Cover Up Labels, Block Out Labels, and Best Practices

When you need to relabel outdated, changed, misprinted, or otherwise incorrect labels, cover-up labels are an effective and affordable solution. Rather than removing an original label and reapplying a new one, simply fully cover the old with a brand-new label that has the corrected information.

Block-Out Labels Hide the Old Label

The primary function of cover-up labels (or block-out labels) is to fully hide the information that’s underneath, so neither people nor scanners read it. When properly designed for a function, the information on an original label will remain hidden and unreadable for the full intended duration of time.

In order to block out information on an underneath label, block-out labels are made to be opaque. Either a high-opacity layer or a block-out adhesive is used so that light and lasers can’t get through the layer.

Cover-Up Labels Are Affordable and Preserve Packaging

Compared to removing an incorrect label and applying a new standard label, simply applying a cover-up label over the incorrect one has two distinct advantages. Cover-up labels are a more affordable option and preserve the original packaging.

Although cover-up labels are more specialized than standard labels, these are still inexpensive labels to print. Even with the high-opacity layer, the cost of printing these labels is often far less than what it costs to remove a label and apply a new one. Simply applying cover-up labels over an existing label is a much easier, quicker, and more affordable option.

Cover-up labels also have the benefit of preserving the original packaging, which is another major cost consideration since packaging usually costs much more than a single label. In many cases, removing a label can result in damage that necessitates completely repackaging goods.

Durable Cover-Up Label Options Are Available for Different Industries

While all cover-up labels are characterized by their high opacity and ability to hide an underlying label’s information, there are several different cover-up label designs. Which design is most suitable for an application depends on the precise industry and use. Most frequently, cover-up labels are used in the following industries:

Retail: Retailers may use cover-up labels for price markdowns, as the labels prevent barcode scanners from reading an underlying barcode. Only the cover-up label’s barcode is picked up by a scanner, and that barcode can be set to a special product markdown. Some retailers do this for specific sales, while other retailers apply cover-up labels to all of their products so that they can easily charge less than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP).

Pharmacy: Prescription drugs are commonly relabeled when they’re packaged for distribution to patients. Cover-up labels afford an easy way to relabel these medications, and their high-opacity layer helps ensure that underlying barcodes don’t bleed through (which could have significant negative consequences when handling medications).

Logistics: Freight carriers and warehouses commonly need to relabel products, pallets, and containers as they’re sent to new destinations. In these situations, high-durability cover-up labels are used so that there’s no bleed-through of underlying labels and the cover-up labels last for years (both indoors and outside).

Get Your Custom Cover-Up Labels

To order customized cover-up labels, contact us at White Graphics Inc. We specialize in these labels, and we’ll work closely with you to find a cover-up label solution that’s right for your business’ application.