Make Custom Clear Lables

by BobsDogHouse

16K2320

Intro: Make Custom Clear Lables

It's easy to make clear labels and with a pack of clear address labels costing from $20 to $45 I think it's worth it to make my own since I don't use them very often. This is clearly more trouble than it's worth for bulk mail labels but for a project box or bin label they can be great!

You will need:
A computer - you have that already.
A laser printer or photo copier
Tape - regular "Scotch" tape or packing tape for larger labels
Scissors - if you plan to trim the label close.

STEP 1: Make Up Your Label Design

Make up your label in your favorite editor. Black and white, no gray scale, it doesn't work very well.
Use your favorite font and make the label any size that will fit under your strp of tape.

If you're using a photo copier you will have to print the page with any printer (ink jet?) then follow the rest of the printer steps using the photo copier.

Print it or photo copy it. You may want to use the external sheet feeder and mark the paper to be sure it goes through the printer the same way next time.

STEP 2: Print It Again

Put a single strip of tape over the label. Cover it liberally with lots of overlap. Rub it down tight with your fingers so it sticks well.

it probably actually helps at this point to get a little finger print oil on the tape so the second printing won't stick very tightly.

Run it through the printer again being sure to put the paper into the printer or photocopier the exact same way it went through the first time.

It usually comes out with the second printing slightly misaligned from the first but it should be close enough.

STEP 3: Peel and Place

Put a second layer of tape over the printed area and rub it down tight. Then peel it up careflully. If you see a few voids in your label as you're pulling it up, you may be able to stick it down again and rub it again to get the "missing" segments.

Once it's up, you can trim it further if you like or place it as is.

17 Comments

Peter3D 16 years ago

Nice idea, however, can you imagine what happens if a piece of tape gets 'loose' in your (laser)printer and struggles its way to some unreachable place and sticks itself there ? Temperatures in a laserprinter can get pretty high, you know. And a piece of tape will know. . . Result: A rather expensive CLA on your printer.

stephenniall 15 years ago

Haha i can remember a few years back my dad spent about £200 ($400) on a nice good high quality laser printer i put a sheet of acetate (transparencies) and it burnt in the printer and got stuck in the rollers haha never printed without curling the sides of the sheet up again

odboj35 3 years ago

The printer probably has a menu for you to select the material you are printing on or to set the "baking" temperature :)
If your printer has such a menu then setting it for printing on transparencies may help.

BobsDogHouse 16 years ago

I do this all the time and have never had a problem with any of the many printers I have used, even with an office photocopier. You do have to be sure to rub the tape down tight (as stated in step 2), no loose ends. The only heat effects I've noticed was a small amount of shrinkage causing a minor warping of the paper. This can cause a paper jam but the couple of times that's happened it was a simple matter to remove the paper. No different than any other time. OTOH, I can't comment on every type of tape someone might choose to use and can't guarantee that every type of tape will work. There may be an adhesive that breaks down under the heat of a printer and ... Well, as they say, I assume no liability here. It has never caused any problems for me but your results may very - do this at your own risk!

BobsDogHouse 16 years ago

Of coarse it's my favorite! It's clear, informal and just the best all around font ever created 'nuf said! ;o) Besides I said Use your favorite font.

stephenniall 15 years ago

Damn right all this ban comic sans Whts this about its a nice clear easy to read Stylish font lol Lets start a petition to keep it Lolz

AT 16 years ago

That is a nice trick. I am going to have to try that one out. We have a color copier at work. I am going to see how works with color! And Images! AND............

lemonie 16 years ago

Yeah, that sums it up very nicely in a real example. Thanks L

lemonie 16 years ago

Half the point about misuse of Comic Sans, is that we could write the same message on an object with a pen. Using it is not always bad, but just being there causes it to be used (mostly) innappropriately. (I don't care that much really, but it's important to share ideas and perspectives) L

lemonie 16 years ago

Looks pretty good (apart from Comic Sans of course...) L

BobsDogHouse 16 years ago

What's all this dissing Comic Sans anyway! ;o)

PetervG 16 years ago

So your basically printing on the tape? (actual question)

BobsDogHouse 16 years ago

tiuk got it exactly right. I am printing on tape, but I "lift" the image off of the first tape with a second tape. The first tape would not be easily removed from the paper. Sometimes you can use the paper to print a second label, if the tape didn't shrunk very much and deformed the paper but packing tape shrinks too much for that.

tiuk 16 years ago

Yeah, you print on the tape because the toner doesn't set properly on it. Then you apply the second piece of tape and peel it off, making the toner stick to it. The second piece of tape becomes your label, the paper with the first piece gets thrown out/recycled. Interesting idea, I'll have to remember it if I ever need to label something neatly.

zupHC 16 years ago

no, he is printing under the second strip of tape zupHC