How to choose the right inventory labels or tags

Whether you’re a medical device company or automotive manufacturer, accurately tracking inventory reduces waste, speeds operations, and ensures regulatory compliance. But not all inventory labels and tags are created equal. Choosing an inventory tracking solution that falls off or becomes unreadable can cause as many problems as having no tracking system at all. Read on to learn exactly which factors you should consider to ensure you choose the inventory solution that will perform reliably in your unique environment. 

Four key considerations for inventory labels and tags

You need your inventory labels to perform flawlessly in your specific processes and environment. There’s a lot to consider, though. Will your inventory labels be exposed to moisture? Do your inventory tags need to withstand abrasion? Will they be used in clean or aseptic environments? Rather than tackling every factor individually, it’s helpful to use these four key considerations in your decision making process.

Environmental factors

Research and manufacturing processes often happen in challenging environments. Sure, a standard inventory label might do fine at room temperature with average humidity level, but once you expose it to chemicals or cryogenic temperature? All bets are off. That’s why considering the durability of your inventory labels or tags is essential. 

Chemical exposure — From auto lubricants to IPA cleaning in medical settings, chemical resistance is a key factor to consider.

Extreme temperatures — Any temperature above or below room temperature can degrade labels that aren’t specifically designed for that environment. Consider if your inventory labels or tags will be exposed to high heat or cryogenic storage.

Abrasion — Physical abrasion can quickly render a label unreadable. Ensuring that your inventory labels have an appropriate anti-abrasion coating or lamination will safeguard your tracking capability. 

Moisture — Steam, condensation, and wet cleaning processes all can break down inventory labels and tags quickly if they’re not designed with waterproof label materials. 

UV exposure — Will you inventory labels and tags be used outdoors or exposed to UV sterilization processes? You’ll want to ensure you choose a printing method that can withstand these stresses.

Adhesion needs

If you’re going with inventory labels rather than tags, you’ll need to consider what surface the labels must adhere to and for what period of time. And, if adhesion is difficult or inconvenient for your processes, you’ll want to consider inventory tags that have a non-adhesive attachment point.

Target surface — Whether your target surface is rough or smooth, metal or cardboard, cold or hot, you’ll want to think about where your inventory labels need to stick and choose an appropriate adhesive.

Permanent, temporary or removable — Understanding if your inventory labels need to stay put for long periods of time, remove without any residue left over, or have the ability to be repositioned is an important step toward choosing the right option.

Printability

Inventory labels and tags typically require variable printing to accommodate individualized tracking data. There are a number of ways to accomplish this type of printing, each with its own pros and cons. 

Partial factory printing — If there are common elements that will be present on all your tracking labels or tags, partial factory printing may save you time and cost.

Tracking elements — Will you be including serial numbers, bar codes, or QR codes? If so, you’ll want to choose a printing method that achieves adequate sharpness for reliable machine reading.

Thermal, inkjet, or laser — Consider if you’ll want to print in color, how long your inventory labels or tags need to remain in use, and whether you’ll be printing on site when deciding which printing method is right for you.

When you get inventory labels and tags right, the payoffs are big

All that is a lot to think about for a few labels or tags, but the impact is bigger than you might think. Implementing inventory labels or tags that are optimized for your exact procedures and environment means less waste, more speed, and reduced regulatory risk.

Reduced waste

Effective inventory labeling reduces waste by improving accuracy, preventing errors, and optimizing resource utilization. In manufacturing, properly labeled raw materials, components, and finished products ensure that inventory is used efficiently, reducing the risk of misplacements, production bottlenecks, or spoilage due to expired or incorrect materials. In research settings, precise labeling of samples, reagents, and test materials prevents costly mix-ups that could lead to failed experiments or invalid results. 

Increased speed

Inventory labels also enable faster decision making and smoother workflows, speeding up both manufacturing and research operations. Clearly labeled components and products enable fast, accurate identification and tracking and reduce downtime by ensuring the right parts can be quickly identified, preventing delays in assembly lines and supply chain processes. Technologies like barcode and RFID labels further accelerate operations by enabling rapid scanning and real-time inventory updates, reducing time spent on data entry and verification. 

Reduced regulatory risk

Inventory labels and tags help businesses and research facilities meet strict regulatory requirements by ensuring proper identification, tracking, and documentation. In manufacturing, industries like pharmaceuticals, BioTetch, and food and beverage production rely on labels with barcodes, batch numbers, and expiration dates to comply with FDA, ISO, and OSHA standards, reducing the risk of non-compliance, fines, and operational disruptions.

Customization ensures your inventory labels and tags function flawlessly

Whether you’re looking to implement inventory labels or tags for the first time or are using a solution that isn’t performing well and are looking to upgrade, it can be overwhelming to try to find the right inventory solution on your own — first and foremost because there’s rarely if ever an out-of-the-box solution that works well.

What you need is a custom inventory label or tag. And that’s where CleanMark comes in. Our team of experienced label experts makes the process simple and stress free. We use our three-point customization process to assess your needs and propose an inventory label or tag that will perform efficiently and reliably. 

The first step in the process is to tell us a little about what you need and schedule your free consultation. Our team will get right to work designing an inventory labeling solution for your unique situation.