Labeling provides a key weapon in the war against the imitators as packaging is one of the hardest things for a counterfeiter to replicate.

Holograms provide a great way of ensuring the product is genuine as they are exceptionally difficult to replicate; so useful and effective are holograms than many currency notes in circulation overseas use holographic images as part of the overall design – something actively being considered by the U.S. Treasury in the war on counterfeit money operations.  A drawback of holograms is that they can still be stolen as a separate item of value in themselves and many counterfeit DVD operations in the Far East have found ways to actively source holographic stickers or in fact replicate them to an acceptable standard.

Luckily, there have been significant advances in the development of digital printing and colored inks which have been combined with barcode technology to provide an extra layer of differentiation as well as carrying important information about the history of the product package.

Color barcode labels have been actively developed by HP with several pharmaceutical companies who have been looking at ways to ensure the end-user readily sees the medicines they are using are genuine and also are able to access vital information concerning that batch of medicine product.  In some instances, the ability to trust the “medication” is a matter of life and death with an enormous black market for illicit, counterfeit medications.

Before you think this is an issue which affects only the undeveloped world consider that one Viagra pill was selling for over $100 on the black market when the drug was initially launched and only available after an exhaustive medical screening session.

Beating the counterfeiters is a seriously thorny issue!

Hoodia Gordonii was the diet supplement extracted from a cactus which only grew in a specific and restricted location in East Africa and was subject to very strict certification standards but at one point it was thought that over 75% of the supplement was actually counterfeit goods.  These two examples alone have resulted in billions of dollars of sales to unwitting consumers – a direct loss to the manufacturers and the consumer.

Cheap labels now allow you to organize everything from your garage and tool shed, through to your home possessions for security purposes as well as the more traditional uses such as marking school books and sports kit so the kids do not permanently lose stuff when they forget it.

Across the board, every type of label has fallen dramatically in price.

Heavy duty all-weather Nalgene laminated tags now cost as little as their indoor equivalents used to mark items in your kitchen; marking up personal possessions with a permanent adhesive tag is one of the best ways of ensuring you get your possessions returned if they are stolen and this will cost a few dollars at most to do; marking your belongings no matter what or where they are is a mark of your ownership and possession so things do not get permanently mislaid and the only real investment you have to make is a little time to get the job of labeling done; in dollar terms it is a few bucks and no more.

You can find cheap label suppliers across the internet but with low cost you must be careful of the quality you are receiving.  Many low cost labels are produced in the Far East and particularly China, where highly toxic inks and manufacturing processes destroy the environment while the quality of the label material itself may leave a lot to be desired.  This said, there is no shortage of homegrown label producers right here in the US where standards are higher and despite producing cheap products you can easily afford, buying US labels keeps US jobs right here at home.

Typical waterproof labels will be able to resist the effects of water for several days, weeks or indeed permanently depending on the adhesive used and how well it has been applied.  In fact, most waterproof labels will be able to withstand the impact of water long after the ink has faded on the label so in practice it becomes a moot issue.

If you are looking for waterproof labels to mark the kids sports kit then a standard label is going to be able to do the job, but it is probably better if you use a heat activated iron-on label or even better for extra durability, a sew on label which will be unaffected by water.

The ink used to mark the label will be the next consideration and indeed, it is likely that the water or weather is going to affect the ink on the label far sooner than they will affect the adhesive or fixing material.  Most ink used is water soluble, in fact if you are looking to ensure minimal impact upon the environment, a water soluble ink will be recommended due to the toxicity of traditional durable inks and their manufacturing process.

There are two main methods for water and weatherproofing a label – the use of special microfiber material which traps the water -soluble ink applied and the use of a laminate coating to protect the label image after it has been applied.  Microfiber printing material acts in a similar fashion to your cotton shirt when you spill orange juice on it – the fibers trap the juice and it is difficult to remove without a thorough clean.  The ink is trapped by the microfiber and this retains the image applied despite the presence of water, however over time the image will fade and deteriorate so this method is not recommended for heavy exposure.

Laminating the image after it has been applied provides all round protection both for the ink and the material making up the tag; a coating such as Nalgene will ensure that the label is preserved for as long as is necessary and how heavy the application will determine whether the tag becomes weatherproof as opposed to simply waterproof.