FAQ

The short answer? Take your fingernail and use it to firmly press and quickly drag across the label, as if you are scratching it. Direct thermal labels will show a black streak from doing this. Thermal transfer labels will not. If you are still unsure, give us a call with the stock number and we can help you figure this out!

A 1D barcode is still the most widely used type of barcode. It is linear and can be spotted at your favorite grocery or retail stores to identify products. While it is easy to create and track item numbers through a 1D barcode, the disadvantage is that the barcode gets longer as you try to include more information. On the other hand, 2D barcodes (also known as QR codes) are square and due to their unique design, can fit in MUCH more information into a much smaller space. You will see 2D barcodes used much more frequently in applications that require storing a lot of information such as in laboratories, hospitals or at events.

While the label software we provide our customers is intuitive, it is always tricky to learn a new program. Our experts at Dasco are trained on the newest updates and features throughout the year and offer hourly training where they can teach you how to use the software, set-up your system with you or trouble shoot any issues you are experiencing. We perform this training virtually and the price stays the same whether our experts are training one person or an entire room!

If we don't have it on the site currently, odds are good that we can add it the same day. Because we have partnerships with some of the biggest brands in the industry, there are over 75,000 items that we can sell to support them. To make it easier for our customers to navigate our site, we do not put every item out there. However, we add items to our site on a daily basis as customer requests come in!

Yes we do! If you are a distributor of labels and printers, give us a call to find out more details about our distributor program.

That all depends on your references! We aim to get you information on your credit application as soon as possible and always call references within 48 hours of receiving your request. Once we hear back from your references, if you are approved you can order using your terms immediately.

If you already have an account with us, use the attached credit packet to fill out your information and send it back to our Accounting team at accounting@dascolabel.com.

If you do not yet have an account with us, please specify that in your e-mail when you send the credit packet in.

If you tell us how you want your product shipped, that is how we ship it! We have customers that choose Fed-ex, UPS, by truck and local customers enjoy the benefits of picking it up directly at our location.

Yes! We are here to offer assistance, whether or not you buy the product from us. However, if the issue is more complex, we charge by the hour for support if you purchased your product somewhere else. If you bought from Dasco, online or phone support is included with every hardware purchase!

Short answer? Because you can buy the same products for less money at Dasco. But if you like to think about more than the dollar amount, we offer higher levels of service, faster turnaround time on quotes and support and quite honestly, often know more about our suppliers products than they do themselves! Because we are not a large corporation, we have well trained employees that stick around for the long haul. This means that we retain our expert knowledge and when you buy from us you are not only purchasing a product, you are joining our VIP group of customers that gets access to the best service and knowledge in the industry.

While pricing does depend on the type of label you need, the size of the label and whether or not there is printing on it, we have SEVERAL small businesses that use us for their labeling needs. Feel free to reach out for a no-obligation quote. And no, we are not the type of company that bothers you on a weekly basis to see if you are ready to buy the labels. We do offer support in finding the best bang for your buck but pride ourselves on being your consultants, not a sales organization.

Surprisingly enough, we have several people who have run into this issue! If you have labels lying around and need help figuring out what type of facestock, adhesive and material they are made of, feel free to send samples of the label to our address. Make sure to let us know you are sending the samples by e-mail or through a letter enclosed with the samples so we know who to reach out to. We should be able to tell you the type of material you need to order and will happily do so, whether or not you choose to order from us!

We aim to return your quote request within one business day once we have all of the information we need to give you an accurate estimate.

Die Charge: If you request a quote for a custom size label and we do not have that size die in stock, we need to make the die to create your label for you.

Plate Charge: If you want a label that has information printed on it, we need to make a "plate" that will imprint the information onto the label during creation.

Re-wind Charge: If you order a roll of labels that you want put on smaller rolls or a different core, we can re-wind the roll of labels to fit your needs.

Freight Charge: We do not add freight charges to quotes unless you request an estimate. This is due to the fact that we often quote out multiple different options for label quantities and until we know how many rolls of labels you want to purchase, we cannot input the accurate weight into our shipping system to give you a freight estimate. Additionally, we don't always know the shipping location or shipping method until the order is placed. However, if requested we can add a freight estimate onto your quote. Once shipped, the invoice will include your total freight charge.

There are a few things to consider if you want a custom label and are looking for ways to cut costs.

• First, consider the material and adhesive you need. A permanent paper label is by far the least expensive option for material but are meant for general label applications. If you need a label to withstand elements, heat, chemicals, water, etc... you will need a different type of material and/or adhesive which will raise your cost.
• Second, think about the size of your label. We make custom labels from raw stock which means we need to use a die cut to puncture the facestock. If we have the die size in stock, we don't charge you for it but if we have to make a custom die for your label, you will be charged a one time fee to create the new die. So if you request a custom label that is 3.4"x6.7", odds are you will also need to pay for a die to get created as that is not a common label size. However, if you can use a 4"x6" label instead, that is a much more common label size and odds are good that we will have a die in stock we can use.
• Third, consider if you are going to have information pre-printed on your label, if you are going to print on demand or if you just want blank labels. If you want information pre-printed on your label, you will have a one-time plate charge cost added to your order which we use to imprint your information onto the label. If you print on-demand your actual label stock will probably be less expensive, but you will need to consider the cost of the printer if you have one.
• Last, think about label colors! If you have multiple colors printed on your label, that will increase the price. Likewise, if you want a colored label, that raw stock is generally more expensive than white label stock.

Contrary to the retail world, we are not lowering the price of a higher quantity of labels to try to entice you to buy more. When we make a custom label, it involves a lot of set-up work and labor to get the label material on the press and make sure the die and colors are setup correctly. This fixed cost is present whether you buy 1,000 or 10,000 labels. However, if you buy a larger quantity, the fixed cost is spread out over a larger number of rolls which means the price by roll gets less expensive since the press is already set-up and ready to go.

At Dasco, we always try to find you the least expensive option to meet your needs. Our general rule of thumb is if you are using labels on an on-going basis, if you have variable information you need to add on-demand or if you have several different types of labels you use across your facility, you will generally find that buying a printer for your company is the more practical option and will be less expensive in the long run. If you are doing a one time run of labels, have static information that doesn't change or have a large quantity of labels, having them pre-printed could be more cost efficient.

We are happy to run the numbers and give you a general break-down of what your cost will look like if you buy a printer or buy labels pre-printed!

Thermal transfer labels come in a wider variety of materials and are more durable than direct thermal labels. You will need a ribbon to print on thermal transfer labels while direct thermal labels take advantage of the heat from a print head to imprint information onto the label. Because of this reason, direct thermal labels fade much easier, especially when exposed to heat.

In most cases, the type of ribbon you will need actually depends on the label stock you have, not the printer. The main choices you have are using a wax ribbon, wax/resin combination ribbon or resin ribbon. Each of these ribbons have different qualities that work best with certain types of label stock and are dependent on the type of durability you need for your application. Additionally, if you have the wrong label and ribbon combination your printer may not even be able to print on your stock! There are a few exceptions to this as certain printers (such as portable printers or IP printers) that need special ribbon cartridges that are printer specific. If you are having an issue with your label and ribbon combination, give us a call and we can help you troubleshoot to find the root cause.

Depending on your type of printer, you may or may not need a ribbon. Thermal Transfer printers use heat to transfer ink from a ribbon onto the label. Direct Thermal printers use heat to draw up ink from the label itself. So if you have a thermal transfer printer and are using thermal transfer label stock, yes! You will need a ribbon. Some printers have the capability to print on both direct thermal and thermal transfer stocks, so make sure you know what type of label stock you are using to understand what type of printing to do with it.

No! All scanners will scan 1D barcodes, but if you need your scanner to work with a 2D barcode make sure to let our team know so we can make sure we choose the right one.