While most labels have permanent adhesive, there are times when labels need to be removable. Whether they are placed on a surface that cannot be damaged or are for a temporary purpose, removable labels, removable stickers, and removable wall decals are the perfect solution to this challenge. Labels for art galleries are a perfect example.
Why Removable Stickers?
If you’ve ever been in the situation where you purchased custom labels and now need to remove them from a surface, you know how much of a hassle this can be. Labels with permanent adhesive have to be painstakingly and carefully removed from a surface by using a heat gun or a hairdryer, and the process can literally take hours. Even then, some of the glue might have damaged the surface where the labels were applied to originally. In the case where the surface cannot be damaged, this can create quite a problem.
Removable Adhesive
The “low-tack” adhesive on the back side of removable labels allows them to be removed without leaving any residue whatsoever. They need to be simply pressed on to a surface and sit a short time to adhere, and any time afterwards, can be removed.
So how do you determine if in the future, labels might have to be removed? As label printers, we receive questions about this all the time. Consider the specific use of the label first. If it will be placed on a product that will be sold, clearly you will need a permanent label, except in the case of a removable coupon or some other sort of label that might be used for some other purpose, other than product identification.
If labels will be placed on windows or walls, think about the future. Will this need to last for years, or only weeks or months?
Another consideration would be cost. Removable adhesive costs more than permanent adhesive which is the standard, so if the application is to be placed on an inexpensive surface, it may not be important to use removable stickers. On the other hand, placing removable stickers or decals on expensive items makes much more sense, if the labels will be removed in the future.
Art Galleries
For instance, let’s take the case of an art gallery. Art gallery labels need to inform art lovers and/or patrons of the name of the artist and the name of the piece, but considering that the particular artist might only be showcasing their work for only a month, it would be quite a hassle to have permanent adhesive on the labels and then have to remove it after a month. In the case of a permanent installation however, a permanent label with permanent adhesive would be ideal.
Removable Wall Decals
In the aforementioned example we gave of an art gallery, even the walls of an art gallery are important aesthetically. Damaged walls are not a good look unless they are specifically an artistic statement. Wall decals can be easily removed and replaced, leaving nothing behind. Removable wall decals are made specifically for this purpose.
Of course this is not only limited to art galleries. Companies place wall decals on walls of their office, and they often need to be updated or changed. Removable wall decals again are perfect for this use as well. Especially in the case of huge decals that take up a lot of space, no one wants to go through the pain of removing permanent adhesive from several feet of wall space. This is why we always ask clients whether they need permanent adhesive or removable adhesive. If removable decals are requested, the price might be slightly higher, but the time saved in removal more than makes up for the difference.
Other examples of the specific use of removable decals or labels:
- Laptop stickers that might be replaced in the future. No one wants a messy laptop, and having to remove messy residue is not only a hassle, but an eyesore on such an expensive item. Removable stickers make it easy to remove and replace.
- Store window displays or store hours. What if the information changes? No one wants to be stuck cleaning off residue from store windows for hours when removable decals can be replaced within minutes.
- Placing removable labels on food. Applied to food, these labels cannot leave any residue on anything that is meant for consumption for obvious reasons.
- Price tags and product labels: When customers purchase an item, they want to be able to remove the price tag. Using permanent adhesive would be a real hassle for the customers to remove after purchase. They might not return because of the hassle.
- Medical labels: these types of labels need to be updated or changed, so having removable adhesive is ideal to keep all information current.
- Car labels that need to withstand washes but remain on the surface for a few months. Ditto for removable decals placed on cars that need to stick for a specific amount of time but not stick on permanently.
Of course there are many other uses we can discuss, but the bottom line is if you need to remove labels in the future, make sure to choose removable labels rather than permanent labels that will become a hassle later.
