Product labels, asset tags and bumper stickers printed and die-cut in-house at Ravenhall. Waterproof vinyl, clear, paper and metallic stocks, supplied on rolls for applicators or on sheets for hand application.
Labels and bumper stickers are the same basic thing built for two different lives. A product label has to survive a fridge or a wash bay and still look sharp on a shelf. A bumper sticker has to survive years of sun and rain on the back of a vehicle. What separates them is the face material, the adhesive and whether there is a laminate over the top.
Made by Melbourne Trade Signs, a large-format print and signage company on Unit 6/43 Orbis Drive, Ravenhall VIC 3023, in Melbourne’s west. Printed in-house and installed Australia-wide. Phone 0415 743 691.
The first decision is roll or sheet. Rolls suit anyone applying by machine, or working through volume at a bench, because labels come off one at a time in order. Sheets suit low volume, mixed designs and occasional use. Rolls cost more to set up and less per label; sheets are the opposite. If the quantity is small, we will say so rather than push a roll you do not need.
We print, laminate and die-cut here in Ravenhall, in Melbourne’s west, with no minimum quantity, so fifty labels for a trial batch is a real order. For very small runs and one-off consumer work our sister company Sticky Sitch is often the quicker route, and we will point you there when it suits. Artwork help is included either way, and a logo plus a rough idea is enough to start.
Face material does most of the work here. Pick it around where the label ends up living: a chilled bottle, a dusty toolbox, a shipping carton or the back of a ute.
| Stock | Look | Water and cold | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| White vinyl | Gloss or matte, strong colour | Waterproof, fridge and freezer capable | Bottles, jars, tubs, drums |
| Clear vinyl | No-label look on glass | Waterproof | Spirits, juice, cosmetics |
| Metallic silver | Reflective under the ink | Waterproof | Premium drinks, asset plates |
| Semi-gloss paper | Flat, prints crisply, budget stock | Not water resistant | Dry goods, cartons, barcodes |
| Kraft paper | Uncoated brown, natural finish | Poor with moisture | Pantry goods, candles, artisan lines |
| Removable vinyl | Same print, softer adhesive | Water resistant | Promotions, hire equipment tags |
| Tamper-evident | Splits or voids if lifted | Water resistant | Asset tags, seals, test labels |
Odd shapes are no harder than rectangles, because everything is die-cut digitally. Where a label wraps a curved container, tell us the diameter so we can check it will lie flat rather than crease at the ends.
Two labels on the same stock can behave completely differently depending on the laminate and how they are wound. Both are worth settling before print rather than after.
Supplied on a core, in sequence, with a set gap between labels. If an applicator or bench dispenser puts them on, we need the core size and the unwind direction, because a roll wound the wrong way out is unusable on the machine. Tell us the model and we will match it.
Labels cut through the face but not the backing, laid out on a flat sheet. They peel off one at a time and stay tidy in a drawer. Ideal for lower volumes, mixed designs, sample packs and anywhere labels get applied occasionally rather than on a line.
Laminate protects the ink from moisture and rubbing and sets the finish. Gloss lifts colour and suits food and drink. Matte is calmer and easier to write on. Soft-touch has a velvety feel that suits cosmetics. Unlaminated paper is cheapest and least durable.
Vinyl faces with the right adhesive handle condensation, ice buckets and cold rooms. Freezer-grade adhesive matters most at the moment of application: a standard adhesive put onto an already-cold, damp container never bonds. Tell us the container temperature at labelling and the stock changes.
Outdoor-grade vinyl with a UV laminate over the print, die-cut to shape. That combination is what stops the reds fading and the edges lifting. Typically three to five years outdoors, depending on sun exposure and whether the car lives in a garage or on a nature strip.
Asset tags, test labels, service stickers and warranty seals can print with running numbers, barcodes or QR codes, each one unique. Send the data as a spreadsheet and we merge it. Pair it with tamper-evident stock and a label cannot be moved to another item intact.
Brewers, distillers, roasters and sauce makers need labels that hold up to chilling, condensation and handling. Clear vinyl on glass reads as no label at all, and metallic stock does the work on a premium line. What the label says is your responsibility, so check your own labelling compliance obligations before approving artwork. For printed cans and cups rather than labels, our sister company Packlabb handles that.
Asset tags, electrical test labels, service stickers and equipment ID all come down to a small, tough, numbered label. Tamper-evident stock stops a tag being lifted off one item and moved to different gear. We run these in sequence straight from your spreadsheet, so every item carries a unique number and the register in the office matches what is stuck on the machine.
Bumper stickers still work, which is why sporting clubs, tradies and community groups keep ordering them. Outdoor vinyl with a UV laminate over the print is the whole trick, and it is what keeps the colours honest after a few summers. We die-cut them to shape and run whatever quantity you need, with no minimum on a small club run.
Carton labels, handling markers, batch codes, shelf tags and address labels get through in serious volume, which is where paper stock on rolls makes sense. Cheap per label, quick to apply, printed to the size your existing system expects. Send a sample of what you use now and we will match it rather than making you change a working process.
Labels are small, so details that get glossed over on a banner really show here. Bleed, safe margins and a defined cut line are the three that cause reprints.
Not everyone has a print-ready file, and that is normal. Send the logo and the words for the label and we will lay it out, draw the cut line and send a proof before anything runs.
Small label runs move quickly, because print, laminate and die-cut all happen on our own floor. Volume roll work takes longer, mostly in finishing rather than print time, and variable data adds a proofing step worth taking properly. Give us the date labels have to be on product and we will tell you straight. Pickup from Ravenhall Monday to Friday, courier metro and regional, freight interstate.
It comes down to how they get applied. If an applicator machine or a bench dispenser puts them on, you need rolls, wound the way the machine expects and on the right core.
If a person peels them by hand in modest numbers, sheets are easier to store and cheaper to set up, and you can mix designs on one sheet. Anything running on a line, or repeating in batches through the year, is better on rolls.
Vinyl and synthetic labels are. The face material does not absorb water, and with a laminate over the print the ink is sealed too, so condensation, ice buckets and a wipe-down do not affect them.
Paper labels are not, and no laminate fixes that, because water gets in from the edges and the adhesive lets go. Use paper for cartons and dry goods, vinyl for anything wet, chilled or handled with damp hands.
Yes, with the right adhesive, and the critical part is the temperature when you apply them. Freezer-grade adhesive is formulated to grab a cold surface and stay there well below zero.
A standard adhesive applied to an already-frozen or frost-damp container tacks for a moment and then releases. Where you can, label at room temperature and freeze afterwards. Where you cannot, say so and we will spec a freezer-grade stock from the start.
Yes. Sequential numbering, barcodes and QR codes can all print with unique data on every label. Send the values in a spreadsheet, one row per label, and we merge them into the layout.
Barcodes need care: keep them at a sensible size, leave the quiet zone clear either side, and avoid metallic stock where reflection can confuse a scanner. We proof a strip and scan-test before the full run where it matters.
Outdoor vinyl with a UV laminate typically runs three to five years, depending on sun exposure, whether the car is garaged and how often it is washed. A sticker on a horizontal boot lid takes far more UV than one on a vertical bumper.
Without a laminate, expect noticeably less: reds fade first and the edges collect grime. Applied to clean paint or glass and kept away from high-pressure washing at the edges, they hold up well.
We print exactly what you approve, at the size and legibility you specify, on stock that suits the product. What the label needs to say, including ingredients, allergens, weights and country of origin, is a compliance question that sits with you as the producer.
Check your own labelling obligations, or take advice on them, before signing off artwork rather than after a full run. Send the finished wording and we will set it at a size that stays legible on the container.
Die-cut printed stickers in any shape, for packaging, promotion and giveaways. The same print and cut process as labels, sized for handouts rather than production lines.
See the detail →Decals for shop and vehicle glass, including reverse-print work read from outside. Often ordered along with product labels when a brand is fitting out its own retail space.
See the detail →Laminated anti-slip floor graphics for retail, venue and warehouse floors. A sensible companion to asset tags and compliance labelling when a whole site is being marked up.
See the detail →Browse the full list on our A–Z of everything we print, or see how this fits into signage in Melbourne.
Tell us the container, the quantity and how they get applied. We will pick a stock, quote it and have it back to you within two business hours.