Quality, Defects & Reprints

Photograph the defect or damage and email support with your order number — please inspect promptly and report visible issues within 7 days of delivery where possible (a prompt-reporting request that speeds resolution, not a deadline that removes your legal rights). We reply within 2 business days with next steps. For production errors (Section 3 of our Return & Refund Policy): free reprint + reship, refund, or a proportionate price reduction — with refunds normally issued within 5 business days once the amount is established. No return is required for defective product where we confirm this in writing — keep it, donate it, or recycle it. For partial defects (e.g. 30 of 1000 labels smeared), the remedy normally covers the affected portion, unless the problem undermines the use of the whole order. 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Customer-side artwork errors (typo, wrong phone number, outdated logo) approved in proof are not eligible for free reprint or a refund of the original order — you signed off on the proof and we reproduced it accurately. However, under Section 4 of our Return & Refund Policy we offer one corrective reprint at 50% of the original affected product price — same quantity, material, size, and finish, with only the erroneous content corrected. Shipping and any applicable taxes are quoted separately before you agree to proceed. 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.

There is no hard claim deadline — but please inspect promptly and report visible issues within 7 days of delivery where possible, with photo documentation. That window is a prompt-reporting request that speeds up our investigation, not a deadline that removes your legal rights: later reports, including hidden defects, are still assessed under the applicable rights and circumstances, and we never reject a valid legal claim solely because photos were not provided within 7 days or the original packaging is gone. Photo documentation at delivery and at first application is still your best protection — it takes 60 seconds and makes any 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 standard sample/stock products, we accept returns within 30 days of delivery (unused and complete) for a 100% product-price refund with no fixed restocking fee — original and return shipping are not refunded for a voluntary change-of-mind return unless required by law. Eligible EU/UK consumers may instead use their statutory 14-day withdrawal right, which also refunds the basic standard outward delivery charge.

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 — foil plates are kept on file for 18 months from last use at no charge. No die fee is charged on any order: plate-making is currently waived, and your retained plate makes reorders faster with no plate cost. After 18 months of inactivity, tooling is recycled — a new plate 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.