How to find Cost Effective ways to Create Labels for Marine Environments

CSS Editorial Staff | June 23, 2014

Any time you are operating in a facility near the water, you’re going to have to make some changes to the way things are done. Water can have dramatic impacts on how everything works, from the machines to the safety signs, and everything in between.

If you’re looking for ways to create all sorts of labels and safety signs for your facility, but you can’t seem to get them to last because of the marine water, you’ll want to read the following important tips and tricks. They will point out some great ways to create custom labels for your facility, as well as get them to stick to the any surface.

Installing Signs & Labels

If you don’t take the right precautions when installing safety labels or signs throughout your facility, you’ll quickly learn that they don’t last very long if you just apply them to the surface where you want them. Whenever working in the very moist marine environment, there are a number of things you need to do in order to ensure your labels will stay where you put them.

These installation tricks will help you to get your labels to stick to almost any surface, no matter how humid or wet the area is:

  • Actively Drying the Surface – The first thing you need to do when getting ready to apply a label to a surface is dry it. It is not enough to simply wipe it down, however. You need to use a heat gun or even just a hair dryer to blow hot, dry air on the area. This will remove all the moisture from the surface.
  • Cold Air Just before Applying – While it is good to use hot air initially, you’ll want to switch your hair dryer (or other drying tool) to cold just before applying the label. This will help keep the adhesive on the label from getting too hot, which can cause problems. About ten seconds of cool air on the already dry surface will allow for the best bonding.
  • Turn off Pipes – If you’re looking to add a label to any type of pipe, you will want to turn it off before applying the label. In hot weather, which is common in marine environments, having water flow through a pipe can attract condensation. Letting the water out of the pipe for a short time before applying the label can minimize the moisture.
  • Remove Salt – When you are working near an ocean, you will find that the salt from the marine water can get almost everywhere. Salt can damage labels, so make sure it is removed before installing them. Wiping down the area where the label will go with a wet cloth will get rid of the salt, then you can dry the area and continue with the installation.

One additional important point to make about installing labels on pipes is that you need to be sure the entire pipe is completely dry where the label will go. Many people have made the mistake of drying one side of the pipe, but neglecting the other.

Since the labels will wrap entirely around the pipe, you need to make sure every part where the label touches is completely clean and dry. This will take a little extra work, but it will prevent the label from beginning to peel off in the areas where the water was still present.

To properly dry a pipe for label installation you will need to continuously move the drying device around to get the entire area. In addition, you can aim it partly down the pipe so it will push any water droplets down the pipe while drying it.

Keeping the Signs clean

When working in an inland facility you really only have to worry about dust and dirt covering a safety sign or label. In a marine facility, however, you’ll need to be concerned about salt as well. Over time, salt will build up on almost any surface. Unlike dust and dirt, however, the salt can actually ‘eat’ away at the material, causing damage.

This is why it is so important to keep all the signs in the facility clean. Having them wiped down with a cleaning solution on a regular basis can help to remove the salt, and extend the life of the label. Setting up a regular schedule on when these labels should be cleaned is an important job for the maintenance staff.

Since the labels will typically be on walls and pipes, which don’t often get cleaned, it is essential to schedule times to take special care of the labels. While it will only take a few seconds to wipe down each label, it is something that is far too easy to forget about, which can eventually cause a lot of damage.

Creating Custom Labels

No matter how you install a label, or how well you clean it, it won’t last long if it isn’t printed on high quality materials. This is why you always want to have access to an industrial label maker that will create the highest quality labels possible.

For many facilities, the LabelTac 4 Ultra Die Cut Printer is the perfect choice. This is a small label printer, but it can print off quite large signs and labels. In addition, the compact size can be brought anywhere, even where space is an issue. Which it often is on marine facilities.

With this printer you can create any type of label you can imagine, and print them off on the best label material available (like the ones found here). The ink used in this printer can withstand virtually any environment to help ensure the colors remain bold and bright for many years. When it comes to labels in marine environments, you won’t find a better printer.

In addition to creating durable labels that will work great in any marine environment, this is also one of the most cost effective options on the market. Printing custom labels on this little machine costs a fraction of what it would be to custom order labels from a third party provider.

While this printer is very durable, and perfect for marine environments, it is still important to keep it away from excess water. Many facilities will cover the printer with a plastic or nylon casing to keep it safe when it is not in use. You may even want to print of a label letting everyone know how to cover it back up when they are finished.

Improving Marine Safety with Custom Labeling

Once you have a great printer that can affordably print out high quality labels that will last a long time, even in the marine environment, you can do many different things to improve the overall safety of the facility.

Since marine facilities are often wet and slippery, for example, you can print off custom signs letting people know to watch their step. If you are working directly on the water, or in a facility right on shore, you may even want to print labels that warn people of the possibility of water leaking into a specific area.

Whatever types of labels you need, you will want to make sure they are properly printed, and installed with care to help ensure they will last for many years to come.

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Additional Resources

Visual Safety | Pipe MarkingLabelingMarine Pipe MarkingMarine Safety
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