BARCODE LABELS & SUPPLIES
Find the Right Label, the First Time
Tell us about your application, and we’ll help you determine the right facestock, adhesive, and print method for the job. We’ll explain what we recommend, why it works for your environment, and help you find an option we carry that fits your needs.
LABEL FINDER QUESTIONS
What are you labelling?
This sets the material family and the adhesive we start from.
What will it live through?
Pick every condition that applies — the label has to survive all of them, not just the worst one. Where labels fail
What size do you need?
Our most-stocked die-cut sizes. Skip it and we’ll show every size we stock.
Narrow the results
Printer
Filters to stock that fits what you already own. Check fit
Print method
Thermal transfer needs a ribbon; direct thermal does not. Compare
Surface
What the adhesive has to grab.
Label size
Also a question above. Repeated here so it is where you expect it.
Adhesive behaviour
How it should come off, if ever.
Brand
Match the printer you already run.
Start from a common job
Not Sure Where To Start?
Pick the job closest to yours. We fill in the finder for you, and you can change any answer from there.
Shipping cartons
4×6 labels that print fast, scan once at the dock, and don't need to outlast the delivery.
Freezer and cold chain
Labels whose adhesive still grips at freezer temperatures, including when applied to product that's already cold.
Washdown and wet areas
Synthetic labels that shrug off water, so the print and the adhesive don't lift after the first wash.
Equipment and IT assets
Permanent, scratch-resistant tags that stay readable for the life of the asset.
Outdoor and sunlight
UV-stable films and inks for signs, yard equipment, and anything that sits in the weather.
Lab samples and vials
Small labels that wrap tight curves and survive cold storage without the ends lifting.
How labels are specified
Four Decisions Behind Every Barcode Label
Every label comes down to the same four choices. The finder makes them for you from your answers. This is what it's weighing up.
Facestock
The material you print on: paper, polypropylene, polyester, or vinyl. It decides how long the label lasts and what it can survive.
Adhesive
Permanent, removable, high tack, or freezer grade. Most label failures in the field are really adhesive failures.
Print method
Direct thermal or thermal transfer. It sets how long the print lasts and whether you need a ribbon. Compare them
Printer fit
Width, core size, and roll diameter have to match the printer you own, or the roll won't load. Check fit
Facestocks compared
| Facestock | Best for | Holds up to |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Shipping, receiving, short-life indoor labels | Dry, indoor, weeks to months |
| Polypropylene | Containers, drums, retail product ID | Moisture, light handling, some cold |
| Polyester | Asset tags, rating plates, lab and industrial ID | Heat, chemicals, abrasion, years |
| Vinyl | Curved, rough, or outdoor surfaces | Weather and UV; conforms to shapes |
These are general properties of each material family. The finder uses each product's own published temperature range where the manufacturer provides one.
Print method
Direct Thermal vs. Thermal Transfer
This is the choice that most often decides how long a label stays readable. It also decides whether you need to buy ribbon.
Direct thermal
No ribbon. Heat darkens the label itself.
- Simplest to run: load the labels and print.
- The print fades or darkens with heat, sunlight, and time, typically over months rather than years.
- Right for: shipping labels, receipts, pick tickets, anything scanned once and thrown away.
Thermal transfer
A ribbon melts ink onto the label.
- The print lasts years and resists heat, light, and abrasion.
- Works on paper and synthetics, but the ribbon has to match the facestock.
- Right for: asset tags, product ID, inventory, and anything outdoors or in harsh conditions.
Matching a ribbon to your label
Thermal transfer only lasts if ribbon and facestock are paired. Get the pairing wrong and the ink smears or wipes off, even on a premium label.
| Ribbon | Pairs with | Resists |
|---|---|---|
| Wax | Paper | Light handling. Cheapest, but can smudge. |
| Wax-resin | Coated paper, polypropylene | Smudging, scratching, some moisture |
| Resin | Polyester, polypropylene, vinyl | Solvents, heat, abrasion, outdoor exposure |
Once you’ve chosen stock, Avancir Print is our software for designing labels and printing them straight to your printer.
Before you order
Will It Fit Your Printer?
A label that's right for the job but wrong for the printer won't load. Check three measurements against your printer's spec sheet before you order.
- Core size. Measure the inside diameter of the cardboard core. It has to match the printer's spindle.
- Roll diameter. Measure across the whole roll. It must not exceed the printer's maximum.
- Label size. Width is measured across the roll; height is measured along it, in the direction the label feeds. Sizes on this page read width × height.
| Printer class | Typical core | Typical max roll |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop | 0.5″ or 1″ | 5″ |
| Industrial | 3″ | 8″ |
| Mobile | 0.75″ | 2–2.6″ |
These are typical figures, not a compatibility guarantee. Models vary, and some printers also specify how the roll is wound and how gaps between labels are sensed. If you're not sure, send us the printer model and we'll confirm the fit.
Environment
Where Labels Fail, and What Holds Up
Most label problems trace back to one of six conditions. Each card says what goes wrong and what to use instead.
Freezers
What goes wrong: the label goes onto a frosted surface and drops off within days. A standard adhesive won't bond below its minimum application temperature.
What holds up: a freezer-grade adhesive rated for the temperature at which you apply the label, not just the one it's stored at.
Washdown
What goes wrong: paper soaks up water, the edges lift, and the barcode blurs.
What holds up: polypropylene or polyester with a permanent adhesive, printed with a wax-resin or resin ribbon.
Sunlight and weather
What goes wrong: direct thermal print fades or darkens, and paper breaks down.
What holds up: polyester or vinyl printed with a resin ribbon by thermal transfer.
Chemicals and solvents
What goes wrong: alcohol or cleaning solvent wipes wax-based ink right off.
What holds up: polyester printed with a resin ribbon.
High heat
What goes wrong: the adhesive softens and slides, and the facestock yellows or shrinks.
What holds up: high-temperature films and adhesives rated for your peak temperature.
Tight curves
What goes wrong: a stiff label on a small diameter "flags", with its ends peeling away from the surface.
What holds up: a thin, conformable film sized to wrap the item.
Custom and hard-to-spec jobs
Need a size we don't stock, or a job the finder can't answer?
Custom sizes, pre-printed runs, unusual surfaces, sustained heat or chemical exposure: our label specialists spec these every day. Tell us what you're labelling and what it goes through, and we'll recommend stock to test before you commit to volume.
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Common questions
Barcode Label FAQs
What's the difference between direct thermal and thermal transfer labels?
Direct thermal labels are heat-sensitive and darken where the printhead touches them, so there's no ribbon. Thermal transfer printers use a ribbon to melt ink onto the label. Direct thermal is simpler and fine for short-life labels such as shipping. Thermal transfer lasts years and holds up to heat, light, and abrasion.
How long do direct thermal labels last?
Typically months rather than years. Heat, sunlight, and some plastics and oils speed up fading. If a label has to stay readable for more than a few months, or sits anywhere warm or bright, use thermal transfer.
Which ribbon do I need for thermal transfer labels?
Match the ribbon to the facestock: wax for paper, wax-resin for coated paper and polypropylene, and resin for polyester, polypropylene, and vinyl where chemical, heat, or outdoor resistance matters. A mismatched ribbon smears or wipes off, even on a durable label.
Will these labels fit my printer?
Check three things against your printer's spec sheet: the core's inside diameter, the maximum roll diameter, and the maximum print width. Desktop printers typically take 0.5″ or 1″ cores; industrial printers take 3″ cores. If you're unsure, send us the printer model and we'll confirm.
What label should I use in a freezer?
A label with a freezer-grade adhesive rated for the temperature at which you apply it. That matters as much as the storage temperature. A standard adhesive applied to frosted or already-frozen product often won't bond at all. Use a synthetic facestock such as polypropylene if the label will see condensation when it comes out.
How do I measure a label?
Width is measured across the roll, and height (or length) along it, in the direction the label feeds through the printer. Sizes on this page are written width × height, so a 4″ × 6″ label is 4 inches across and 6 inches long.
Can I get custom sizes or pre-printed labels?
Yes. We supply custom sizes, materials, and pre-printed runs. Request a quote with the size, quantity, and what the label goes on, and a specialist will come back to you.
How does the Label Finder choose a label?
Your answers set a recommended facestock, adhesive, and print method. The finder then ranks our stock by how well it fits every condition you picked, using each product's published temperature range where the manufacturer provides one. If nothing matches every answer, it widens the least important filter and tells you which one. For demanding environments, test a sample on your actual surface before ordering in volume.
After you choose