Did you know that shipping labels are no longer a standard paper that outlines the customer’s delivery address? As an e-commerce business owner, online bakery shop, or online retailer, you must have thought of adding something new to the shipping labels reaching customers.
Afterall, these labels identify your brand personality and allow smooth selling. Investing in a reliable and professional shipping label often leaves you with two options—buying pre-made shipping labels or printing them on your own.
For this reason, this guide will help you decide whether to buy pre-printed labels or blank labels, depending on your budget, scalability, flexibility, and efficiency.
Understanding Pre-Printed Shipping Labels vs. Blank Labels
Pre-made Shipping Labels
Pre-printed shipping labels are available with all shipping details, including the names and addresses of senders and receivers, barcodes, tracking numbers, and other important information. Many label supplier companies ask their clients to provide details for individual shipments for this food purpose.
A large-scale business with consistent shipping requirements can easily order large quantities of shipping labels to match the pace of its operations.
Blank Labels
These types of labels are just plain labels with no information. Recently, many businesses have been using blank labels for various reasons.
First, labels can be printed with almost any type of supported printer. Second, these labels are great for on-demand printing when a business has variable shipment requirements. And third, when you require a label that is easy to customise with changes in shipping details, design, or branding information.
Key Factors to Consider for Shipping Efficiency
1. Volume of Shipments
Businesses with high sales will definitely have higher shipment volumes. They often prefer pre-printed labels from label suppliers to manage shipment destinations. Also, these labels usually have standard sizes and shapes, making them convenient to use if your business sells the same type of products to the same customers.
Dispatching large numbers of packages with pre-made shipping labels is easy and affordable, especially for large businesses that often have to save time on printing and focus on fulfilling the demands.
Alternatively, if you have inconsistent shipment volumes or if you only accept orders during peak seasons, blank labels are more practical. Since these labels are pre-cut into a desired shape or size, you will print details or customise them only when the order has to be sent. This reduces the risk of overstocking pre-printed labels that can be of no use during lower demands.
2. Customisation Needs
Customisable labels make packaging a wholesome experience for customers. While both types of pre-made shipping labels or blank labels can include customer names, special messages, or branding elements, blank labels are more useful in terms of price point.
3. Cost Implications
Pre-designed shipping labels are expensive as the label suppliers end up incurring designing, printing, and shipping costs. However, these are only one-time costs; you will never have to worry about maintaining or using additional tools to apply them.
Large businesses with high demand for various products will find ordering shipping labels in bulk more effective and can easily compromise on cost factors. Nevertheless, ordering and storing labels must align with the right requirements to avoid financial loss.
Blank labels are economical for businesses as they are readily available and can be purchased in bulk. As there are no printing or designing costs, these labels will suit your business’s spending budget. You are all good to go if you already own an inkjet or thermal printer with relevant printing supplies.
4. Speed and Efficiency
Pre-made shipping labels will be more useful when dealing with high demands and want a label to use immediately. With the convenience of third-party providers, you can easily manage other important tasks and focus less on labelling. This efficiency makes shipping a seamless experience with fewer shipping returns.
On the other hand, blank labels require printing, designing, and making necessary changes for each customised package. This makes them convenient for businesses that do not require fast shipping or have a clear shipping policy.
Making the Decision: Which Is Right for Your Business?
1. Shipping Volume:
- Analyse your average monthly or weekly shipping volume.
- Identify peak periods and assess how your current labelling system handles these fluctuations.
- Use historical data to predict future trends in shipment volumes.
2. Customisation Needs:
- Review your current labelling process to determine how often you need to customise labels.
- Survey customer feedback to understand the impact of personalised labels on customer satisfaction.
- Consider the types of customisation you need (e.g., customer names, personalised messages, special instructions).
3. Budget:
- Calculate the total cost of ownership for both pre-printed and blank labels.
- Include initial investment, maintenance, operational costs, and potential waste.
- Evaluate the return on investment (ROI) by comparing each option’s efficiency and error possibilities.
Final Words
We hope that the difference between pre-made shipping labels and blank labels is clear. To make the distinction between each label clearer, we have clarified key factors like shipment volumes, cost factors, customisation, and speed.
If you are a large-scale business owner ready to invest in upfront shipping costs, then buying shipping labels from a supplier is convenient. However, if you are a small business with variable demand and a reliable, professional label printing team, then blank labels are a more trustworthy investment. Choose Dial A Label in Australia to buy both these labels at affordable prices and quick turnaround times.
