Printing on label paper multiple times

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

For this application, the best sales approach would be to bury into the cost of a new copier, a free low end Direct thermal label printer like a Dymo with one years worth of labels.

[slimslob]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

Running label sheets through more than once isn't tolerated. Customers are informed to run them through once and if they continue to try to run them through multiple times, they will be charged time and materials. We have simply had way too many issues with label sheets being run through machines multiple times.

Also, we do have a recommended list of labels that we make the customer aware of in case they try to go with super cheap labels that cause all sorts of issues. I am not sure if Ricoh makes that list public however. Avery is on the list of good stuff to use.

What are the labels being used for? Address for an envelope? If so, an alternate method might be to try to print envelopes from the bypass tray. This can go well at times or exceedingly bad too but it might be worth a shot in this particular case.

Off the top of my head their label paper was something like Lyreco L7 163, I think.
The whole situation would have been resolved in 10 seconds if the customer said 'we have just tried putting labels through and this happened' and I could say yes that is because you aren't meant to put the same page through that many times. The problem comes from them getting unbelievably lucky for x amount of time without it happeneing.
I have pushed to sales now and there is someone arranging to speak to them about upgrading machine and us putting in something small for the labels.
I would imagine if they are using labels for addresses then they wouldn't even need to survive for 6 months, maybe 2 at the most.
1 of them actually hand writes her labels so no problem for her! As long as I am involved in the sales decision making of what to put in there we will be good.
I pretty much 99.9% knew how this post would go but I wanted to know all of your opinions and experiences about it. They are always valued.

Part of the problem is that some of the software out there that can print labels allows you select which label positions on the sheet you wish to use.

[CopyBats]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

Going to say this again for good measure. Sometimes you've just got to tell the customer as it is. Reusing labels is Russian roulette. Just because a machine can do it doesn't mean it was designed to.

Had a label come off and multiple labels went off. Fusing unit and ITB belt were gone

[slimslob]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

Going to say this again for good measure. Sometimes you've just got to tell the customer as it is. Reusing labels is Russian roulette. Just because a machine can do it doesn't mean it was designed to.

Had a label come off and multiple labels went off. Fusing unit and ITB belt were gone

I have had martini drums with less than 10K on them destroyed by labels. Customers learn quickly when they have to pay for such things. Anytime I have had to remove labels stuck where they did not belong I have taken pictures before starting to remove them.

[eccelobo]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

I feel you, bro. My customers have the "I've always done like this and no problem" philosophy. I try every option, like different thickness settings or different brands of paper, until proved it all and finally they understand they cannot do it, or sometimes they find the right paper brand or setting that is doable. Just try your best to make them understand... or try-and-error proof a factible option. As you get paid for your time...

[JayPaul]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

Well up until yesterday I have been on my own for 2 months looking after 500 machines over 5 counties, the in house software we use and the customers software (embedded). My quality of work/time per customer probably hasn't been the usual high standard because I am rushed every second of the day. I've had to post about 2 or 3 problems on here recently because looking for alternate methods for things is near impossible but on here you post a question and details and you know qualified guys are going to give you advice and new ideas.
Out of curiosity though, say you have a customer who runs normal labels through the bypass, you set it up for 'label paper - thick 2' and set the driver options to match and it is fine. They only run the label paper through once... but 3 months later they call you out and you find a label stuck to the itb, do you charge for that? In theory the machine should handle it and has the settings for it plus you set it up right. Technically the customer would have done nothing wrong.

[TonerMunkeh]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

The biggest problem is the wild variation in quality of labels. We have a customer that bought a couple of pallets of labels that are printed on 400+ MP301's, The machines hate them. They curl, peel off on the drums and fuser. They use another manufacturer label, absolutely no problem whatsoever. They get told a few times, they start using the good labels. Then all of a sudden the gash ones make an appearance again.

[CopyBats]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

Well up until yesterday I have been on my own for 2 months looking after 500 machines over 5 counties, the in house software we use and the customers software (embedded). My quality of work/time per customer probably hasn't been the usual high standard because I am rushed every second of the day. I've had to post about 2 or 3 problems on here recently because looking for alternate methods for things is near impossible but on here you post a question and details and you know qualified guys are going to give you advice and new ideas.
Out of curiosity though, say you have a customer who runs normal labels through the bypass, you set it up for 'label paper - thick 2' and set the driver options to match and it is fine. They only run the label paper through once... but 3 months later they call you out and you find a label stuck to the itb, do you charge for that? In theory the machine should handle it and has the settings for it plus you set it up right. Technically the customer would have done nothing wrong.

You'll learn what type of customers you have based on the validity of the service call. Some customers bless them work though a problem and only call if major. The other type are the ones that call for the slightest thing, expect you to be there in 20 minutes and create the problem themselves half the time.

Piggyback on Tonermunkey comment,
The quality is a huge variance factor. In service agreements I tell customers that they must use recommended supplies and or good quality supplies. Otherwise I have the right to charge or cancel.

Now if someone running label for 3 months and occurence happens once and no signs of label reuse then you gotta bite the bullet. What I do then Is to tell them to inspect each sheet before they put it through to make sure it's not bent or already loose

[tonerhead]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

For your convenience. 3rd one down.

Label Questions | Avery.com

Print off and give to customer with a warning, cover your a$$.

[Klydon]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

Out of curiosity though, say you have a customer who runs normal labels through the bypass, you set it up for 'label paper - thick 2' and set the driver options to match and it is fine. They only run the label paper through once... but 3 months later they call you out and you find a label stuck to the itb, do you charge for that? In theory the machine should handle it and has the settings for it plus you set it up right. Technically the customer would have done nothing wrong.

So in the case of a customer who has done everything you ask in terms of running the machines with the correct settings and using recommended supplies, you suck it up and take care of the customer with no charge. They are doing exactly what you have asked them to do and unless you have a smoking gun that they didn't do what you asked them to do, then it isn't right to charge them for fixing it.

In the case of a label stuck to the ITB, you can almost always get the label off, gently clean the belt off with alcohol (make sure you get all the adhesive off as well) and run some blank paper for a bit and it is good to go. Same goes for drums, etc. It won't always be this way, but in most cases, you can get the machine back to working without having to resort to using parts.

Now if it keeps up and there is a repeated failure with a particular supply and the customer has to change because of it, I would encourage the customer to go to their supplier for a refund because the supply isn't performing as advertised. (I recently ran into this with a customer who had a new paper supply source and called me for spots on the paper. Turns out the spots were on the paper out of the package, not something put on the paper by the machine).

[slimslob]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

For your convenience. 3rd one down.

Label Questions | Avery.com

Print off and give to customer with a warning, cover your a$$.

A good address to add to Favorites for future reference.

[JayPaul]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

Ahh excellent. I had a brief glance through the Avery website and looked in FAQ but couldn't find mention of multiple feeding of the same label paper.
The sales person told them straight up that this can't be done and they have got damn lucky being able to do it until this point. They refuse to upgrade (thus also missing out on us giving them another printer for labels with some free inks etc) so I don't know what they are going to do but it is out of our hands now and they have all the facts.
Still shocking how i've never known about this or had a call out for problems in the past.
I do have other customers over the years that have followed instructions but an occasional label has peeled off, usually onto the ITB and yes that is very easy to solve with just alcohol and a wipe. I don't think i've ever had a label ruin any part for me luckily.
In a slightly related call out I had a couple of years ago, a customer had headed paper which suddenly started ghosting loads one day, settings and parts were all good. I called the supplier in the end and it was him that had changed the way he printed the logos onto the paper beore supplying it out to them that caused it and he had to go back to the old method and gave the customer a refund.

[tonerhead]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

Ahh excellent. I had a brief glance through the Avery website and looked in FAQ but couldn't find mention of multiple feeding of the same label paper.

Link is correct. 3rd question ... "Can I print a few labels and save the label sheet for future printing?"

[Dan G]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

They can't print off a full sheet. It is some financial work so I think she does 1 client and prints off their address or something, does something else to close that job and then say 3 hours later does another clients finances, prints off their address on another label. Sometimes it is 6 clients in a day sometimes it is 1 client over 2 days.
Surprisingly as well, there is no sticky residue in the machine at all and never been called out for a label that has come loose and got stuck on something. I was unaware they even printed labels because of this.
So the option of telling her just print all 14 labels at the same time is impossible. I can't put labels in a different tray and change settings. I am genuinely surprised they have been doing this for years and never had a problem until now.
Inkjet would definitely be a superior option but as I say they have been using the Ricoh for years and apparantly I think an MPC 4000 before that for years as well without problem, they just see it as there is now a problem with the MPC 3002 that needs to be fixed and it looks like I'm trying to talk my way out of it by coming up with different thingsto try.

tell them to but a label printer - prints one of at a time - cheaply as well

[slimslob]

Re: Printing on label paper multiple times

Link is correct. 3rd question ... "Can I print a few labels and save the label sheet for future printing?"

Op[en the link and read what Avery has to say, NO.