At a deadend (1 Viewer)

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

I have no doubt that Gear does fantastic work. The testamonials are scattered throughout these forums.

But there are tons of people ... like me ... who want a cheaper option for a variety of reasons. Maybe they are putting labels on cheaper chips (I know it's hard to believe, but not everyone here has thousands of dollars invested in their chip sets). Maybe they have 2000 chips and don't want to spend $600 on labels. Maybe they are just a big ol' DIYer.

I did a lot of research, and I found onlinelabels.com. They have a Maestro Label Design tool (free) that allows you to upload your artwork and see what it would look like on a chip label. Once you have your designs finalized, you can either have them print your labels for you, or you can print them yourself. Personally, I had all sorts of alignment issues when I printed myself, so I ordered a couple of sample pages prior to placing my larger order. I ordered their white weatherproof polyester labels. So, not paper. From what I have read online, the polyester labels are even better than vinyl for certain uses … http://arcadvisor.com/faq/polyester-vinyl-labels. When I had onlinelabels print my 1" circle labels, there were no alignment issues to speak of.

In addition onlinelabels recommends spraying their labels with Krylon Preserve It! https://www.krylon.com/products/preserve-it-digital-photo-paper-protectant. I chose the glossy version (I believe there are matte and satin finishes, as well), and I love it. One spray can allowed for two coats on 64 label sheets. I could probably get a third coat out of the can, but I stopped at two. Total cost was less than $200 for about 4000 commercially printed, weatherproof polyester, coated labels. Here is a pic of the finished product:

View attachment 351410

Glad I stumbled into this thread before I started my own. This is just what I'm looking for. Someday I may get labels from Gear or ABC, but for today, 30 cent labels on 25 cent chips just doesn't make sense. Plus I'm only re-labeling a few at first to change the denomination. May I ask you a few questions about your process?

• Are the polyester labels reasonably thick? I'm imagining the polyester labels on a 20 oz soda bottle, which are very thin.
• How's the stickiness level? Will they be difficult to remove down the road if I do get pro labels?
• Was one inch the perfect size for you? I'm labeling 8Vs, and I think the proper size to fill the cavity is 1 1/16th. I can probably make 1 inch even work.
• Did you have to remove the backing prior to spraying with Krylon Preserve it to keep the stickers from adhering to the surrounding backing?

I roughed out a design on Avery this evening, then after searching, found they didn't make their waterproof labels in a one inch round size. I've used their waterproof 3 x 5 laser labels on home brewed beer bottles, and I can attest that they are completely waterproof with no additional treatment. I've had bottles left in an ice chest full of ice & water for 24 hours with no bleeding whatsoever. In keeping with my home brewing theme, I knocked this out pretty quickly on Avery tonight:

 

[Himewad]

May I ask you a few questions about your process?

• Are the polyester labels reasonably thick? I'm imagining the polyester labels on a 20 oz soda bottle, which are very thin.
• How's the stickiness level? Will they be difficult to remove down the road if I do get pro labels?
• Was one inch the perfect size for you? I'm labeling 8Vs, and I think the proper size to fill the cavity is 1 1/16th. I can probably make 1 inch even work.
• Did you have to remove the backing prior to spraying with Krylon Preserve it to keep the stickers from adhering to the surrounding backing?

I roughed out a design on Avery this evening, then after searching, found they didn't make their waterproof labels in a one inch round size. I've used their waterproof 3 x 5 laser labels on home brewed beer bottles, and I can attest that they are completely waterproof with no additional treatment. I've had bottles left in an ice chest full of ice & water for 24 hours with no bleeding whatsoever. In keeping with my home brewing theme, I knocked this out pretty quickly on Avery tonight:

First of all, I actually sold my Nexgen 8000 chips to a buddy who moved out of town who wanted to start hosting his own games. But I can still answer your questions.
1) I’m not sure I would say the polyester labels are thin, but they aren’t as thick as the laminated vinyl for sure.
2) Stickiness is good. I mean, it’s mean5 to stay in place even if it gets wet. I haven’t tried removing polyester labels before, so I can’t comment on how easy they will come off.
3) For the Nexgen 8000 chips, the 1” labels were the perfect size. I don’t have the 8V chips, so I can’t speak to the size of the recessed inlay area on those chips.having a bit of play is ok, but off-center placement will be more pronounced.
4) I did remove the backing prior to spraying the labels. Years ago, I didn’t do that, and it was a mistake. Not a mistake that can’t be overcome, but it makes the labeling process much quicker when you have already removed that unneeded layer from the label sheet.

Good luck to you!