Return to Sender - Worth knowing about address labels

Today, parcel service providers such as DHL, Hermes and others scan customers' addresses using automated systems. Here, a correctly labelled address label is of great importance. This is especially true for parcels and packages. 

At first glance, it seems very easy to label an address label correctly. Nevertheless, sometimes there are unexpected challenges. In this article, we have compiled the most important information about address labels and their field of application.

What are address labels? 

The address label is used to put information about the recipient and shipper on an item. In everyday life, we hardly notice them consciously, so natural does this form of label seems to us. The difference to other labels is in their area of application - they do not identify products, but are a classic shipping label with a defined purpose.

What are address labels used for? 

In shipping, the identification of the shipper and the recipient is only possible with an address label. Therefore, it forms an indispensable element of every shipment. Also in the private sector, more and more people use self-adhesive address labels and do not label their items directly on the parcel. 

This has many advantages because you can assign a fixed place to an address label on a parcel, letter or small package. Address labels also look more professional and are easier to read for private shipments - because it is especially important to label parcels correctly.

Which information can be found on an address label?

A distinction has to be made between recipient and sender labels.

The following information should be included on the recipient label:

• Recipient name 
• Recipient address (up-to-date!)
• Possible other relevant details for the shipment (for international shipments, country information, if applicable a telephone number for easier delivery). 

The sender details include the following data: 

• Sender name 
• Sender address

Today, the information for the recipient and the sender are often combined in one label. The sender's details then appear above the recipient's details in small print/written form. However, it is also possible to place a separate sender label on the item.

For perfect legibility, dark font should be used on a light-coloured background. Left alignment is recommended. A continuous line pitch between name, address and destination should be maintained.

The position on the package is also important for a correct address label:

The recipient's details should be placed on the right-hand side of the item. If there is a separate sender label, this is positioned at the top on the left.

How can I design my own address labels? 

Today there are various ways to design address labels yourself or to have them printed with your own design. Labels can be printed by machine or by hand.

Ready-to-use, self-adhesive address labels are available for insertion into a printer or for manual labelling. With various online programs, the information can also be printed perfectly on the label using a PC or laptop with a connected printer. 

There are also small printers from various suppliers that can be used to write on all kinds of labels at the push of a button. A good choice for creating address labels quickly and with an attractive appearance.

With ready-to-buy labels, there is a wide different choice of materials and designs. Some have metallic effects in the form of a frame. Others are very simple. 

If you frequently send items for private use, you may want to have a supplier print a large number of ready-made sender labels. Logos and other individual designs can also be printed on the label.

What needs to be taken into consideration? 

At first it sounds very simple to label an address label correctly and to position it on the package or consignment. Nevertheless, mistakes can be made: 

• The recipient is not designated correctly. This is a mistake that happens more often than you might think. Especially when sending a package to a company, information may be missing. Similarly, names and addresses of private individuals are sometimes not indicated correctly.
• Misspellings or omissions in the recipient's address have an even more serious effect. In this case, it is absolutely advisable to transfer addresses to the address labels with due care.
• Those who manually write on ready-to-use, self-adhesive labels often experience an unpleasant surprise: the pen used - an ink pen, for example - is not suitable for the smooth surface of the label. The writing smudges.

It is essential to use a special pen or biros that ensures the inscription remains legible on the surface of the label.

• The commandment to use dark font on a light background does not apply without reason: lighter inscriptions are hardly legible and pose insurmountable challenges for the automated scanners at the dispatch services. Even if other versions can be chic, for legibility reasons it is best to write conventionally with dark lettering on a light background.


• The clear positioning of the address labels is also important. In consideration of the scanners, it is important not to deviate from the guidelines - at the bottom right for the recipient, at the top left for the sender. It is not a problem if the sender's details appear in small print above the recipient's details.

This is often done in the professional sector. The sender's details should really be greatly minimised and placed above the recipient's details. Otherwise, there can be confusion regarding who is meant as the recipient and who is meant as the sender.

There is another interesting, often neglected aspect: even in the private sector, the labelling of a package acts like a business card. It is the first thing that catches the recipient's eye.

The material for address labels 

Address labels have the classic structure of all self-adhesive labels: they consist of a release paper and the cover film. The release paper serves to protect the label until it is used and applied to the package. The actual appearance is determined by the release film. 

There is a wide range of materials for the cover film, from special papers to plastic films. Which material is appropriate also depends on how resistant the label should be. Particularly in the case of parcel labels, care should be taken to ensure that the label is not impaired by the slightest external stress and possibly even becomes illegible, even in a private environment.

The resistance of an address label always depends on the combination of lettering and label material. It is not a mistake to use a waterproof pen for labelling when labelling manually.

When using a printer, it is important to ensure that the selected self-adhesive labels can be printed on with the respective printer model. Here, the problem can also arise that the printed text becomes blurred.

Printing address labels 

Most laser and inkjet printers support functions for printing labels for addresses. It is important to choose the right label material for the particular printer. If you buy ready-made self-adhesive labels, you can already see on the package for which printers they are suitable. 

The printer manufacturer regularly provides programmes that enable uncomplicated printing of address labels. Such programmes can also be downloaded from the address label manufacturers' websites. The next step is to load the label paper correctly into the printer.

Those who frequently send packages in the private sector also make a good choice with the combination of a printing programme and the matching address labels. The printing processes are uncomplicated and can be completed quickly. Ideally, the result is the perfect address label that leaves a good impression towards the recipient.

What are thermal labels? 

In connection with devices for printing address labels, the term thermal label or direct thermal printing is often used. In this process, the print is not produced by a mechanical stop or the application of printer ink, but by the selective effect of heat.  In this case, thermal labels are labels with a special coating which, in combination with the handy printer, are mainly used in supermarkets for pricing goods or in the checkout area.

Sustainable address labels?

Sustainability is an issue in all areas of life today. That's why you can also ask the question about sustainability when it comes to address labels. Many label materials today are recyclable. Here you should already pay attention to the manufacturer's specifications when buying labels.

For sustainability, it is not only interesting whether the later used label is recyclable. It is also relevant from which materials it was originally produced. For example, paper is often produced from waste paper. 

Recycled products are also increasingly being used for plastics. As a consumer, you are allowed to develop an awareness for sustainability. Even if it is only for such a classic everyday product as an address label.

Conclusion: Address labels remain important 

An address label is a small, useful and indispensable everyday item that makes it possible to send letters, parcels and packages in the private sector. 

Due to today's automated scanners at the shipping companies, one should make sure to label the labels correctly and take advantage of the possibility to use self-adhesive address labels for private mailings as well.

These do not have to be printed, they can also be handwritten. Legibility and correct positioning are essential for uncomplicated dispatch.

FAQ 

1. Why is the use of self-adhesive address labels also recommended in the private sector? 
   Letters, parcels and packages are labelled with the adhesive labels in such a way that they can also be read by automated scanner systems. 


2. Do address labels have to be printed with a printer? 
   It is still possible to label self-adhesive labels by hand. In this case, care must be taken to use the appropriate pen whose writing does not smudge on the smooth surfaces of the address labels.