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Monday, November 21, 2016

SPARC Your Cannabis Labels

Serving patients since 2001, SPARC (www.sparcsf.org) is a nonprofit collective dedicated to providing lab-tested, affordable, high quality cannabis and subsidized health services to their members.  They aim to educate their patients about cannabis treatments and other alternative health approaches to supplement their medicine.  SPARC began as a collaboration between several small collectives serving distinct patient populations in San Francisco. SPARC's work was focused primarily on serving low-income patients suffering from chronic and terminal illnesses.


When first speaking, SPARC was looking for a lower cost method to label their products.  According to Justin Morgan, IT Director at Sparc, “We were purchasing 5 different versions of preprinted labels from our bag vendor; and wanted a lower cost means to color code our products.  Color-codes are important for us and our customers.  We use the color codes in both our labels and menus.  The colors differentiate the genetics of our different strains of cannabis.  Purchasing 5 different kinds of bags was expensive in the quantities we were purchasing.  Our hope was to get lower prices by purchasing larger volumes of single white bag; and printing custom color labels to affix to them.”



After understanding the requirements, I printed and sent samples to Sparc to test.

SPARC Sample Label
SPARC Sample Label
Based on the recreated label format, I estimated the ink cost at $0.002/label.  In addition, I calculated the costs of continuous labels at $0.005 each.  The overall costs of these labels were much less than 1 penny each.

After hearing the estimated costs, Sparc decided to test the C3500.  We sent them a demo printer to run with the label application, BarTender.  Justin said, “we used BarTender to add the variable data in black print to our labels.  To run the C3500, we just recreated the label template adding a variable image field to the existing label and database.”

Sparc Test Labels
Sparc Test Labels
As a first draft, the BarTender label template was not perfect; with some of the print off the edges of the label.  Working with Justin, we got the labels centered by taking into the account of the .06” non-printable boundary.  With the new drivers, you can print to the edge of the labels.

Sparc Finished Label
Sparc Finished Label

Based on this work, Sparc purchased a C3500 and gloss paper labels.  Since the initial purchase, Sparc has added matte poly labels for their smaller vials.  “We needed the poly to work with the small circumference packaging”, says Justin.   The poly labels are more conformable with less memory than paper.  These advantages make the poly labels perform better for tighter wrapping applications.

Sparc Finished Label
Sparc Finished Label

In addition to the color-coded finished good labels, Sparc need a means to track their plants in production.  Justin says, “we were hand writing up labels for our individual plants; and we needed a less labor-intensive means for their work.”  Based on this requirement, we sold Sparc a thermal transfer printer and “Pot Stakes” to track their production.
Printed Pot Stake
Printed Pot Stake


“Using the pot stakes are much easier and faster than the hand labeling we were doing previously” says Justin.

Sparc Finished Label
Sparc Finished Label
Justin says, “overall, I’ve found the label printing solution incredible; especially the BarTender integration.  Also, we’re very happy with the quality of the print. We’ve found a large cost and labor savings providing a great return on our investment in the label printers and software.” 

Sparc Labels
Sparc Labels
In the past, we worked with other cannabis vendors.  Recently, we published this post about Dream City;  http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2016/10/dreamy-labels.html 

And from a long time ago, a post covering our long-time customer Green Ticket Bakery who now has upgraded to a C3500 to print their labels: http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2012/06/baking-medicinal-brownies-printing.html 


We love and support all of our customers; but we especially appreciate long-time customers such as Sparc.  If you need labels for your cannabis products; or need color coded labels to improve your work processes, contact us.  We can help!


Guy Mikel
855-962-7670

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