Author Topic: Making Labels  (Read 2058 times)

sheaper

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Making Labels
« on: November 20, 2024, 12:21:58 PM »
I have tried many various methods of labeling my trees but have found the vinyl tree tags that all the nurseries use to be the best. 

So... naturally i went down the rabbit hole of thermal transfer printers and acquired a TSC-TTP-247 with all of the supplies.
I used BarTender Lite as an application for printing tree labels and it has been going "OK"

I would like more control and creativity in the design of the printing and was wondering if any of you had attempted this?

Any help is appreciated
Thanks!

brian

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2024, 07:29:42 PM »
The best simple labeling solution I have found so far is a plain Dymo embossing label printer.  I use a tiny hole punch to make a wire hole once the label is made

The fanciest solution I've used is a CNC milling machine to engrave aluminum plates :)   Not simple, but I use it for labelling my large in-ground trees

sheaper

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2024, 08:40:50 PM »
I have a dymo labeler and didn’t think of just punching a hole in them thanks!

That should work very well for my quicker purposes and things with shorter names or ones I’m able to abbreviate.

Love the CNC idea I’ve seen people selling those online

Lauta_hibrid

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2024, 10:37:59 PM »
Maybe it's the least elegant of all hehe 😅, but I have a method that mixes economy, recycling and efficiency. Basically I cut the lid of an aluminum soda can lengthwise making small strips, I put it on a not very hard wood and I engrave the name and date with a non-working pen. I make a hole and pass an aluminum wire through to tie it. And that's it, it doesn't rust and the name doesn't fade, you can see the engraving when shining a light on it.


cassowary

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2024, 01:33:36 AM »
I use mainly aluminum tags with copper wire and then I scratch them.
Can get a lot of 1000 quite cheap. The soda label is good too!!
On small trees i hang them on branches. On big trees i tie the label onto a long stainless steel or brass screw. I dont screw it all the way in and every 2 year i screw it out a bit.

Otherwise colorbond (prepainted) steel roofing sheets are good too. You just scratch away the paint. There are special metal scracher markers which are good for that and the aluminum tags.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Tungsten-Carbide-Scriber-Magnet-Engraving/dp/B07BHHHHMZ?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A284DX6YT8AJ04

Love the CNC engraving method, maybe one day i can justify the price.

Could also also use laser to etch or you can use chemichal etching, that way you might be able to make screen prints on copper or aluminium. Only done that on electric control boards at work.

The most mighty option might be an engraved rock at the base of the tree with gold inlay ;)
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sheaper

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2024, 01:15:38 PM »
Mmmmm gold embossing seems like the best option here ill go for that ; )


Man thanks guys! Excellent info those are all great ideas!

sheaper

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2024, 01:16:32 PM »
If anyone reading this has experience with a label design software for thermal printers they really like id like some information on that too. Thanks!

MasOlas

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2024, 12:28:51 PM »
Is the Dymo label the same as a P Touch which I already have?

seng

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2024, 02:22:22 PM »
My way is cheap as well.  I keep all my old window vinyl blind.  I cut them into pieces for label.  I use acrylic pen to write on them.  I rip up old t-shirt to small strip to tie the label to branch.

Vinyl last about 30 years or so.  Acrylic ink and T-shirt out of the sun last a few years.

brian

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2024, 09:57:33 PM »
Is the Dymo label the same as a P Touch which I already have?

Dymo makes both modern printed labelmakers and old style embossed labels - raised latters made by a partial punch.  I use the raised letter embossing type.  Not familiar with p-touch


cassowary

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2024, 03:16:46 PM »
Brian,
Didn't realise they make embossing machines. And they are not expensive too.
That would be great for the nursery.
 
https://www.dymo.com/label-makers-printers/embossing-label-makers/
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Tortuga

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #12 on: December 01, 2024, 11:05:25 AM »
I also use the aluminum cans but they aren’t my favorite. I’m Taking notes guys

Stephiebby

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #13 on: December 02, 2024, 11:26:32 AM »
We are planning to go the laser engraving route. Found a reasonably priced one on FBMP and seems easy enough. Waiting for our shed to get finished before we start making them as we don’t have room in the house.

sheaper

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2024, 10:29:18 AM »
what type of laser engraver are you getting?

Stephiebby

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #15 on: December 07, 2024, 09:00:23 AM »
what type of laser engraver are you getting?
We got an Omtech K40. It’s contained so no harsh fumes and we have a cooler so it doesnt overheat.

jbirdfunk

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #16 on: December 11, 2024, 12:42:56 AM »
I’ve cut aluminum sheet metal (not sure alloy) and engraved them but they corroded beyond recognition when near the ground. Same with aluminum can tags, eventually they are really hard to read and occasionally really degraded away.

I recently bought a DYMO m1011 in the case, used. I wanted the more retro version but found a great deal on this one. Does aluminum and stainless steel tape. The embossing should be legible much longer on aluminum and probably near forever on more expensive stainless tape.

David Kipps

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #17 on: December 11, 2024, 09:31:33 AM »
Less than a year's experience with strips from soda cans.  They are working OK if above a couple feet from ground, though I sometimes have to hunt for them among the foliage since they don't show up as well as my orange surveyor's  tape written with black ear-tag pen.  Most of the tags on small trees only a foot or two off the ground have been chewed beyond readability by some kind of varmint (?rabbit?).

brian

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #18 on: December 11, 2024, 01:27:03 PM »
Here are the various types of labels I tried:

CNC-machine engraved painted aluminum.  Best results, most difficult, most expensive.  I use this for in-ground trees


Dymo embossed 1/2" black labels w/ 1/8" hole punched.  Very good results, easy, cheap.  This is my favorite for container plants, only the larger Dymo embossers can use this wider tape size. 


Dymo embossed 3/8" colored labels w/ 1/8" hole punched.  I lost a few of these because the 3/8" tape width doesn't leave much margin for error when punching the hole.  If I get it even the slighest bit off-center it becomes a weak point and can pull off. I only used this because I had a multi-pack that came with a cheapo plastic Dymo embosser.


Emboss-O-Tags.  These are cardboard sandwiched in thin aluminum.  They are okay but I tend to botch the writing as you have to go slow and use a ball point pen.  I end up using whatever pointy object I have nearby instead and they come out poorly.  I wrote really slowly with a pen to make this one, usually they come out much worse for me.  The visibility could be better and they tend to accumulate dirt and water scale.  They cost more than Dymo tape but you don't have to buy the embosser.   I don't use these anymore but the ones I created over the years have held up well enough


Cut aluminum cans emgraved with a sharp object.  I really don't like these. Flimsy, sharp, crease easily, terrible visibility. 


There are a ton of electronic printed labelmakers out there.  I tried one briefly but got frusterated with having to put batteries in it and the usability was poor.  This might actually be the best approach for a lot of people, though, especially if you make a lot of repeat labels where you can print multiple times.  I don't have a lot of duplicates so using the manual wheel ones isn't really slower.  Not sure what UV resistance is like. 

If you got the emobossing route I strongly recommend buying a "vintage dymo" model 1570 or similar on ebay.  I got one for about $35 and it is great.  The brand new ones Dymo sells are either complete junk (the plastic $15 ones) or extremely expensive (the Rhino is at least $100)

Coconut Cream

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #19 on: December 11, 2024, 04:54:53 PM »
These fruit tree signs from Signs for Tropicals are what I want to buy:

https://signsfortropicals.com/

They look amazing and I would love to buy them for all my trees but I worry that such clear legible signs would make it even more obvious that it's fruit worth stealing!
USDA Zone 10A - St. Lucie County, Florida, USA - On the banks of the St. Lucie River

Sir Graftalot

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Re: Making Labels
« Reply #20 on: December 18, 2024, 08:03:45 PM »
I use a free app called Canva to put together the layout, then send PDF of the design to a custom sign maker on Etsy for production:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1605193773/custom-sign-aluminum-metal-sign

It's about $15 for a 6.5"×4.5" aluminum sign. I only create these for my larger-sized trees.




 

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