Mistake #1 – Adhesive 

Domed labels are over 20X thicker than un-domed labels (0.07” thick vs. 0.003”) requiring special adhesives designed for this difference in thickness. Imagine spreading a thin layer of household glue to a sheet of glass and trying to mount the glass to rough concrete.  The glue will not work because it only touches a few points of the concrete. Now, spread the same thin layer of glue onto a sheet of newspaper and press the paper onto the concrete.  The paper will hold because the paper flexes between all the peaks and valleys of the concrete increasing the surface area of the adhesive. Here’s the problem – label manufacturers make trillions of labels every year (that’s trillions as in “1” with 12 zeros).  These trillions of labels are made with very thin adhesive (about 0.0005” thick).  Label companies stock thin adhesives made for un-domed labels.  These same companies may also offer domed labels and you can imagine what adhesive they use. Domed labels simply require more adhesive to flow into the nooks and crannies of the mounting surface.  DomeTag only makes domed labels and only stocks adhesives up to 14X thicker specifically and only for domed labels.  

Mistake #2 – Level

Domed labels are made by pouring an exact volume of liquid on top of a traditional label.  The liquid flows to the edge of the label and cures for about 12 hours.  Unless the dome is perfectly level, the dome will be thicker on one side than the other. If you order domed labels from a traditional label supplier, do you really think they have facilities designed to keep millions of domed labels perfectly level until they are fully cured?  Not likely!  DomeTag manufactures only domed labels with manufacturing equipment, facilities and processes designed to maintain perfect level during the full curing process. Here’s the test:  compare a DomeTag Brand Label to an off-brand dome by checking the thickness around the full edge of the label.  You’ll find that our domes maintain the same thickness uniformly.

Mistake #3 – Over/Under Domed

As described above, the liquid dome must be poured in an exact volume to allow the dome to flow to the edge of the label.  Too much liquid and the dome flows over the edge of the label; too little and the dome stops before the edge. DomeTag is the most popular doming company in the United States because we only make domed labels.  Our equipment is custom-made and calibrated for consistent and uniform domes.  The difference is easy to see.

Mistake #4 – Epoxy

Epoxy is an inferior polymer that continues to yellow, shrink, harden, curl and dull over time compared to the optically clear, flexible polyurethane used by DomeTag. Epoxy is more popular because it is less expensive and does not require vacuum degassing or humidity controls.  Domed labels made by small-time producers and facilities with few quality controls give the dome label industry a poor reputation by using epoxy resin instead of urethane.  Domed labels made in China are infamous for using low quality epoxy resin. One common misunderstanding is to blame poor adhesives for domed labels falling off.  The real problem is that epoxy domes shrink over time and the shrinking causes the dome to curl and lift off the mounting surface.  In other words, even if the correct adhesive is used, domes still fall off because of the shrinking and curling of the epoxy. Laboratories do a simple test to determine if a dome is made of epoxy or urethane.  When held under a flame, epoxy will turn black and continue to burn even after the flame is removed.  When urethane is held under a flame, it does not turn black and does not hold the flame after the torch is removed. NOTE:  Laboratories should have proper fire suppression and approved ventilation to conduct this test.  

Mistake #5 – Bubbles

 When uncured urethane comes in contact with moisture the result is bubbles. Bubbles in domed labels can be caused by improper mixing or dispensing, but the main cause is water in the air at more than 40% relative humidity.  Printers often add humidity to the air during production adding to the problem for printers that only dome as a side operation.  Printed labels and liners need to be properly dried to remove moisture before doming with urethane. Bubbles on the surface of the label are typically caused by high humidity.  Bubbles inside the dome are more typically from improper mixing or dispensing.  DomeTag specializes in only doming so the entire process is done in a controlled environment.

The test we conduct here is a simple one, but very telling in terms of durability. We start out with three labels; a flat paper label, a flat plastic label and of course our very own DomeTag Brand Label.

We sprinkle some household cleanser over the labels...

Then we start to scrub! The paper label disintegrates within seconds.

As the scrub-down continues, the plastic label quickly loses its identity as well.

At the end of our test, the two flat labels have all but disappeared...but upon wiping the area clean with a cloth, our domed label looks as good as new!

Urethane vs. Epoxy...which one will burn?

Ever wonder if a paper, plastic and domed label will survive when placed inside an industrial blender? We actually have, so we had to try it. Just wait until you see what else goes in the blender!

First, we apply the three labels on the inside of the blender body...

Then we decide to make soda pound cake and throw in all the needed ingredients... including the plastic measuring cup, a whole lemon and the soda can!

After a bit of a challenging blend cycle, our recipe is complete! It appears the paper label has added itself to the list of ingredients.

We clean up the blender and find the plastic label has also experienced separation anxiety... but our domed label is still glossy!

Being that the labels were still there, we knew we needed backup. So we called the Army. Fifty of the very best Green Plastic Berets.

The brave boys in green really put up a tough battle...but in the end the blender won the war.

The domed label just yawned after the military attack, so we load the blender with 50 glass marbles. Yes, you read that right. We can’t make this stuff up.

If you’ve never seen glass marbles inside a blender on high speed you haven’t lived. Obviously, the plastic and paper labels haven’t lived either. Even the blender is beat up. Our domed label, on the other hand...still looks like new!

It’s not every day that labels are exposed to an agent as corrosive as sulfuric acid...so knowing that, of course we had to try it!

Starting with a paper label, plastic label and our own DomeTag Brand Label; we apply the acid.

After letting the acid sit for a few minutes we then agitate it with a cotton swab. The plastic label and paper label are both feeling the burn.

Once the acid is agitated, we let them sit for a few more minutes.

After wiping the labels, it’s clear to see which label withstood the corrosive acid!

The main upside of doming is that the clear bubble of plastic on top of logos not only looks cool, but is also extremely durable. On the downside, the price of doming can be three times the cost of other personalizing and the domes don’t work on all surfaces. However, there’s more to the doming industry today. Consider these tricks and loopholes that may change your opinion about domed labels.

You should know that urethane (the clear plastic used in the doming industry) is one of the most inert and resilient materials known to man. No other method of identification can be dipped in battery acid, soaked for years in salt water in full sunlight, and get pelted with stones at 60 mph without showing damage. You should also know that the clear urethane dome allows for full-color, high resolution printing without any dies or tooling delays. Additionally, domed labels can be applied at the end of the production cycle so that products can be manufactured in bulk at low cost and quickly personalized as orders are received.

That’s the good news. Now let’s consider some of the problems. First, doming looks cool because of the curved light reflections on the edge of the dome; large domes lose out on this 3-D look. Second, consider that most promotional products are not kept as family heirlooms and the durability advantage of doming may be less important than the cool look. Third, in the past, doming has been slow and expensive. The industry wasn’t in tune with the same-day production demands most suppliers need today, and the immaturity of the doming industry added to the cost, making it impractical for all but high-end products.

Keep in mind that your customers are buying your products to bring attention to their client’s image. It’s great that the domes are bulletproof, but it’s really the look of the dome that is important. Make sure you know how domes will look on your product. Call some doming companies and request free, generic samples. They’ll happily accommodate you with as many samples as you want. If you’re wowed, take the next step to see how much the industry has changed on turnaround time and on cost.

There’s a dirty little secret in the doming industry that you really need to know before you start talking to doming companies. There are about 1,000 companies in the U.S. that offer doming, and most of these companies just resell doming for others. Hundreds of other companies actually do doming, but they took the cheap way into the business. They have doming equipment, but they didn’t build a humidity-controlled doming room or they skipped the $50,000 vacuum degassing equipment, or they use cheap epoxy resin instead of urethane, or they run their doming equipment only a few times per month. Honestly, that’s almost all the remaining doming companies. That leaves about 20 good-quality doming companies that have multiple doming machines, trained people and proper procedures to consistently deliver quality domed labels.

To figure out who’s who in the doming industry, I recommend asking some questions: “Do you offer same-day production?” “Do you use over 5,000 gallons of urethane per year?” “Do you have five or more doming machines?” “Do you offer special pricing to suppliers in the ad specialty industry?” “Do you have vacuum degassing equipment?” “Do you have humidity- controlled production?”

There’s another doming secret you should know: You can supply custom domed labels from your facility the same day you receive the order. Doming companies can supply you with stock sizes of clear domes (clear adhesive on clear film with a clear dome) that you can place on top of paper labels that you print on your $300 color laser printer. This is a great way to rush samples to your customers and a great way to produce small orders.

However, there are downsides. You need to heat-press the clear dome into the paper label, and the paper label isn’t very durable if someone spills coffee on the label or if someone peels the dome up and the paper delaminates. But, your price will be far cheaper than paying for a fully customized dome.

Aside from clear domes, there are a handful of doming companies in the U.S. that can do same-day doming. To meet this requirement, you’ll need a domer with in-house printing on film substrates with computerized cutting equipment, volume doming production and a bent for servicing ad specialty suppliers.

Perhaps more important than same-day doming is finding a company that offers next-day turnaround time on your orders at less than wholesale prices. Doming companies that cater to the promotional products industry will offer special “bulk pricing” exclusively to ad specialty suppliers. In exchange for hundreds of small custom orders, the domer will throw in free next-day production and take about 30% off the normal wholesale price and waive all setup fees. With discounts like that, and one-day production, doming works for far more suppliers today than it has in the past.

To make sure that doming is a viable option for your products, be prepared to send the doming company samples of your products so that they can help determine the best method of adhesion. Today’s doming can be permanently heatfused directly to textiles or use special 2 to 9 mil. Thick adhesives that can bond to just about anything.

Doming has matured dramatically in the last several years and a few leaders in the industry are ready to help ad specialty suppliers with fast turnaround times with amazing new pricing. Search for “ad specialty doming” or “custom domed labels” and find a partner who is willing to take the time to learn about your unique needs.

Doming can be a unique, innovative, cost-effective and easy way to invigorate your line and add some punch to products.

Years of testing prove DomeTag as the best solution for rugged durability on mountain bikes.

ESI Grips contacted DomeTag as they were about to launch a very specialized product…they needed brand labeling for competitive mountain bikes and bikers to withstand repeated impact on the end of handlebars against rocks, mud and concrete. The label needed to not only hold up to this abuse, but also protect the bike from damage.

There were two issues here though; the first being that ESI Grips founders Gary and Maria Stewart wanted their company to be 100% American made products. The second issue was the fact that their product would be used in some very abusive situations.

They had been using a “hot stamp” product to mark their logo on the bar plugs (the caps at the end of handlebars), but found it wore off quickly after regular use. After producing a few custom domed label samples, the Stewarts put them to the test.

To test our domed labels, they applied them to their bar plugs; then crushed them onto hard concrete to determine if they would scuff, fade or pop off. Gary also took a hammer to the bar plugs to see if they would come off or take damage when confronted with an even harder force. But the domes came through like champs!

After passing the durability test, DomeTag worked with ESI’s specific needs to find production and pricing reductions competitive with products made outside the U.S.A. Faster production times, increased product consistency and reduced inventory; along with the convenience of being able to work directly with the DomeTag design team, helped to reduce their total cost. The freedom to call anytime with questions and receive prompt product samples allows ESI to introduce new products more quickly and maintain their Made in U.S.A. status.

Maria and Gary say the metallic design protected under the clear urethane dome gives the labels a cool “cat-eye” effect that is very popular with their customers. Gary mentioned he personally crashed three times in one race, but the domed labels stayed put and remained undamaged.

ESI Grips has ordered hundreds of thousands of domed labels for their mountain bike bar plugs and is working on new innovations for professional and competitive athletes.