Which workflow is right for your lab: pre-printed or print-on-demand lab tube labels? Labels are essential to efficient operations, providing identification and traceability. Both pre-printed and print-on-demand lab tube labels offer a host of benefits, while also presenting a few drawbacks. Choosing the right labeling method for your facility depends on the type of label that best supports your tube lifecycle and the level of control you want to maintain over the labeling process.
The Importance of Lab Tube Labels
Labels play a vital role in every step of tube workflows, from storing valuable information at collection to tracking during transportation and processing to providing traceability through storage and disposal. Depending on the industry and application, the demands facing tube labels vary. For example, a label may need to withstand cryogenic temperatures, remain durable through repeated freeze-thaw cycles, resist harsh chemical exposure, and retain legibility and adhesion despite frequent handling.
Selecting the Right Lab Tube Label Workflow
Choosing the right tube label for your application is critical. But how do you determine the best labeling solution for your lab’s tubes? In addition to understanding the environments in which they’re used—cryogenic storage, chemical exposure, etc.—you must also identify the information they need to communicate.
- Clinical testing commonly requires tube labels to include the patient’s name, a unique identifier (such as date of birth or medical record number), and collection details.
- Research applications often require tube labels to include a sample ID, a description of the contents (such as the reagent, chemical, or sample type), storage information, and the researcher’s name.
Other considerations include the size and shape of the tubes in your workflow, as well as the material they’re made with—all of which factor into determining the ideal label for your application.
Another element to evaluate is just how much of the labeling lifecycle you want to manage. Do you want end-to-end control? Or would you rather focus your effort on your primary work, whether it’s testing, analysis, or research, and leave the labels to the experts?
Preprinted Lab Tube Labels
Preprinted tube labels leverage manufacturers’ expertise to provide solutions engineered for your specific application. A great choice for high-volume facilities, this workflow allows your lab to focus on sourcing and application while leaving production to specialized label suppliers—streamlining operations and conserving resources.
Label Expertise
The best label converters, like Electronic Imaging Materials (EIM), offer custom, preprinted tube labels engineered to withstand harsh laboratory environments and deliver durability, print quality, and consistency that exceed the capabilities of most in-house printing operations. Working with a label manufacturer gives you access to a wide range of label constructions and printing methods, along with expert oversight, quality control, and experience with compliance and regulations.
Professional Production
Professional label manufacturers can produce labels with features that are particularly beneficial for laboratory applications and are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with print-on-demand solutions. Specialized topcoats, laminates, adhesives, and inks can all help tube labels remain securely adhered and legible, even if exposed to harsh lab conditions. Specialized label manufacturers can also offer innovative solutions for tough labeling challenges, like small or awkward shapes and difficult-to-label surfaces.
Operational Efficiency
Sourcing labels from a trusted manufacturer frees up your lab resources to focus on its mission, not its infrastructure. Professional labels procured from converters like EIM ensure you’re using consistently high-quality labels. This helps minimize downtime and unnecessary rework by reducing issues associated with illegible or detached labels and frequent reprinting.
Working with a professional label manufacturer also reduces the investment of time and training required to print labels. Printing tube labels is more involved and requires more effort than simply hitting a button. For example, barcode sequences must be verified and maintained, printers set up and calibrated, and labels prepared, all of which can detract from the main objective of your lab.
Print-On-Demand Lab Tube Labels
Print-on-demand tube labels bring production in-house, allowing labs to print labels with the exact information required at the exact time they need them. This workflow provides labs with more flexibility and control over the label process.
Specific Requirements
Print-on-demand tube labels offer greater operational flexibility than their pre-printed counterparts. Because print-on-demand labels can be customized on an individual basis, print-on-demand is an ideal solution for laboratories with evolving workflows, fluctuating volumes, and diverse labeling requirements—for example, small-scale and specialized studies or lower-throughput labs.
Process Management
As mentioned above, owning the responsibility for printing tube labels requires a significant investment. For some labs, it’s an investment that pays off. While print-on-demand means the expense of equipment and more time spent maintaining printers and managing supplies like labels and ribbons, it also enables fast reprints and speedy changes. That means practically zero lead time and no wasted inventory if there’s a shift in workflow.
Hybrid Tube Label Printing
While preprinted and print-on-demand labels meet the needs of most tube applications, there is another option that blends the best characteristics of both. This hybrid approach provides the high-quality printing, performance, and durability of labels from a professional manufacturer, while also offering the flexibility of print-on-demand labels at the lab level.
For example, a lab could pre-print tube labels with fixed data, such as the lab name, department, and sample type, while labels printed in-house can convey important variable data—for example, collection date or batch number.
Of course, there are a few factors to consider when thinking about pursuing a hybrid tube label workflow. Most notably, are the two types of labels compatible?
- Do they share the same lifespan?
- Are they able to withstand the same environments?
- Will they adhere to one another?
For some applications, hybrid tube labels are the best of both worlds. They capitalize on manufacturers’ expertise while providing the versatility to adapt to shifting workflows.
Electronic Imaging Materials, Inc.
Whether purchasing preprinted labels, printing in-house, or using a combination of the two, every lab needs tube labels they can trust. If you’re looking to discover the right formula for your lab, contact the Label Experts at EIM. With almost four decades of experience solving the most challenging labeling issues, EIM can help you identify the right label workflow for your lab and provide unprecedented support to your labeling process. Put us to the test—request samples.
