I Need Waterproof Labels – What Labels Do You Recommend?

Here are our top recommendations for choosing waterproof labels you can design and print yourself.

Many of our customers have label applications in mind that require waterproof labels; whether they need the labels to survive in outdoor conditions or they are for use indoors where they may come into contact with water (e.g. on cosmetics, cleaning, or food and drink products that may be used in the bathroom or kitchen).

The first thing we would say is: YOU NEED A LASER PRINTER.

• This is down to the different printing methods used by inkjet and laser printers; laser printers use a dry printing process in which heat and pressure are used to fuse toner onto the surface being printed, while inkjet printers use inks that are dispersed onto the surface being printed where they dry in place – the problem here is that most inkjet inks are water based, which means that if the print should come into contact with water it will run and/or smudge.
• So, while you can purchase labels for laser and inkjet printers that ARE waterproof, if you want PRINTED waterproof labels, you will need to use a laser printer.

The second thing you need to consider is: THE CONDITIONS THE LABEL WILL BE EXPOSED TO.

• Some label applications need a waterproof label because there is a slight chance that the label might come into contact with water – in other words, a waterproof label is more of a “just in case” measure than an absolute necessity. In other applications, however, it may be absolutely vital that a label is waterproof because the labels are guaranteed to come into contact with water. In these cases, we would recommend choosing either our Matt White Polyester (MWP) or Matt White Polyethylene (MWPE) labels; both of these labels are made with a Marine Adhesive (BS5609), which has been tested for three months, submerged in marine conditions.

The third thing to think about is: THE SURFACE THE LABEL NEEDS TO ADHERE TO.

• We often find that label applications that require a waterproof label will also involve an item that is made of an unusual material or has a curved or uneven surface. In these cases, you may need to consider choosing a bigger label, a stronger adhesive, or a more flexible material.
• A larger label size means that the adhesive has a larger surface area over which it can work, which will improve the strength of the bond between the label and the item that it is applied to.
• While all of our Waterproof Labels use strong, permanent adhesives, you may want to opt for the Marine Adhesive on our MWP and MWPE labels if the item is likely to be exposed to or submerged in water.
• The polyethylene used to make our MWPE is soft and pliable, which means it is well suited to curved or unusual surfaces and materials.

Finally (and perhaps the most fun part), you should consider any requirements you have about: THE FINISH OF THE LABEL.

• We have a variety of finishes for our Waterproof Labels, including White or Transparent Labels with a Gloss or a Matt Finish. Perhaps you have a transparent item and you want a transparent label to go with it, or maybe you want to match the finish of your label to that of the surface it will be applied to – simply pick the label option that creates the finish you want.

You can take a look through ALL of our Waterproof Labels products in this handy “Table of Waterproof Labels”.