Simplifying Labeling Blog

Protecting Products, Packaging and Customers with Security Labels

Sometimes a label needs to do much more than display a product name or barcode. For businesses concerned about product security, unauthorized access, warranty protection, or asset management, tamper-evident labels can provide an important extra layer of protection.

Tamper-proof, VOID, and other security labels are designed to provide visible evidence when somebody attempts to remove, open, or interfere with a label or the product it protects.  They can be used on everything from electronics and industrial equipment to packaging, containers, doors, cabinets, and valuable business assets.

At SixB Labels, we've been helping businesses simplify their labeling programs since 1979. By combining the right label material, adhesive, printing method, and security features, businesses can create custom tamper-evident labels suited to their particular application.

What Is A Tamper-Evident Label?

A tamper-evident label is designed to make interference with a product, package, or piece of equipment clearly noticeable. Unlike an ordinary pressure-sensitive label that may simply peel away, a tamper-evident construction is designed to react when removal is attempted.

Depending on the material, this might mean the label:

• Leaves behind a VOID message
• Breaks into pieces
• Tears when removal is attempted
• Leaves part of the label attached to the surface
• Displays another permanent indication that interference has taken place

This provides businesses, employees, inspectors, and customers with a quick visual indication that something may have been opened or altered.

What is a Void Label?

VOID labels are one of the most recognizable types of tamper-evident security labels.

When somebody attempts to remove the label, a pattern or the word "VOID" appears. Depending on the construction, evidence may be left on the product surface, visible in the label itself, or both.

Once activated, the label generally cannot simply be reapplied to hide the fact that it has been removed.  This makes VOID labels particularly useful for products where unauthorized access needs to be immediately noticeable.

A small security label can therefore provide an immediate visual warning without requiring complicated security technology.

Tamper-Proof vs. Tamper-Evident Labels

The term tamper-proof label is commonly used when discussing security labeling, but in practice, "tamper-evident" is often a more accurate description.

Very few physical security measures can completely prevent a determined person from attempting to access something.  Instead, a tamper-evident label is designed to make that interference obvious. The objective is therefore not simply to make a label difficult to remove. It is to make sure that if someone does remove it, they leave behind evidence.

For businesses evaluating security labels, this distinction is important. The question should be: what do we want the label to show if someone attempts to interfere with it?

Destructible Labels Offer Another Level of Security

VOID technology isn't the only option.

Destructible labels are manufactured so that the material breaks apart when someone attempts to remove it. Instead of peeling away cleanly in one piece, the label may fragment into multiple pieces, making removal and reapplication extremely difficult.

This can be particularly useful for:

• Warranty seals
• Electronics
• Equipment inspection labels
• Calibration labels
• Asset identification
• Security seals

The correct solution depends on the surface, environment, required lifespan, and level of tamper evidence needed.

Tamper-Evident Labels for Warranty Protection

Warranty labels are one of the most common applications for tamper-evident materials.  For example, a manufacturer may place a security label across an access point or equipment enclosure. If somebody opens the product, the label is disturbed and provides evidence that access has occurred. These labels can also incorporate information such as:

• Company branding
• Serial numbers
• Product numbers
• Barcodes
• QR codes
• Warranty information
• Warning messages

This means the label can perform several functions at once: identification, branding, tracking, and security.

Tamper-Evident Labels for Food Packaging

Food tamper-evident labels can provide consumers with a clear visual indication that packaging may have been opened or interfered with before purchase. Depending on the packaging design, a security label can be placed across a container lid, closure, box opening, or other access point so that opening the product causes the label to tear, break, or display visible evidence of removal. This can be useful across products such as prepared foods, sauces, jars, bakery items, takeout containers, and other packaged food products. Alongside tamper evidence, custom food security labels can include branding, product information, barcodes, batch details, or sequential numbering, allowing a single label to perform several functions. As with any food packaging application, it is important to select the appropriate label material and adhesive for the packaging surface and conditions involved, including refrigeration, freezing, moisture, or condensation. SixB Labels can help businesses choose a custom tamper-evident label construction that combines security with the durability and professional appearance required for food packaging.

Security Labels for Electronics and Equipment

Electronics are particularly well suited to tamper-evident labeling.  Computers, electrical components, appliances, control systems, and other equipment may need labels to identify whether a unit has been opened or serviced.

A custom security label can be placed across:

• Screws
• Access panels
• Battery compartments
• Equipment covers
• Enclosures

If unauthorized access occurs, the change to the label provides a clear visual indicator. Labels can also carry serial numbers or barcodes, allowing businesses to combine tamper evidence with asset tracking.

Tamper-Evident Packaging Labels

Security labels can also be applied directly to product packaging.

For certain products, customers want reassurance that the packaging they're purchasing hasn't previously been opened or interfered with.  A security label can bridge the opening between two sections of packaging. If the package is opened, the label breaks, tears, or reveals evidence of removal.

Applications can range from retail products and replacement parts to containers and specialist industrial products.  The label becomes a simple visual indicator that helps communicate package integrity.

Sequential Numbering, Barcodes and Variable Data

Security labels become even more useful when combined with variable data printing.  Instead of every label being identical, each label can contain unique information.

For example:

• Sequential identification numbers
• Serial numbers
• Code 39 barcodes
• Code 128 barcodes
• QR codes
• Product identification
• Batch information

Unique numbering can help organizations track exactly which label has been assigned to which asset or product. If a label is removed or replaced, the identification number can be checked against internal records.

Choosing the Right Adhesive for Security Labels

The adhesive is one of the most important parts of any tamper-evident labeling system. A security label attached to smooth metal has different requirements from one being applied to textured plastic or cardboard packaging.

Before choosing a label, businesses should consider:

• What surface will the label be applied to?
• Is the surface smooth, rough, curved, or textured?
• Will the product be indoors or outdoors?
• Will it encounter moisture?
• Will it experience high or low temperatures?
• Could it come into contact with chemicals or cleaning products?
• How long does the label need to remain in place?

Choosing the right combination of facestock and adhesive helps ensure the tamper-evident feature performs as intended.

Durable Security Labels for Demanding Environments

Tamper evidence isn't useful if the label naturally deteriorates during normal use.

Materials and printing methods should therefore be selected according to the environment in which the finished label will be used. 

Additional protection such as lamination may also be appropriate for certain applications.

Custom Printing for Tamper-Evident Labels

Security doesn't mean sacrificing branding.  Custom tamper-evident labels can incorporate your existing brand identity while providing the security features your application requires.

Depending on the project, labels could include:

• Company logos
• Brand colors
• Safety warnings
• Instructions
• Contact details
• Barcodes
• Serial numbers
• Product information

A professional-looking security label can help reinforce the quality of the product while simultaneously performing an important practical role.

Tamper-Evident Labels as Part of an Asset Management System

For businesses with large amounts of equipment, security labels can become part of a broader asset identification and tracking system.

Consider a company managing hundreds of computers, tools, machines, or electronic devices.  A custom security label containing a unique barcode or serial number can help identify each item. The tamper-evident construction then provides another layer of protection by making unauthorized label removal easier to detect.

This can support:

The label may be small, but it can become an important part of a much larger business process.

Matching the Security to the Application

There isn't one tamper-evident label that's right for every product. Before ordering security labels, consider exactly what you need them to accomplish.

For example, do you want:

• A visible VOID message after removal?
• A label that physically breaks apart?
• Permanent identification?
• Sequential numbering?
• Barcode tracking?
• A warranty seal?
• A combination of security and branding?

Working through these questions helps identify the most suitable material, adhesive, and printing method.

Why Quality Matters with Tamper-Evident Labels

Security labeling is one area where quality control is particularly important.

A standard product label that doesn't perform properly is frustrating. A security label that doesn't perform properly can undermine the reason it was applied in the first place.

Accurate printing, reliable adhesives, correct materials, and consistent manufacturing all matter.

Testing the label on the actual product surface can also be important, particularly when dealing with unusual plastics, coatings, textures, or demanding environmental conditions.

How SixB Labels Can Help with Security Labeling

Since 1979, SixB Labels has taken a 360-degree view of labeling, helping customers find solutions that work for their actual business requirements.

When developing tamper-evident, VOID, or security labels, our team can help consider:

• Label materials
• Adhesive requirements
• Application surfaces
• Environmental conditions
• Label shapes and sizes
• Variable data
• Sequential numbering
• Barcode requirements
• Printing and finishing options

Rather than treating the security label as an isolated product, we look at how it fits into your wider labeling program.

Final Thoughts: Small Labels Can Provide Important Protection

Tamper-evident labels are a relatively simple way to add another level of security, traceability, and reassurance to products and equipment.

From a VOID label protecting an electronic enclosure to a destructible warranty seal or a sequentially numbered asset label, the right solution makes unauthorized interference easier to identify.

The most important step is choosing a label designed specifically for the surface, environment, and security requirements involved.  With more than 47 years of labeling experience, SixB Labels can help businesses find a tamper-evident labeling solution that combines security, durability, identification, and professional presentation.

If you're considering tamper-proof, VOID, or tamper-evident labels for your products or equipment, contact SixB Labels to discuss your application and find the right solution.

Save Time - Email Us Directly With Your Questions on Tamper-Proof Labels, VOID Labels, or Tamper-Evident Labels

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