The Abridged History of Self-Adhesive Labels

Posted by : Mercury Labels Ltd on Monday, November 21, 2022 in Choosing Your Labels.

Have you ever wondered who created the
original self-adhesive labels? Or why they came up with such a design in the
first place? Even if you get through huge quantities of sticky labels on a
regular basis, the short answer is...probably not.

Sticky labels are assumed by many to
be a recent invention. However, they have actually been present in some form or
another since the early 19th century. Around this period, European painters
started experimenting with coloured adhesive labels on their paintings, in the
hopes that they would increase sales.

An intriguing concept that proved
surprisingly successful and would go on to form the gradual evolution of the
sticky labels we know today.

Mr. Avery: Godfather of Modern Sticky
Labels

Much of the credit for today's
self-adhesive labels goes to a man by the name of R. Stanton Avery. He was an
entrepreneur by profession and built the first machine specifically to create
self-adhesive labels in the 1930s.

At the time of their invention,
self-adhesive labels were a somewhat exclusive commodity, given the fact that
there were comparatively few people producing them. They were anything but
commonplace in the sale and purchase of consumer goods, given how most people
could not afford to buy them.

In Comes Inkjet
Printing

The first very basic inkjet printers
were launched a couple of decades later in the 1950s. Introduced as quite
enormous and extremely expensive machines, they gradually became more
affordable (and versatile) over the decades that followed.

By the 1980s, inkjet printers had
taken over as the standard for the printing industry worldwide.

This signalled a significant change in
the printed label industry, as companies of all sizes could now manufacture
their own labels at reasonable prices. Custom adhesive labels were no longer
exclusively available to those with deep pockets, or to establish businesses
who could afford to pay high prices for them.

Laser Printers
Emerge

It was as far back as the 1950s when
laser printing technology first emerged, but the whole thing didn’t really hit
its stride until much later. Again, this was due in large to the fact that
laser printers (and laser printing services) were prohibitively expensive for
most.

Laser printers began making their mark
on the professional printing scene from the mid-80s onwards and were adopted by
more businesses (and consumers) as they became more accessible price-wise.

Inkjet printers (and printing
services) remained more affordable than laser for some time, but the benefits
of laser printing made it the preferred choice for those who could afford it.

The Sticky Label Landscape Today

Today, even the most advanced printing
technology is comprehensively affordable. Most people have their own basic
printers at home, while the average workplace will feature several printers for
different purposes.

Likewise, the consumables needed to
print sticky labels are readily available, and don’t tend to cost a great deal.

Even so, working with a professional
printing house can still pave the way for significant savings.  Not to mention, vastly superior and more
consistent results. Major leaps in printing technology are being made all the
time and the sophistication of the most advanced machines on the market today
is quite extraordinary.

Put simply, there is a reason why some
basic home printers cost less than £100, while other commercial printers sell
for more than £10,000. Whether you are looking to print a handful of product
labels or many thousands of labels for any purpose, you’ll always be looking at
better results with a professional printing service.

For more information on any of the
services we provide or to discuss the benefits of professional printing in more
detail, contact a member of the team at Mercury Labels today.