Have you ever found yourself searching for the perfect printing solution for your label needs? You may be surprised to find that there are actually several label printing solutions currently available on the market, all of which offer a high-end finish for various requirements.

Here, the experts at GSM Graphic Arts take a closer look at the types of label printing currently available on the market today, and some of their typical uses.

Silkscreen Printing

If you are looking for a printing solution that provides a durable, high-quality finish for specialist labels and graphic overlays, silkscreen printing should definitely be in your mind.

Silkscreen printing is ideal for any businesses that are looking for a high-quality finish with stunning aesthetics, and here at GSM we offer a wide range of materials to meet your exact requirements. Not only that, but we are also capable of incorporating a selection of finishes to your product, including gloss, anti-glare and selective textures. All of these options help to ensure that your product’s display window provides complete clarity, offering a clear contrast between the text and background areas of the product.

At GSM Graphic Arts, we are capable of printing onto vinyls, PVC, polycarbonate and polyesters thanks to our semi-automatic silkscreen process. Along with this, it’s also worth noting that our experts can colour match inks to all recognised colour standards, so you can rest assured that your product will be exactly as you envisioned.

Digital Printing

Digital printing has quickly become one of the most popular forms of printing available for many businesses, thanks to the flexibility this solution offers. At GSM, we can under surface digitally print polycarbonate specialist labels, graphic overlays and fascia panels using the very latest technology.

Like silkscreen printing, we are capable of offering digitally printed solutions with a full range of finishes available, including gloss, anti-glare and selective textures to guarantee a clear contrast between any text or logos and background areas. Furthermore, we can create your product to any recognised colour standard, just like the silkscreen printing process.

Digital printing is ideal for any businesses that require a more robust type of printing solution, as your text or logo is under surface printed directly onto clear polycarbonate. This means that your designs are protected by a layer of material, therefore are extremely durable and unlikely to wear off for years to come.

Anodising Process

If you’re in the market for especially hardwearing labels, then we would strongly recommend that you consider anodised labels for your next project. The process of anodising has been around for some time now, but offers an unrivalled, hard wearing finish to your products.

By electrically charging aluminium within a sulphuric acid solution, the anodising process oxidises and opens the pores of the surface of the aluminium, this enables our experts to print ink directly into the aluminium’s pores. Once these pores are sealed, your product will have a durable and long-lasting finish, with the text ingrained into the pores of the aluminium.

Here at GSM, we have the capability of supplying matt or bright anodised finishes to suit your requirements. Along with this, we also offer a range of material thicknesses from 0.3mm to 3mm, with other thicknesses available upon request.

GSM have over 40 years’ experience dealing with anodising a whole host of specialist labels, nameplates and control panels, so you can rest assured that if you do choose to utilise this process, you will receive products of the very highest quality.

Stainless Steel Etching

Stainless steel etching is ideal for any business who needs to find a suitable solution for harsh applications. This process can be carried out on either 304 or 316 stainless steel depending on your product’s requirements, and at GSM, we can offer bright, satin or brushed finishes on a wide range of thicknesses between 0.5mm and 3mm. The process offers a cost-effective solution for rating plates, warning labels, instruction plates and high-quality logo badges.

In the stainless steel etching process, the text details on the piece are chemically etched below the surface of the material. By utilising this process, the text is capable of staying in place in even the harshest of environments.

To achieve the very best finish on each of our products, the process starts by screen printing a chemical resistant material onto the surface of the metal, this is then immersed into an acid solution. A computer controlled etching line will carry out the etching process, ensuring the details of your project are carried out precisely. Following this process, we then wash the sheets and cover them in a future proofed marking solution.

You’ll find that stainless steel etching is actually used in a whole host of applications in the offshore oil and gas industry and in military applications thanks to their long-lasting and durable properties.

If you would like to find out more about the types of label printing available here at GSM Graphic Arts, be sure to get in touch with us today. We have vast experience dealing with a whole host of printing solutions over the years, so you can be sure of first-class service and quality products. You can contact us by calling 01845 522184 or using our simple online enquiry form; we look forward to hearing from you very soon!