What to Look for When Buying Warehouse Location Labels

Inventory and equipment are of no use if staff cannot find the needed items. Consequently, labels play an important role in efficient warehouse operations. These products support a variety of functions, come in a wide range of designs, and are made up of different materials. So, what are the most important features that buyers should consider when buying warehouse location labels?

Warehouses are complex facilities servicing a wide range of business needs. Warehouse labels work hand in hand with warehouse design to optimize workflow, enabling efficient travel throughout the warehouse and improving accuracy.

Types of Warehouse Location Labels

There are various types of warehouse location labels to suit a warehouse’s unique needs.

Rack Labels

Warehouse rack labels are one of the most commonly used types of warehouse location labels. Warehouse rack labels come in various designs that support a range of environments, such as cold storage.

Container, Tote and Tray Bar Code Labels

Totes, trays, and containers constantly move throughout a warehouse. These items need to be clearly marked with durable labels that are resistant to cleaning processes, abrasion, chemicals, and outdoor exposure.

Pallet Labels

Pallets may be stationary or move about the facility. Pallet labels enable warehouse associates to confirm they’re moving the correct pallets or document pallets that arrived in receiving with ease.   

Floor Labels 

Marking the floor enables employees to visualize workflow. Warehouse floor labels make it possible for equipment operators to identify the appropriate route through the warehouse without having to stop, get out, and get close enough to scan a warehouse rack label. Warehouse floor labels are subject to wear and tear and abrasion from items like forklifts, carts and trucks. Durable warehouse floor labels that permanently adhere to the floor via adhesion or mechanical attachments are a must. 

Hanging Labels

Employees need pointers and reminders about work and safety items. Retro-reflective warehouse labels are designed to reach scanning distances up to 50 feet with long-range scanners. Companies need to evaluate their various options for hanging warehouse signs so that associates can find their way throughout the warehouse efficiently.   

Durable Materials for Warehouse Location Labels

Many warehouse location labels are constructed of polyester, although there are several design options and considerations that make some labels more suitable than others for certain applications.

Polyester

Polyester warehouse rack labels are the most popular warehouse location labels. Color directional elements can be added to these labels to improve functionality and eliminate confusion. Polyester warehouse rack labels offer greater durability than standard paper labels, offering good resistance to general purpose and household cleaners, mild acids, oil, and water.

Aluminum

For cold storage environments, a combination of polyester and aluminum is an ideal choice. Camcode’s Cold Storage Warehouse Rack Placards, for instance, are constructed of a premium polyester face stock with an aluminum backer that prevents the label from freezing and cracking and ensure the label remains in place in frozen environments.

Polyester Film

Durable polyester warehouse location labels have a clear polyester film to protect the graphics from abrasion and chemical exposure.

Retro-Reflective Polyester

For long-range scanning, polyester warehouse location labels coated with a reflective coating allow for scanning distances of up to 50 feet.

Metalphoto® Anodized Aluminum

When a durable warehouse location label that can withstand exposure to outdoor elements is required, Metalphoto® anodized aluminum is the material of choice. Metalphoto labels have crisp graphics sealed beneath an anodic layer of aluminum to offer robust protection against abrasion, chemicals, solvents, UV, and extreme temperatures. These labels are well-suited for containers, pallets, totes, and trays that are exposed to both indoor and outdoor environments.

Permanent Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive

The best warehouse location labels can be attached with a high-performance permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive that permanently bonds to high and low surface energy plastics, metal, and textured and contoured surfaces. Mechanical attachments are more suitable for specific applications.

How Do Labels Help a Warehouse?

Warehouse location labels offer several benefits for warehouse operations.

Efficient Navigation

Warehouse labels streamline picking and stocking processes by taking the guesswork (and potential human error) out of identifying inventory’s proper storage locations. Efficient navigation also reduces the traffic in aisles, which can help to improve warehouse safety.

Streamlined Processes

The right labels improve picking, packing, and stocking processes by clearly noting inventory storage locations and various stations within the warehouse, such as receiving, shipping, and packaging.

Improved Tracking Accuracy

Moveable storage containers, like totes, trays, and pallets, can be difficult to track, but durable warehouse label solutions clearly identify such items, making it easier for employees to find the right inventory without wasting their time with manual searches.

Get The Right Products to the Right Place

Workers scan freight to locations in real-time and quickly and know the precise location of freight when in staging aisles.

Businesses invest a lot of time, money, and effort in designing their warehouses and want to have them operate as efficiently as possible. Warehouse location labels provide a foundation for efficient travel through the warehouse, streamlined processes such as picking, and other benefits that help to optimize warehouse operations.