Gear Label Shrinkage? (23 Viewers)

grahamplayscards

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Hi all,

Starting my first re-label and had a question - received these gear labels 5/27 and just now putting them on today 6/17 (3 weeks). I know on their FAQ they say not to wait too long as labels may shrink when left on the sticker paper. Is this what a good fitting label should look like? Did I wait too long to apply them? Do they actually look fine and I’m just insane?

Chips are bud jones roulettes from chip room 2025 sale, process is:
1. Use x-acto to remove roulette sticker
2. Clean off residue
3. Apply label

Let me know if I’m doing anything wrong please!
IMG_6058.webp
 
Maybe ask Gear? Did you ID the target chip when ordering? As you indicate, they do recommend application as soon as possible and warn of potential shrinkage.
 
It took me a while to recognize to what you were referring.
I have only worked on Paulson and CPC, where the inlay recess is the chip base color. Is the inlay recess white on these chips?
 
Looks like the diameter of the label is correct for the recess. The white color of the recess exaggerates the issue.

If the recess background was darker I doubt you'd notice the gap between the label and the edge of the recess.

Maybe you could color in the perimeter of the recess of a chip and then apply a label to see if that makes the gap less noticeable.

Good luck
 
I like the idea @Kensco suggested. If you aren’t happy with the results color in the perimeter. If you have a Michael’s in your area, or another art store, take your chip there. You can test out the different markers on the center of the inlay, where it will be covered, to color match.
 
Maybe ask Gear? Did you ID the target chip when ordering? As you indicate, they do recommend application as soon as possible and warn of potential shrinkage.
They couldn’t have arrived at a worse time, was 2-3 days before week long WSOP trip and immediately after that had a business trip - somewhat out of my control. I obviously communicated to gear what chips the labels would be going on.
 
Looks like the diameter of the label is correct for the recess. The white color of the recess exaggerates the issue.

If the recess background was darker I doubt you'd notice the gap between the label and the edge of the recess.

Maybe you could color in the perimeter of the recess of a chip and then apply a label to see if that makes the gap less noticeable.

Good luck
Thanks for the advice, I doubted it was an error from gear and was thinking it was either operator error or they shrank. 3 weeks doesn’t feel too long to wait but if it is, I can certainly live with it
 
I guess I don't know how a removed (old) label left a white 'base' underneath unless it was an incomplete removal or there is white matrix under where the original label was.

....

re-reading your reply to @CardRally above, there's white under where the old label was.

1) That's *not* shrinkage from the @Gear label. No way, no how. You'd have to be on Arrakis for a year to desiccate the moisture out of a label to shrink it as much as your photo presuming they were cut to exactly fit the previous label space.

2) As much as I love @Gear and the great work they do, I put this 50/50 on them as well as yourself for this. They should have realized these chips have an 'undercoat' that doesn't match the base color of the chip. At the same time, pulling an inlay from the chips you are going to re-label before doing the job (if not just an over-label) is also partly on the person modifying the chip. I've only over-labeled yet had to have a set of @Gear labels re-done because I didn't bother to test-drive a design I wanted with a test print on my lousy printer at work to know they wouldn't turn out as well as in my mind (or on screen).

That said, any over label has to fit in the old recess and because people aren't robots, there will be a smaller cut made to allow imperfections in label placement in the old and subsequently larger space afterwards. Don't expect a 1:1 replacement....

3) From the photos, the printing goes to the edge of where they were cut out of the base sheet. Maybe this is as simple as a miscommunication as far as what was wanted, but a scaling and cut of the print that's 3% larger than what was cut to fully cover the matrix of the chip seems like that's all that's needed. Again, I'm limited to the photos you posted, but I can't see a cutout that goes into the white of the blank un-printed sheet which looks to my eye like a label that was cut smaller than the recess and therefore the white that's lurking under the old and now removed inlay.

I hope you can resolve this as these will made nice fracs for your set, but to briefly answer your question, there's no way this is label shrinkage, and definitely not for a few weeks in Alabama unless you left the evelope with the lables in your mailbox the whole time. I have re-labled chips in the very dry Arizona desert with the labels parked (inside) for several months and haven't seen any shrinkage at all.
 
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Another option would be to remove the black gradient around the edge, making it less noticeable.

1) That's *not* shrinkage from the @Gear label. No way, no how. You'd have to be on Arrakis for a year to desiccate the moisture out of a label to shrink it as much as your photo presuming they were cut to exactly fit the previous label space.
This is fun!
2) As much as I love @Gear and the great work they do, I put this 50/50 on them as well as yourself for this. They should have realized these chips have an 'undercoat' that doesn't match the base color of the chip.
I think you assume too much. We don't have any information on communication from the op and the vendor. I don't think it's fair to expect that the commission was given 100% of the information, or even 100% of the data required to understand the issue, prior to the process. The vendor does offer a service where you can send in the chips; with that service, I'm confident the vendor would have communicated and highlighted the issue. As it is, they filled a customer request.

I think if the label were any tighter, it would likely spin or peel and not seat properly.
 
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You can't really expect an aftermarket label to exactly fill a recess, though I certainly understand OP's frustration. This seems more like a misstep in the design phase, should have gone with a white background for the artwork.
 
Another option would be to remove the black gradient around the edge, making it less noticeable.


This is fun!

I think you assume too much. We don't have any information on communication from the op and the vendor. I don't think it's fair to expect that the commission was given 100% of the information, or even 100% of the data required to understand the issue, prior to the process. The vendor does offer a service where you can send in the chips; with that service, I'm confident the vendor would have communicated and highlighted the issue. As it is, they filled a customer request.

I think if the label were any tighter, it would likely spin or peel and not seat properly.
My exact wording for my request:

I purchased some Bud Jones roulette chips and wanted to look into a relabel as a frac for a set. I believe I saw a HSI 25c frac in your gallery online, and I believe the inlay size is 15/16”. Qty 200 chips, 400 labels, I’m in the USA.

I also read the thick matte laminate works best for bud jones roulettes - I assume these are for chips with inlays removed, not overlabels.

This is my first time attempting a relabel so I appreciate your patience

Their reply:

Hello Graham,

Thanks so much for your interest in our labels.
Something like this, correct?
image.png

We are happy to print that for you with no charge for artwork.
The type of roulettes you have are actually OK with our standard matte laminated material.
This chip will accommodate thick, but it is not strictly needed
 
You can't really expect an aftermarket label to exactly fill a recess, though I certainly understand OP's frustration. This seems more like a misstep in the design phase, should have gone with a white background for the artwork.
Not expecting perfection by any means. And also not disappointed, the guys that want to play 25c/25c would happily play with dice chips so I was just trying to get something functional and this should suffice.
 
Maybe ask Gear?
This is the first we are hearing of @grahamplayscards questions.
Looks like the diameter of the label is correct for the recess. The white color of the recess exaggerates the issue.
Yes it is the right diameter, and yes we know that some R4's have that white background.
I think if the label were any tighter, it would likely spin or peel and not seat properly.
This right here.
If you have a Michael’s in your area, or another art store, take your chip there. You can test out the different markers on the center of the inlay, where it will be covered, to color match.
Interesting thought as a work around. I would love to see that if attempted.

They should have realized these chips have an 'undercoat' that doesn't match the base color of the chip.

To us this is a Your Milage May Vary situation.

Some notice right away, others only see it when it's pointed out.
I have lost count of how many times we have warned people off things, and they don't take our advice.
We didn't warn him about this one, but I will try to remember in the future.
 
Not helpful to the OP now, but this is a good lesson when labeling this type of chip. If there is a white center in the chip maybe it can be mitigated with a white outer ring on the image of the printed labels?
 
There are some unlabeled web mold tinas on marketplace I guess I could pivot to instead - 24mm recess of 0.945 vs 15/16 label of 0.938

And to be clear this wasn’t some complaint post (which is the tone I’m getting from a lot of replies) just a newbie trying something out and asking questions along the way. I have nothing negative to say about gear.
 
can be mitigated with a white outer ring on the image of the printed labels?
Yes, but then the inlay can start to look smaller than the rest and THAT becomes what becomes the distracting issue.
Some people would be triggered with the fact it's a Bud Jones with Paulsons...

It all depends on what bothers the end user more, and thus down to YMMV.
 

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