I agree that for most jobs, hiring Gear is surely the best thing. I have been on the verge of placing some large orders for a while myself, and am hoping to complete my end of the job soon.
That said, for very small batches of chips (10-40, say), I have been having fun experimenting with making my own labels.
Here’s some thoughts from learning the hard way:
• I’ve bought glossy vinyl waterproof labels intended to work with inkjet printers from
https://www.onlinelabels.com with varying results.
• I’ve also tried to use their semi-gloss options, but they are very slightly thicker, and don’t cut cleanly with the various brands of punch that I’ve used.
• My first batch were pre-cut 1" round labels. I found that even with a high-quality inkjet printer, it was nearly impossible to get the registration correct. I might be lucky to get 1 sheet in 10 to hit correctly.
• So I switched to full-page labels, and began experimenting with various circular hole punches. This took more trial-and-error, because the correct size to fit various 39mm and 43mm molds varies slightly. Also, it’s hard to find true metric size punches for more precision.
• You need punches where you can look at the alignment on the bottom. I press the lever slightly down to hold the label in place once it’s aligned, then carefully flip it over to make the punch on a hard surface. You can expect some loss due to imperfect alignment, and also sometimes the edges don’t come out crisply.
• Once I find the right size punch for a chip, I buy at least two in case one is not working well. They aren’t that expensive. I’ve tried sharpening them by punching tinfoil (per the suggestion of
@allforcharity , and it seems to help, but I can’t say for sure.
• The first two batches of labels that I did came out splendidly (one set for relabeling 40 SB5Ks, one applied to 20 Apache Royal blanks for seating chips). They do not smudge, and look very sharp.
• Perplexingly, when I went back to produce another set (relabeling one barrel of SB100s), the printing came out great again, but the labels were easily smudged — even after letting them “cure” for a while. This was true both when printing from my original stack of sheets, and a second batch I ordered.
• The problem may have something to do with my printer settings; I believe on all of them I used the same configuration (selecting glossy paper and fine printing options), but some things I’ve read suggest that even small tweaks with the printer can change the outcome. I need to contact the label company and see if they have advice.
• In the meantime, I have been experimenting with coating the glossy label sheets after printing (but before cutting with Mod Podge (often mistakenly called Modge Podge).
• The Mod Podge definitely seals the the labels well. I can’t smudge the labels at all after just one coat. It also does not seem to cause problems cutting with my punches. It also slightly dulls the glossiness of the labels, making them look more convincingly “real” to my eye.
• Bug/feature: I’ve yet to find the trick of applying Mod Podge without getting some subtle streaking. I’ve tried foam brushes and other techniques, but can’t seem to hit upon the right application to get a totally even surface. That said, the streaks are very subtle, and if you like a textured label, these again can arguably add to an authentic feel.
Anyone out there have any ideas about either (A) why the vinyl, waterproof inkjet labels sometimes can be smudged, and sometimes can’t, and (B) the best way to apply Mod Podge for an unstressed surface?