Custom Labels, Preprinting & RFID Encoding
From our in-house lab: barcode and color labels preprinted to spec, RFID smart labels encoded and verified in batches, and full-color plastic cards — engineered for your surface, environment, and compliance requirements.
- In-house design, preprinting, color, RFID encoding & card printing
- Every barcode verified and every RFID tag read-tested
- GS1, UDI, GHS, and retail-mandate compliance
- Free sample kits and no minimums on stock media
Delivered by a Zebra Premier Solution Partner with a dedicated specialization in labeling.
Where the label sits in the system
The operational problem
Labels get produced from a mix of templates, printers, and formats across sites. Barcodes fail verification, compliance layouts drift out of spec, and RFID tags are encoded inconsistently, so every downstream read inherits the defect.
- Physical capture
The label is printed, encoded, verified, and applied before the item enters the workflow.
The label is the physical carrier of the identity. Material, adhesive, print density, symbology, and encoding all have to survive the environment the item is going into, because every later scan and read depends on this one artifact.
- How it is captured
- Thermal printing, RFID encoding, and verification
- Hardware at the capture point
- Industrial and desktop printers — Produce the label at the volume, width, and resolution the application needs (opens the Arrowhead store in a new tab)
- RFID printer-encoders — Print and encode the tag in one pass and reject a tag that fails to encode
- Label material, ribbon, and tags — Match adhesive, facestock, and ribbon to the surface, temperature, and chemicals (opens the Arrowhead store in a new tab)
- Verification and applicators — Grade the printed code and apply it in the same position every time
- Mobi software
What Mobi does with what was captured
Print Studio is where layouts, symbologies, and ZPL or PDF output are designed and where RFID encoding workflows are evaluated. Mobi Print sends approved formats to supported Zebra printers from mobile devices. RFID Lab verifies that an encoded tag reads the way the deployment needs it to.
- Current limits
- Print Studio is a Preview capability and requires production validation before it is relied on. Mobi Print is available today for ZPL and PDF printing on supported Zebra printers.
- System of record
Where the result has to land
The system of record supplies the serialization, part, and EPC data. Arrowhead returns labels and tags that match the specification, including GS1 SGTIN and GTIN encoding where retail compliance applies.
- Systems this connects to
- ERP · WMS · Order management · Customer label specifications
- What you provide
- The label specification or the compliance standard being met, the serialization range, artwork, and approval of the first article before a production run.
- Delivery and lifecycle
Who builds it, who runs it, and who answers when it breaks
- Specification review
- Material and adhesive selection
- First article and read or verification test
- Production printing and encoding
- Fulfillment
- Reorder and stock management
What Arrowhead supplies and configures
- Material, adhesive, and ribbon selection for the surface and environment
- Layout, symbology, and compliance layout construction
- Pre-printing and pre-encoding in Chandler, Arizona
- First article samples and verification before a production run
- Serialized EPC encoding to your specification
- Reorder scheduling and stocking programs
What you provide
- The application surface, environment, and any compliance standard that applies
- Serialization ranges, artwork, and data files
- Approval of the first article
- Forecast volume so stock can be held rather than expedited
When something stops working
If labels stop reading, Arrowhead investigates the label, the printer, and the reader as one problem. Printers are repaired in-house and label runs are re-verified against the original specification.
What our lab does
Four in-house capabilities cover nearly every label and card you need — printed, encoded, and verified before they reach your floor.
Preprinted Barcode Labels
Barcodes, part numbers, logos and serialized data preprinted on the exact media your line runs.
Color Label Printing
Photo-quality full-color labels and GHS compliance labels with no plate or setup fees.
RFID Encoding
Batch-encoded RFID smart labels with serialized EPCs, verified and ready to apply.
Color Card Printing
Durable full-color plastic cards for ID, access, and loyalty — encoded and ready to issue.
Printed & encoded in-house
Color-on-demand presses and RFID printer-encoders running side by side — so your labels are produced, verified, and shipped from one lab.
Color-on-demand printing
Epson ColorWorks presses print GHS and branded color labels with no plate or color fees.
Batch RFID encoding
Zebra printer-encoders write and print smart labels in series, with every tag read-verified.
Label Finder
Answer a few questions and we'll point you to the right label.
Step 1 of 4
What are you labeling?
Materials & Specifications
We match facestock, adhesive, and finish to your surface and environment. A selection of common constructions:
| Material | Adhesive | Finish | Temp range | Print method | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coated Paper Semi-gloss / matte paper | Permanent acrylic | Uncoated or topcoated | 40°F to 150°F | Direct thermal / Thermal transfer | High-volume shipping, retail, pick-and-pack |
Polypropylene (BOPP) White / clear / metallic BOPP | Permanent or removable | Gloss or matte laminate | -20°F to 200°F | Color inkjet / Thermal transfer | Full-color products, moisture & oil resistance |
Polyester (PET) White / clear / silver polyester | High-tack permanent | Topcoated for scratch resistance | -40°F to 300°F | Thermal transfer (resin) / Color | Asset tags, chemical & outdoor durability |
Polyimide Amber / white polyimide | High-temperature silicone/acrylic | Topcoated | -100°F to 700°F | Thermal transfer (resin) | Circuit boards, wave-solder, extreme heat |
Vinyl White / colored vinyl | Aggressive permanent | Gloss, UV-stable | -40°F to 180°F | Color inkjet / Thermal transfer | GHS chemical drums, outdoor & curved surfaces |
Freezer-Grade Paper or polypropylene | Cold-temp / deep-freeze acrylic | Topcoated | -80°F to 120°F (LN₂ options) | Direct thermal / Thermal transfer | Cold chain, specimen, blood bank, frozen food |
Tamper-Evident Destructible vinyl / void polyester | Permanent, high-bond | Matte / VOID pattern | -20°F to 200°F | Thermal transfer / Color | Security seals, warranty, asset control |
RFID Inlay Stock Paper / PET with embedded UHF inlay | Permanent acrylic (on-metal options) | Printable topcoat | -40°F to 185°F | RFID print-and-encode | Item-level, carton, pallet & asset RFID |
PVC / Composite Card 30 mil PVC or composite | N/A (rigid card) | Gloss / matte, optional holographic overlay | Ambient | Retransfer color card printing | ID badges, access, membership, loyalty cards |
Why buy labels from Arrowhead
A full label lab plus 35+ years of barcode and RFID expertise, under one roof.
Full-color on demand
Epson ColorWorks presses print GHS and branded color labels with no plate or color fees.
Batch RFID encoding
Serialized EPC/SGTIN encoding with 100% read verification before it ships.
Color card printing
Photo IDs, access, and loyalty cards printed and encoded ready to issue.
Verified quality
ANSI/ISO barcode grading and read testing on every job.
Compliance expertise
GS1-128, SSCC, UDI, GHS, ISBT 128, and Prop 65 built to spec.
Managed supply
Approved part numbers, sample kits, and scheduled delivery programs.
Compliance, built to spec
Labels engineered and verified to the standards your partners and regulators require.
GS1 / Retail
GS1-128, SSCC pallet, UPC/GTIN and item-level SGTIN RFID to retail mandate specs.
Healthcare / UDI
FDA UDI, specimen/cryo, wristbands, and ISBT 128 blood-bank labels engineered to survive.
Food / Logistics
Nutrition & ingredient panels, date coding, Prop 65 warnings, and shipping labels.
See our label capabilities
Labels & Pre-Printing Overview
Learn about our custom label design and pre-printing capabilities
Get free label samples
The best way to choose a label is to hold it. Tell us what you're labeling and we'll send representative media to test on your product and printer — no obligation.
- Representative facestocks and adhesives for your application
- Try them on your surface, in your environment, on your printer
- A specialist follows up to help you spec the final label
Request a Free Sample Kit
Tell us what you're labeling and we'll send representative media to test on your product and printer.
What the proof actually shows
Every claim below is labeled with who produced it. Arrowhead delivering a system, a vendor publishing a result from another partner's deployment, a credential a third party issued us, software we run ourselves, a capability we offer, and a direction we have not shipped are different things, and they are labeled differently.
- Arrowhead-delivered result
RFID job-traveler labels printed and encoded for the Curtiss-Wright work-in-process system.
Part of the site-wide RFID system Arrowhead delivered with Xemelgo and Zebra Technologies. Result published by Zebra Technologies.
See the detail - General capability
Labels and RFID tags are printed, encoded, and verified in-house in Chandler, Arizona.
Arrowhead runs its own label production and pre-encoding. This states what the facility does; it is not a customer result.
See the detail - Future direction
Customer-composed label and reporting building blocks inside Mobi.
Print Studio is a Preview capability today. Composition by the customer is described as future direction, not current functionality.
See the detail
Frequently Asked Questions
Spec your labels
Send the spec, the surface, and the environment. We return a material recommendation and a sample you can test on your own printer and product before committing to a run.
Send your label specificationRelated on this site
Need custom labels, RFID encoding, or cards?