sent primera an e-mail on this, probably wont get much of an answer but I still sent it.

Here is a copy of the response he sent me which makes sense, I have started using the matte labels so we'll see how they do. I also started spraying them but I need to do some unsprayed to see if the matte keeps from yellowing:

response:

"The yellowing is caused by ozone or other contaminates that the highly absorptive paper will pick up over time. The very same properties that allow the inkjet process to work well on this paper also may cause it to pick up some of the contaminates. The semi-gloss or Matte is not as absorptive so that may work better. "

Here is the official disclaimer and explanation:

Primera’s TuffCoat High Gloss and Semi-Gloss label materials have been specifically designed to be highly absorbent to allow water-based inkjet inks to dry quickly. While providing for immediate smudge-resistance after printing, this characteristic also makes the sheet receptive to certain airborne contaminants and could result in a discoloration of unprinted areas. Proper testing in the final application environment is strongly recommended, especially when used on or near products with aromatic vapors or products containing volatile solvents. As with all pressure sensitive materials, this product should be tested thoroughly under end-use conditions to ensure it meets the requirements of the specific application.

Patrick J. Timmins

Technical Support Manager