Metal Labels: What’s Right for My Business?

Metal Labels: What’s Right for My Business?

At GSM Graphic Arts, we have over four decades of experience in manufacturing a wide range of specialist labels perfect for a variety of industries. No matter your requirement, we can work with you to offer a tailored solution for your business. Some of our most popular products include our metal labels, which can be made from different types of metal, including aluminium.

Metal Label

Knowing whether to choose aluminium or any other type of metal for your project, however, can be difficult, especially as they’re suitable for different applications and/or settings.

In this article, we take a look at when you should use aluminium and when your labels should be made from any other type of metal.

Stainless Steel Labels

We can work with several different metals, from stainless steel to etched brass, in order to produce your metal label or nameplate to your exact requirements. Metal is durable and capable of withstanding a variety of environmental conditions, meaning it’s suited for many businesses and sectors across the UK.

If you work in the oil and gas industry, for example, you’ll find that etched stainless steel is suitable for even the harshest of environments, be it onshore or offshore. The etched detail can be paint infilled if you so wish, but whether or not you choose this option, you can always rest assured that the etched detail has a long lifespan and will remain readable for many years.

 

Stainless Steel Label

Stainless steel is a strong and corrosion-resistant material, as well as withstanding harsh cleaning processes, which is why you can find it often in industries such as catering (especially in equipment labelling). Not only is stainless steel a very attractive material in terms of aesthetics, but it also boasts guaranteed performance for an extended period of time, so you can be confident that your product labels will be built to last.

Brass Labels

Another type of metal that we use in our labels on a regular basis is brass. Brass labels and nameplates are often used in more traditional applications, like garden furniture, and you can also benefit from an etched feature, guaranteeing the legibility of your lettering. One of the reasons this metal is so popular for labels and nameplates is that it offers a traditional look no matter where or what it’s used in.

Brass Label

As you can see, there are many industries that can benefit from metal labels. The oil and gas industry is an obvious one, but these products are also perfect for industries such as refrigeration & catering, electronics, marine and aerospace. If you are interested in learning more about how you could utilise metal labels within your project or business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experienced and friendly team.

Aluminium Labels

When it comes to aluminium labels, this metal is perfect for applications such as serial number rating plates, logo badges and rugged barcode labels. Rugged anodised aluminium labels provide a durable, solvent-resistant surface that can come in a varying degree of thickness, from 0.3mm to 3mm, depending on your requirements.

Aluminium and, in particular, anodised aluminium, is light, yet incredibly durable and scuff-resistant. These properties make it ideal for industries such as aerospace, trade, security and surveillance, sports and leisure, military, medical, asset management, amongst others.

Aluminium Label

At GSM Graphic Arts, we can also screen print or digitally print the graphics you wish to add to the material – either option is sealed within the surface of the aluminium.

The most affordable option regarding these types of labels and nameplates is to surface-print the text detail in a single colour onto anodised aluminium. The result is suitable for clean environments where the label wouldn’t suffer knocks or scrapes; if it does, it’s likely that the text will wear off over time.

A more durable and, of course, less cost-effective, solution is to choose fully anodised aluminium labels that have been pre-anodised to open the pores of the metal. After this, your message is silkscreen-printed or digitally-printed into these pores; the pores are then closed, and the ink locked within the grain of the metal. This will offer you a hard-wearing option capable of withstanding the effects of salt mist and UV radiation.

 

Different materials will be better suited for some applications, so it’s important that you know which metal can give you the result you’re looking for. It’s also vital that you choose a trustworthy manufacturer to create your products – our facilities are modern and fitted with the latest in label technology, allowing us to employ superior production techniques leading to high-quality products.

We work with a variety of materials, including plastic, so you can be confident that all of your label and nameplate needs can be met by choosing GSM Graphic Arts for all your project or business needs.

 

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