Label Planet
This week, we're taking a closer look at our Opaque Labels, which are also known as Blockout Labels.
How Do Opaque Labels Work?
The term “opaque” refers to a property of materials that do not transmit light – in other words, they don’t allow light to pass through them and so the human eye cannot see through these materials. This means that anything beyond these materials is “blocked” from view – which is why opaque labels are also known as blockout labels.
Opaque labels are made from at least one material that is opaque; this could be the face material, adhesive, or additional coatings that have been applied deliberately to create self adhesive labels with the particular property of being opaque.
At Label Planet, our opaque paper labels are made with a matt white paper that has a black opaque coating on the reverse side and a black permanent adhesive that is also opaque.
What Are Opaque Labels Used For?
Opaque labels are used to cover up existing print that – for one reason or another – you don’t want anyone to see when they look at an item. They can be used to:
- COVER UP MISTAKES: whether you’ve accidentally printed the wrong date on event flyers, the wrong contact information on company brochures, or even the wrong product information on your packaging, it’s generally quicker (and cheaper) to stick an opaque label (printed with the correct information) over the mistake than to have your items reprinted.
- UPDATE INFORMATION: replacing out of date information using an opaque label means that you don’t have to throw away printed materials that are otherwise completely fine. If, for example, you’ve changed address, phone number, or email you can simply print a set of opaque labels with your new contact information and stick these onto pre-printed materials such as packaging and envelopes or brochures and leaflets.
- RECYCLE PACKAGING: opaque labels are a really easy way to replace existing sticky labels (e.g. address labels, shipping labels, tracking labels etc) that would be difficult to remove without damaging the labelled item in the process. They can be used to recycle packaging for a variety of purposes including shipping or storing items in their original packaging – with a new set of sticky labels printed by you applied over the top of those printed by the original supplier.
- CREATE A SOLID BACKGROUND FOR NEW PRINT: if you need to add extra information or an additional bit of design work to pre-printed materials, opaque labels create a solid blank background for your extra print so it won’t be spoiled by the existing print showing through the additional layer.
Ordering Opaque Labels & Blockout Labels From Label Planet
You can find out more about opaque labels or place an order for your own blockout labels by visiting our OPQ paper labels range page. We supply opaque labels in 54 label sizes; 12 sizes are available in packs of 25 sheets for same day despatch from stock, while the remaining 42 label sizes are made to order items available in boxes of 500 sheets (with up to five working days for despatch).
Our OPQ paper labels can be printed using an inkjet printer or a laser printer (or handwritten) and you can find label templates for all of our opaque label sizes by visiting our Template Home Page.