As a small business owner who needs to create product labels, you have two choices: outsource the job to a professional printer or do it in-house. Though you won't need any special equipment or skills when you outsource the job, outsourcing does have its drawbacks. It can be expensive and you may have to order far more printed labels than you actually need, resulting in wasted materials and money.

When you do the job in-house, you'll need to invest in some label printing equipment and learn a few skills, but the benefits include lower costs and more control over the finished product. With the right tools and a little bit of know-how, designing and printing your own labels can be easy, cost-effective, and even fun.

The skills you need depend on the type of labels you want to create. If you're looking to print basic text-only labels, all you'll need is a good quality printer and some label paper or sticker sheets. For more complex designs that include color images or barcodes, you may want to invest in a high-resolution color label printer like the Primera LX500c or Afinia L701 as well as label and barcode design software like EasyLabel 6 Silver Edition, NiceLabel or BarTender. And if you plan on printing large quantities of labels, you'll need a digital label press such as the Afinia L801.

As the label design and equipment becomes more complex, the skills you need also become more specialized. However, most of the basic design and printing skills are simple to learn and can be mastered with a little bit of practice. Here are a few things you'll need to know in order to design and print your own color product labels:

• How to use the software and drivers for your specific printer
• How to format text and create attractive label designs
• How to create barcodes and other special graphics
• How to correctly size labels for your products
• How to choose an appropriate type of label stock for the product
• How to load the label stock into the printer correctly
• How to troubleshoot printing problems
• How to print and cut the labels correctly

Once you have the skills and equipment required to design and print your own professional-looking, full-color product labels, you'll be able to save time and money while still having complete control over the finished product.

DuraFast Label Company has everything you need to get started from affordable entry-level color label printers, more advanced digital label presses, and supplies to blank labels, label printing accessories, label and barcode design software, and more. Browse our selection of label printers and find the perfect one for your business needs or contact us to speak with a labeling expert who can help you get started.