The first thing you see when you reach for something off the shelf is usually the label. The custom label development and label printing are ancient developments that originated from a brilliant necessity to the sophisticated art behind brand identity and customer loyalty. In this article, the evolution of label printing will be tracked from the dawn, during the Industrial Revolution, to the digital age. By tracing the centuries-old evolution of the labels, we can have even deeper reverence for the technologies behind the means by which corporations can make custom labels that are better-performing, gorgeous, and eco-friendly compared to the past.
A Look Back at Label Printing Technologies
Origins and Early History of Labels
The evolution of labels is as far-reaching as one could envision. Even in very ancient civilizations, individuals had imprints or marks on their vessels, scrolls, and cloth as ways to distinguish them. Those primal labels were by no means what we have today, but they had one prime function: they presented identity, ownership, and authenticity.
The origin of the label begins sometime between 3,000 B.C. and 3,000 B.C. in Egypt, where the first papyrus labels originated. They were most commonly handwritten or stamped on the goods to show ownership or where they originated. Although the first labels were for survival through social rank through trade, the seeds for today’s labels were planted. As societies expanded, so did the requirements for the labels to show merchandise over great expanses. The idea would take centuries to develop.
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The Middle Ages and Renaissance
Label development made great strides during the Middle Ages. Labels, or seals, were all the more indispensable, most significantly for royal proclamations and important documents. They were most frequently created from wax or metals and stamped with an emblem to display royal or noble approval. Labels, however, as we recognize them today, had not yet been created, so they could be placed on commercial merchandise.
In the Renaissance period, the industry’s first great leap forward was Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the movable-type printing press. The movable type was the foundation for printing stickers for mass production. Although still restricted by their objective, printed stickers did make an appearance on books, packaging, and obsolete bottles. That was the first historic time for the sticker.
Labels Didn’t Always Have Printers
Pre-printing press labels were hand-painted, embossed, or hand-stamped. The tedious process of making each label handmade only made the process small-scale. The concept of making the same uniform, high-volume set of labels was still on the horizon. The first mass-produced labels did not arrive until the 19th century.
The Industrial Revolution: A Turning Point
The Industrial Revolution pushed innovations such as label printing. As mechanistic production gained momentum from the late 18th century to the early 19th century, manufacturing became economically viable, creating the need for labels. The evolution of papermaking and the discovery of the steam-powered machine for printing enabled the first mass-production processes for labels.
By the early 1800s, commercial printers had also started to lithograph printed labels onto consumable items like bottles, cans, and packaging. The first printed labels revolutionized product promotion and distribution. Labels were no longer handmade; printing presses were capable of producing thousands of printed labels within small time intervals.
The Era of Fashion Branding: 1920s to 1950s
It was the age of mass production, the 1920s, when labels assumed increasingly design-like appearances. It was the era when fashion branding was created, and corporate names like Coca-Cola and Campbell’s Soup made legendary labels still familiar today. The labels became the means for transforming brands’ personalities, where vivid shots of colors, logograms, and slogans became the universal characteristics of commodity goods.
The evolution of fashion branding from the 1920s to the 1950s uncovered the possibility that labels could mean something other than what the product was; labels could also indicate the product’s brand’s identity, values, and ideals. Individual labels then became an inevitable reality from an operational perspective, but they also had an enormous impact on sales from an advertising perspective.
The Rise of Computers and Digital Printing
The 1970s and 1980s brought computers into the realm of printing, revolutionizing the future of labels. Digital technology made label printing versatile and effective. Traditional printing presses never had to print labels. Corporations made order-and-go custom labels using digital printers. Smaller companies made professional labels with minimal costs compared to traditional ones.
The introduction of digital printing marked the beginning of the new millennium for label technology. Digital presses enabled businesses to make small runs or even custom orders for labels without the intimidating setup charges that the older presses commanded.
And Then Things Moved Quickly: The 1980s to Present.
The 1980s through the current period witnessed the explosion in the diversity and quality of technologies for label printing. The introduction of the inkjet printers took place around 1984, fundamentally changing the way label printing transpired. The inkjet printers printed directly from liquid ink on paper stock or any other material to give radiant, high-quality outcomes. This enabled business entities to have full-color, photograph-realistic labels inexpensively and very fast.
Dot-matrix printers also appeared around the 1920s but continued to appear during the 1980s as far as labeling was concerned. Although low-resolution dependent, dot-matrix printers enabled businesses to mass-produce labels inexpensively, they were still best suited where high-volume labeling was needed.
Laser printers, which were introduced around 1976, had even improved speed and enhanced quality compared to dot-matrix and inkjet printers. Laser printers utilize the toner cartridge to imprint the ink on the paper, giving sharper, clearer output.
Inkjet Printers
One of the biggest advances toward label printing came when someone invented the inkjet printer around 1867. Though the inkjet was not made on a mass scale for label printing until the 1980s, the inventor’s imagination paved the way toward the bright, shining labels we enjoy today.
Dot-Matrix Printers
It was first invented in 1925 and was the industry standard for most business offices for the next few decades. Although dot-matrix printers could offer low-resolution labels, they were still extensively employed for the creation of labels for shipping, product tracking, and stock.
Laser Printers
The laser printer, launched in 1976, changed office printing, and soon, this machine appeared in the labeling industry. Laser printers enabled fast, professional-quality labeling and the potential of professional-level labels printed fast and affordably.
Thermal Transfer Printers
The development of thermal transfer printing in 1984 also formed one of the historical accomplishments in the label printing sector. The process employed the principle of thermally transferring actual ink from the ribbon onto an article to generate hard-wearing, quality labels.
Digital Printing
In 1991, the next big thing was digital printing, unlike the old way of printing, where you would have to have physical printing plates made to put the image on the paper; digital printing printed straight from the computer onto the surface. What this did was make small runs of custom labels less costly and less difficult. This gave brands and companies new opportunities.
21st Century: Sustainability and Innovation
The 21st century also introduced innovations and issues to the label printing sector. As the demand for sustainability keeps mounting, businesses are becoming increasingly attentive to environmentally friendly label solutions. Biodegradable labels, recycled labels, and vegetable-based inks are gaining momentum as businesses do what they can to have smaller footprints on the ecosystem. The digital revolution in the label printing sector has also helped by cutting down wastage and energy usage by allowing end-run order capability and smaller run sizes.
What’s Next? Is Your Print Solution Up to Date?
The future for label-printed product labeling is bright for continued innovations, sustainability, and efficiency. Now that custom labels are an increasingly popular method for brands to establish brand identity and reach customers, the need for high-quality, affordable, and eco-friendly label solutions will only increase.
Indeed, companies today must be current with the newest technologies, from presses to the digital realm, to maintain pace with the changing global market for product labeling. From emerging ink chemistries to implementing intelligent labels with NFC capability to digital presses to optimize efficiencies, one step ahead is the solution to the future.
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Final Thoughts
The evolution of label printing has been a long journey from the original marks on the ceramic vessels to the digital labels we have today. From the hand-painted seals to the digital custom labels we have today, the influence of tech has been vast in transforming labels to what they are today—a very useful business and branding tool. As the future leads, so will the label printing revolution and custom labels, but only the imagination will know where the future is going.
Still confused regarding the History of Label Printing and Custom Labels? Talk to our support staff by email at orders@tcsdigitalsolutions.com or call us at +1 (762) 208-6985 regarding any questions. The TCS Digital Solutions Expert Support Staff will be happy to serve you. To get information on Label Printers, log on to our blog page and find answers to all your questions.
