Cost is a driving factor for the reduction of product packaging.  The less material used, the less cost for the manufacturer, the less space used to ship as well as display the product in stores, all of which leads to lower cost.  As product packaging becomes smaller, smaller price labels are needed as to not cover up too much of the product itself.

A Garvey price gun such as a Garvey Contact uses labels 18mm and 22mm depending on the exact model.  The ever popular Monarch 1110 uses a label only 19mm x 10mm.  When using smaller labels, it’s important that the customer is able to quickly see and read the pricing.  The Monarch 1110 pricing gun we sell at the pricegunstore.com has 6 bold characters.  This is the largest print available on the gun which makes it very easy for senior citizens to see and for all customers to quickly read the price.

You will want to think of what color stickers will pop out best on most of your products.  Fluorescent colored labels are a great way to have the label stick out and grab the customer’s attention.  If a lot of packaging is white, a fluorescent red or green label could be a good choice.

Loading the Monarch labels into the Monarch 1131 gun is a huge reason this tool is as popular as it is.  The various user friendly features of this gun make it a great option.  It prints on a smaller label with up to 8 characters.

For very tiny packaging, the Meto 1600 label used in the Meto 5.16 gun is the smallest label sold.  Its wavy design helps it to stand out.  Any Meto price gun has labels that have a wavy cut to them.

The price marking industry will continue to evolve and change as the industries we do business with develop.  Newer adhesive options and improvements have been necessary over the years as the substrates and conditions of products changed.  Given all the different size labels, label guns and print options it is very important that buyers do proper research to find the best combination for their exact application.

With the holiday shopping season fast approaching in a matter of weeks, now is a good time for most retail stores to plan the inventory of their supplies.  Price guns and price labels are a good thing to knock off the list first.  If your store uses a custom label, you’ll have to keep in mind that they take from 3 to 4 weeks to be delivered to your door. We at B&B Supply recommend that stores try to order enough to last through the season, especially when dealing with custom.  The shelf life is long for the labels so if your inventory runs over into 2011, the labels will still be good.

If you are trying to research pricing guns, but are running low on time or progress, give us a call and we’ll help suggest a tool for what you need.  Some things to think about are “Do I need the label to have more than just a price on it?”  Also think about the label loading process.  If you will need to show employees how to work the guns, easier loading will allow everyone to understand how to use them better.  The Monarch 1131 from Monarch Paxar and any Garvey price gun has easy to use features.

We are seeing the Monarch 1153 steadily increase in sales volume.  The Monarch 1152 is doing well also, thanks in part to their ease of use.  The Monarch labels measure about 1 ¼ inches by 1 inch.  This size allows for very visible print on all three lines with the 1153 and extremely visible characters for two.

Actually priced higher than some other two and three line tools, these guns sell very well because people know they are purchasing quality.  The open-view label loading is not matched by any other manufacturer.  It allows users to easily load, and therefore, quickly start printing labels with very little hassle.

The Monarch 1153 and 1158 are the only guns in the 1150 Series that will print alpha characters.  The Monarch 1151, 1152, 1155, and 1156 guns only print numeric.  That is important to keep in mind if your application is calling to mark a SKU number that contains both letters and numbers.

Monarch 1151 and 1152 are used more as promotional labelers.  They mark large, bold print that along with the design of the bigger sized label really help to grab customer’s attention.  This helps to lead to more impulse buys by quickly alerting a customer’s attention to the low price.  The Monarch labels are available in various fluorescent colors.  They can be blank, have a stock word and design such as SPECIAL or NEW printed, or can be custom printed to have a phrase unique to your application.

Towa label guns are the only brand of hand held price markers that we sell that has metal side plates.  Theses labelers are designed this way to withstand drops on firm surfaces.  The tool is not too heavy and actually feels very comfortable in the user’s hand.  The Towa pricing gun weighs less than other comparable one and two line tools.

The loading process for the Towa labels is another feature that makes this a popular choice.  This is one of the few guns that do not need to recommend that the first few stickers need peeled off the backing paper.  The user is able to match up the holes in the strip with the pins on the sprocket wheel and close the pressure plate.  When you pull the hand trigger, printed labels start appearing immediately.

The 1131 Monarch price gun has become an extremely popular labeler thanks in part to its easy label loading, reliability, and clear print.  The Monarch 1131 labels are designed to tear apart if a person tries to peel the label off to switch it with a lesser priced label.  The size is satisfactory to be clear and legible, and not too large that it would cover important packaging information or the product itself.

As part of the 1130 series, the Monarch Paxar 1131 has a top open view.  The entire top half of the gun opens to allow for easy label loading.  You are able to grab and pull the labels through the gun.  This is a big improvement from the older designed tools which you have to push the labels through the price marker.  1131 labels come with 2,500 stickers per roll which means you don’t have change the roll as often.

The different model numbers offer various printing options.  The most popular is the 01 band layout.  All the numeric characters print large on the label.  The 02 prints a date and price.  The 03 has underlines under the cent characters.  Finally, the 09 band layout has raised very small cent characters.

These guns are drop tested to insure good performance even after a drop or two on hard surfaces.  The print head is durable and well positioned to consistently mark the stickers.  Smooth tension and feed operation process help to minimized jamming.  The hand trigger is designed to allow you to grip it well.  If you already own, or are looking to purchase a Monarch 1131 or any of the Monarch label guns in the 1130 series, you should have the satisfaction of knowing these guns offer top of the line quality at an affordable price.