Quality, Defects & Reprints

Photograph the defect/damage within 14 days of delivery and email support with your order number. We will (1) ship a full reprint at no charge within 5 business days, or (2) refund 100% of the order — your choice. No return is required for defective product — keep it, donate it, or recycle it. For partial defects (e.g. 30 of 1000 labels smeared), we reprint the defective portion plus 5% buffer. Our defect rate is below 0.4% of orders shipped — we publish the rolling 90-day rate on our About page.

Yes for spot-color flexo/offset printing: we guarantee ΔE ≤ 2 against the Pantone Solid Coated reference, verified by X-Rite eXact spectrophotometer on every job. For digital printing (CMYK process): we target ΔE ≤ 4 because digital simulates Pantone via CMYK halftone — visually close but not press-exact. For absolute brand-color fidelity, choose flexo printing with Pantone spot inks. Order a $45 press proof if color is mission-critical (retail co-pack, regulated industries, brand-launch) — bulk production does not start until you sign off on the press proof color.

Customer-side artwork errors (typo, wrong phone number, outdated logo) approved in proof are not eligible for free reprint — you signed off on the proof. However, we offer a 25% "loyalty discount" on reprint orders for customer-side errors within 30 days of original delivery, with 5-business-day rush production. To prevent this: review proofs slowly, ask a colleague to proofread, and run spell-check on the artwork before approving. Common catches: phone area code, URL spelling, ingredient list order, alcohol percentage, net weight.

14 days from delivery for shipping damage or visible production defects. 30 days for latent defects that appear only in use (adhesive failure, ink rub-off in friction, foil peeling in ice bucket). Beyond 30 days, issues are typically storage or application environment related rather than production defects — but contact us anyway with photos and we will diagnose root cause and offer a fair resolution. Photo documentation at delivery and at first application is your best protection — it takes 60 seconds and makes any future claim straightforward.

Custom-printed labels cannot be restocked (they have your brand on them) so we do not accept returns of unused custom product. Exception: if we shipped the wrong product, wrong material, wrong quantity or wrong finish versus your approved purchase order — we cover return shipping and issue full refund or free reprint. For "I ordered too many" situations, keep the labels — they do not expire if stored correctly (see storage FAQ). For sample/stock products, returns accepted within 30 days for 85% refund.

Yes — partial refunds are available for non-critical defects that do not make the labels unusable. Examples: small ink smear outside safe area (5-15% refund), slight registration shift on multi-color print (5-10% refund), minor coating unevenness (5% refund). We assess partial refunds case-by-case with photo evidence and our quality manager reviews within 2 business days. Critical defects (wrong artwork, unreadable barcode, wrong material, missing finish) always qualify for full reprint or full refund.

Store labels flat in their original packaging at 60-77°F (15-25°C) and 40-60% relative humidity, away from direct sunlight. Shelf life: BOPP/PET/vinyl 24 months, paper 18 months, foil-stamped 24 months, food-grade adhesive 12 months, freezer-grade adhesive 12 months. Do not refrigerate or freeze storage area — humidity condensation on labels ruins them. Do not stack heavy objects on label boxes. Apply labels within 6 months for best adhesive performance — old adhesive loses tack slowly. Request our storage spec sheet (PDF) for full details.

Rolling 90-day defect rate: 0.38% of orders (industry benchmark: 1.5-2.0%). Measurement: any customer-reported issue within 30 days of delivery, validated by photo + quality manager review. Top 3 defect categories (with rates): ink registration shift (0.14%), die-cut position drift (0.10%), coating pinholes (0.08%). All other categories combined: 0.06%. We publish monthly quality metrics on our Quality page including improvement actions taken. Our BRCGS audit score is AA (highest tier), renewed annually.

Yes — strongly recommended for mission-critical or large-quantity orders. $45 press-proof service: 3 physical samples printed on your chosen material with your chosen finishes, shipped to your door in 5-7 business days. Bulk production does not start until you sign off on the press proof. The $45 fee is credited toward bulk order if you proceed. For orders over 5000 pcs or any foil/emboss order, press proof is included free. Press proofs are the single most effective quality-control tool — they catch issues digital PDF proofs cannot.

Yes — flexo plates, custom dies, foil dies and screen-print screens are kept on file for 24 months from last use at no charge. Reorder the same artwork within 24 months and we waive all plate/die fees (typical savings $55-260 per reorder). After 24 months of inactivity, tooling is recycled — a new set must be produced for the next order. We do not charge a "storage fee" for active tooling. To check if your tooling is still on file, email support with your previous order number.

Five-stage QA gate: (1) Raw material inspection on receipt — facestock thickness, adhesive coat weight, color consistency. (2) In-line press checks every 500 sheets / 1000 labels — ink density (densitometer), registration (10x loupe), die-cut position. (3) Post-press finishing check — slitting accuracy, winding tension, core alignment. (4) Pre-pack audit — AQL 1.0 sampling per ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, recorded on packing list. (5) Photo documentation of finished goods before box seal. All QA data is retained for 5 years and available on request.

Yes. Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is free with every order — confirms material, finish, quantity, print specifications match your PO. Certificate of Analysis (CoA) is available for $35 — material test data including facestock caliper, adhesive peel strength (FINAT FTM-1), service temperature range, and compliance declarations (FDA, REACH, RoHS as applicable). For regulated industries (food, pharma, cosmetic), request CoA with your quote — we will include the relevant test reports.

Yes — we carry $2,000,000 product liability insurance through PICC (People's Insurance Company of China). Coverage includes material defects, manufacturing defects, and consequential damages up to the policy limit. Certificate of insurance available on request — typically required by enterprise customers, government contracts, and major retail distributors. For orders requiring additional insured endorsement (you named on our policy), allow 5 business days for processing. Insurance does not cover customer-side artwork errors or improper application.