Differentiating yourself from the competition helps build brand image. People’s first impression of your brand starts before they even interact with the product. The packaging and outside directions can set the tone and generate excitement.
Custom graphic overlays provide information, build brand image and enhance user experience (UX). But startups may struggle with the added costs of customization necessitating bargain shopping. So, what are the most affordable options for custom graphic overlays?
Graphic Overlays and Their Benefits
Graphic overlays are thin decals made from varied materials placed on the surface of products to warn consumers or explain how to use the product. They are often used on consumer electronics, medical devices and control panels. Although each printer uses different methods, some common techniques are screen and digital printing. Designers may make overlays from polyester, polycarbonate, vinyl or acrylic.
While you want to track down the best value for your investment, you also should consider the benefits of custom graphic overlays. Even a budget option will require some capital, so consider what you want most from your overlays before choosing a provider. Some of the top reasons companies seek a personalized solution include:
-
- Branding: Use overlays to highlight your logo or tagline to make the order more memorable. Ideally, customers will seek you out in the future. Building a brand image takes time and persistent effort.
-
- Perceived Quality: A personalized look creates the appearance of a custom product and adds value. If your overlays make your product more professional, you may be able to charge more for it.
-
- Safety Compliance: Depending on what products you sell, the industry may have regulations about labeling or warnings. Adding overlays helps you be compliant.
-
- Protections: If labeling appliances and electronics, overlays can add to the durability of the product and increase its longevity.
While packaging solutions require careful planning, you also need something affordable enough to keep your market price competitive.
Cost Factors for Top Custom Graphic Overlays
The price for product identification is not standard, depending on a range of factors.
-
- Quantity: Buy in bulk to lower unit costs.
-
- Colors Used: Fewer colors can reduce price.
-
- Durability: Products that are outdoors or experience heavy use need more longevity and, thus, more expensive materials.
-
- Material: Vinyl is usually one of the least expensive overlay materials.
-
- Textures: If you add embossing or texture, the overlays will cost a bit more.
Discuss options with your sales representative to lower costs and stay on budget.
The 6 Best Custom Graphic Overlay Companies
Narrowing down the choices and coming to what are the most affordable options for custom graphic overlays required detective work. Cost is relevant to the quality of the product. Putting an inferior overlay on your item can devalue it and cost you money in the long run.
For that reason, the list of top custom graphic overlay companies includes ones with certifications or decades of experience in the industry. While they offer consultations and will work within your budget, exact prices vary depending on the project and how many labels you need. The best way to get value is to contact two or three companies, get a quote from each and look at samples of similar work already completed. Here are six affordable custom graphic overlay possibilities.
1. Label-Aid Systems
Label-Aid Systems is ISO 9001: 2015 certified, meaning it meets the International Organization for Standardization requirements. Chuck Bashore founded the company in 1976. An engineer by trade, Bashore created a systems-based process that led to excellence and rapid turnaround.
The business specializes in custom labels, working with clients to incorporate their logo and color palette and ensure labels meet pertinent regulations. The products work on screen printing or flexographic labels. Some industries it serves include electronics, healthcare, health and beauty, automotive and contract manufacturing.
Representatives offer an instant graphic overlay quote. Input your label details and make a few selections. You can also request a custom quote for more detailed projects.
2. Hopkins Printing
Jim and Arnie Hopkins started the company in the 1970s in Columbus, Ohio. Today, Hopkins Printing resides in the same city but has grown into a larger brand. In 2022, Four Cents Holdings, LLC acquired Hopkins Printing. By 2023, NGS Printing and Hopkins both fell under the Hopkins umbrella to become the larger company it is today. The brand now embraces a sustainable commitment and recycles light bulbs, plastic, paper, ink and cardboard.
The company has excellent employee retention stats, likely because workers invest in the company’s success through owned stocks. The brand resides in a 100,000-square-foot space and employs around 100 people.
Hopkins offers a one-stop solution for a business’s printing needs. An online portal allows you to manage, purchase and distribute any materials. You can edit on the fly or see how much inventory you have of a specific label or other material.
3. Intergraphics
Part of Canva Group, Conrad and Yvonne Desender founded Intergraphics in 1969. Every project is customized to the client. It is the preferred supplier for two bus manufacturers in Canada and has created rink-board decals for the Olympics. The company is ISO 9001-certified and ensures its decals comply with ANSI, ASAE, SAE and CE standards.
For startups with limited space, it will store your inventory until you need it. It also aligns you with a single point of contact for anything you need, streamlining your project and giving you a dedicated worker who understands your business’s needs. Their graphic overlays are durable and budget-friendly.
4. MFG Labeling, LLC
MFG Labeling, LLC staff has over two decades of experience in the product identification industry. Designers create graphic overlays, nameplates and decals. Their products are durable and made of high-quality materials. It is ISO 9001:15 certified and follows UL and United States military standards. MFG Labeling, LLC is an approved vendor for the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Some features of their graphic overlays and membrane switches include clear or tinted windows, selective adhesive and texture. Consultants can also help with embossing and die-cutting. Their consultants will work with you to determine each project’s best material and printing methods. You can also purchase polycarbonate or polyester graphic overlays.
5. McLoone Product Identification
For around 70 years, McLoone Product Identification has been creating metal nameplates and custom overlays for commercial and industrial clients. The company creates rapid prototypes, prints custom manufacturing labels and fulfills decal orders. It integrated with Clarion Safety Systems in 2025 and now works to ensure best practices for safety labels and signage. You can get a complimentary risk assessment and reduction service.
Every product is customized to be durable and affordable for the user. Materials used include polycarbonate, polyester and vinyl. Experts work with your brand to decide which substrate might work best to be affordable yet durable. McLoone Product Identification has an ISO 9001:2015 certification. Customization options include back-lighting, dead-front, embossed buttons and die cutting to perfect shape.
6. JN White
In Perry, New York, JN White is a well-known name among the world’s best custom graphic overlay companies. James Neel White founded the printing company in 1960 in a spare bedroom. By 1970, the company moved into a former knitting mill. Specialty products include compliance, warnings and instruction labels. The printer also offers custom solutions for graphic overlays.
The industrial screen printing brand adheres to Lean Six Sigma to give clients an excellent experience. The management approach works to minimize waste and improve processes. The result is a streamlined solution for printing needs.
When you start a consultation with staff at JN White, you’ll get some perks like overlay materials advice, custom fabrication, inspections, and testing to ensure the end product performs as expected. It is a 3M preferred converter with different adhesive solutions for the right finish and hold.
Finding Cost-Effective Graphic Overlay Solutions
What are the most affordable options for custom graphic overlays? It depends on your needs and how many overlays you’re buying at one time. Even a budget-conscious solution should offer durability and showcase your brand identity. Affordable becomes expensive if the printer cuts corners and the finished product tears up or warnings wear down quickly.
Gathering samples and quotes is your best bet when seeking a custom graphic overlay vendor. You can then compare costs versus materials and decide what works best for each project’s needs. If you’re ready to improve your product’s aesthetics without busting your budget, reach out to some of the best graphic overlay companies and see how they can work with you to add value to your product and help you fulfill regulatory requirements.
