Melinda Fulton

Distributors can profit from end-user mailing and product identification needs. What's not to love about laser labels? The adhesive-oozing, printer-jamming and label-curling snafus have, essentially, been eliminated, the technology is more affordable than ever, and customers find them indispensable products for a variety of home and office uses. Although emerging technologies can wreak havoc on some traditional product lines, for the foreseeable future, suppliers such as Continental Datalabel, Elgin, Ill., and North Mankato, Minnesota-based Label Works expect laser labels to hold their own. "They are definitely a valuable product line for us," noted Katherine Bjorndahl, marketing coordinator for Label Works. "Sales remain steady,

Manufacturers discuss emerging markets and value-added applications. Spurred by the introduction of laser printers in the 1980s, laser labels continue to be a profitable product for distributors, with new applications and processes spawned regularly to meet end-users' demands. "Lasers are pretty hot right now," noted Melinda Fulton, marketing manager at Continental Datalabel, Elgin, Ill. As pin-fed labels have faded from their former preeminence, laser and thermal labels have taken over. Mike Evans, marketing service manager for Lancer Label, Omaha, Neb., a PrintXcel company, said that he has seen steady growth in stock laser label sales over the past three years. John Strecker, vice

They take a lot of heat, yet remain a cool solution for variable imaging and product identification. Persnickety is a word that comes to mind when discussing laser labels—annoyingly exacting in production and handling requirements. Make no mistake, they're a great product and the demand is certainly there, but if an application can be met using a different type of label, at least consider the alternative. One problem is excessive heat. Fusers on laser printers heat up to 250 degrees and 300 degrees Fahrenheit, making the proper combination of substrate, adhesive and liner essential for the labels to emerge unscathed. Even with the right