On this page 8 sections
You need waterproof labels if the label will ever get wet, greasy, dusty, handled a lot or live outside. For that, choose polypropylene with a matt laminate and write on it with a permanent marker. If the label will stay somewhere dry and indoors, paper is fine and cheaper to start: matt paper if someone will fill it in with a ballpoint, gloss paper if everything is printed in advance. Three questions sort it in about ten seconds.
Question 1: will it ever get wet? #
Be honest about the worst day, not the average one. A boiler in a dry airing cupboard is a paper job. The same boiler in a garage that gets damp every winter is not. Think about:
- Weather: anything on outdoor air con units, heat pumps, meter boxes or gates.
- Cleaning: kitchen containers that get washed, surfaces that get wiped with spray.
- Grime and handling: ladders on a van roof, power tools on site, kit in a plant room.
If any of those apply, go straight to polypropylene. It is a plastic film, so water and grease do not soften it the way they soften paper, and the matt laminate over the print protects the ink while still taking a permanent marker. If the answer is a clear no, keep reading.
Question 2: will anyone write on it? #
This decides between the two papers.
- Matt paper takes a ballpoint or a permanent pen. It is the one for labels filled in on the day: test dates, initials, use-by dates.
- Gloss paper is shinier and makes colours pop, but pens can smudge on it. Keep it for labels with nothing to fill in, such as logo stickers or address labels.
Waterproof labels in polypropylene take a permanent marker rather than a ballpoint, so if your team carries biros, either hand out markers or budget for the switch.
Question 3: how many will you get through? #
Here is the trade-off. Paper comes in small starting packs, which makes it a cheap way to test a design. Polypropylene starts at a much bigger pack, but the price per label drops as the pack grows. Each product page shows a price-each table so you can compare.
| Label | Smallest paper pack | Smallest polypropylene pack |
|---|---|---|
| PAT test pass labels | 48 | 1000 |
| Food rotation labels and allergen labels | 30 | 750 |
| Ladder inspection labels and business address labels | Paper available | 500 |
| Boiler service labels and fire extinguisher service labels | 48 (boiler) | 250 |
| Custom logo stickers | 12 | Available |
A useful habit: if you are really not sure whether a label will stay dry, buy the waterproof labels. One soggy label that peels off after a wet week means a return visit, and that costs more than the difference between the packs.
Waterproof labels and paper, trade by trade #
Some rules of thumb from the kinds of jobs these labels go on:
- Electricians and PAT testers: matt paper for office and household kit; polypropylene for site tools and anything that goes outdoors.
- Heating engineers: polypropylene for boilers in lofts, garages and utility rooms; matt paper for boilers in dry kitchens and cupboards. More in plumbing and heating labels.
- Air con, refrigeration and heat pumps: polypropylene, as most units sit outside.
- Kitchens: matt paper in the dry store; polypropylene on containers that go through the wash.
- Facilities and inspection: polypropylene for ladders, lifting gear and asset tags on anything that lives in a van or outdoors.
- Any business: gloss paper for logo stickers and address labels on parcels and packaging; polypropylene if the items get wet.
What stays the same whichever you pick #
Every label in our trade and compliance labels range is offered in all three materials, in the same sizes, so switching material never means redoing artwork. They all arrive on sheets, kiss cut so each one peels off cleanly, with a permanent adhesive. Turnaround is the same too: 7 working days to dispatch on Saver, 5 on Standard and 3 on Express.
Sizes you will see
- 51 × 25 mm and 62 × 33 mm: small kit and PAT labels.
- 76 × 51 mm and 96 × 45 mm: service and address labels.
- 96 × 68 mm and 110 × 75 mm: labels with several write-on lines.
- 51 × 51 mm square: food labels.
- 64 mm circle: carbon monoxide alarm and MOT reminder stickers.
Each product lists its own sizes, and other sizes can be quoted through get a quote.
Getting the wording right #
Trade labels come with the heading and write-on lines already laid out. You add your company name, phone number and, where it applies, your registration number. Membership scheme logos are licensed to members, so we print registration numbers as plain text rather than as a logo. Use the free online designer and check the label on screen before you order, or upload your own artwork and a person will check the file for free.
Remember what a label is for: it is a visible reminder, not the record. The test, service or inspection and your paperwork are what count. Food businesses will find guidance on allergens and food safety from the Food Standards Agency.
Sticking them on so they stay put #
Even the toughest waterproof labels only hold as well as the surface underneath. A permanent adhesive grips best on something clean, dry and smooth, so wipe off dust, grease and condensation first and let it dry. Avoid sticking over old labels, flaking paint or a seam in the casing. Press the whole label down firmly from the middle outwards, corners last, because a lifted corner is where water and dirt get in. On cold kit outdoors, a label put on a frosty casing will struggle, so pick a dry moment.
The ten-second version #
- Wet, greasy, dusty, handled or outdoors: waterproof labels in polypropylene.
- Dry, indoors and filled in with a biro: matt paper.
- Dry, indoors and fully printed: gloss paper.
- Testing a design or only need a few: paper, for the smaller packs.
- Getting through hundreds a year: compare the price each on the bigger waterproof labels packs.
For larger stickers on windows and vans, see vinyl stickers outside. Still torn? Tell us where the labels are going and we will suggest a material.