How to Build the Best Carton Label Template

Cartons are used to both house and ship products across the country and are essential to a vast number of industries. They are generally made from paperboard or corrugated cardboard, which is prized for its resistance to tearing, lightweight construction, and flexibility. However, for these materials to be successful as either product packaging or as shipping containers, they need to display the appropriate markings required for both of those functions. 

In the case of product packaging, these markings commonly are lot numbers, barcodes, and expiration dates. When used for shipping, these packages will generally display barcodes in addition to company information and/or logos. In both of these scenarios, the necessary markings are determined by a combination of federal regulations, industry standards, and retailer requirements. 

To create these different codes, companies often integrate either high-resolution case coding printers or print and apply labelers into their production lines, as they are both well-suited to the task and can both create and save carton label templates. 

Here’s how these machines can keep your cartons legibly marked and compliant with all regulations.

Using a High-Resolution Case Coder to Create a Carton Label Template

Although case coders do not create the classic stickers that some people associate with the word “label,” they do print important label information directly onto cartons with remarkable consistency and clarity. These machines use higher density ink than other inkjet printers and are perfect for encoding porous paperboard/cardboard material. Additionally, their intuitive computer interface enables users to easily create and save many carton label templates, making them ideal for multi-product production lines. 

To demonstrate how one would go about creating a carton label template, here’s a step-by-step breakdown using the intuitive computer interface of a Precision Series 72. For a video demonstration of this process, click here.

1. First, select “Create Label.”
    
2. As the menu turns to the label work area, zoom out to view the entire space.
    
3. Press the “Text” option to add a text field. In this menu, you can input the desired text, choose the font, adjust the line spacing, and choose whether you want the characters to be bold, italicized, or underlined. When you are done adjusting your text, select “OK.”
    
4. Selecting “OK” will bring you back to the work area where you can tap and drag the text field to adjust the size. You can further finetune the text’s placement by tapping the arrow buttons located on the work area’s bottom frame.
    
5. To add a barcode, tap the barcode button in the top frame. In this menu, you can select the appropriate barcode type, input the desired value, adjust the barcode height/width, and pick the font size. When you are done adjusting your barcode, select “OK.”
    
6. See step 4 for how to adjust the barcode’s size.
    
7. To add a logo, select the graphic option in the middle of the top frame. In this menu, select what logo you would like to see on the label. Select “OK” when finished.
    
8. See step 4 on how to adjust the graphic’s size.
    
9. To save the carton label template, tap “Save” on the bottom frame of the work menu, create a name for the file, and select “OK.”

After these steps are finished, you can access all saved labels for future use on the computer’s home screen. 

Using a Print and Apply Labeler to Create a Carton Label Template

While case coders are designed to print directly onto a carton surface, print and apply labelers operate as their titles suggest—by printing and applying labels. To show how these machines work, we will look at the EvoLabel as an example.

Akin to the Precision Series printer described above, the EvoLabel does not require an external computer to work, as it comes equipped with an intuitive computer touchscreen interface. Installed on this computer is a program called NiceLabel, which enables users to create label templates via the following steps:

1. On the home screen, select “New Label.”
    
2. On the next screen, choose whether you want your label’s orientation to be portrait or landscape. Tap “Next” to decide your label dimensions, margins, and radius. Once you have selected your preferences, tap “Finish” to start label creation.
    
3. In the work area, begin creating your label by tapping the “Text” option. This will create a text box in your work area where you can input whatever text you would like and adjust its size by dragging the text box.
    
4. Add a barcode by tapping the barcode option located underneath the text option. This creates a default barcode to appear underneath the text in your work area. To alter the barcode, double click on the image to open the text editor. Type in the desired content and tap anywhere on the work area to enact your changes.
    
5. To readjust any of these elements, simply click and drag them around the work area until you have created a label that you are happy with.
    
6. Save your work by tapping “File” and then either “Save” or “Save As.” Create a name for your label template and select “OK.”

As with the Precision Series 72, once these steps have been complete, you can easily access all saved labels from the computer’s home screen.

Build the Best Carton Label Templates with InkJet Technology

With how important labels are for both product packaging and shipping purposes, it’s essential to have the right machines for the job. With over 30 years of experience in ink development and printing, the team at InkJet, Inc. can help you with every step of your printer and ink search. Whether you’re looking for a case coder, a print and apply labeler, or you just have questions on the carton printing process as a whole, we’re here to help. 

To learn more about how to build the best carton label template or to inquire about the right machines to produce them, contact InkJet, Inc. today by dialing (800) 280-3245.