OnlineLabels

Company at a glance

OnlineLabels is a privately held ecommerce label manufacturer founded in 1998 by Dave Carmany and based in Sanford, Florida, where it runs its own 180,000-square-foot production facility. The founding idea was simple and still defines the brand: sell blank labels that customers design and print themselves, on demand, at the lowest possible price. In-house manufacturing is what lets the company offer factory-direct pricing, eliminate order minimums, and keep a very large in-stock selection ready to ship.

For chemical labeling specifically, OnlineLabels is best understood as a general label retailer with a strong GHS use case, rather than a dedicated chemical-label specialist like the printer-system vendors. That distinction shapes both its strengths (price, accessibility, free tools) and its limits (certification depth).

GHS product line

The chemical offering centers on heavy-duty printable vinyl rated BS5609 Section 2 GHS-compliant, designed to label hazardous chemical containers, cartons, and drums. A practical advantage is printer compatibility: these labels work with ordinary household and office laser printers, so there’s no dedicated industrial printer to buy.

The standout tool is the free GHS Label Generator — a browser tool where you pick a chemical (from a built-in list or your own), choose a label size, and download an OSHA-compliant PDF at no cost. This sits alongside the free Maestro Label Designer software (an activation code ships with every order) and a broader suite of generator tools. For a small operation, the combination of free design tools and no-minimum, lowest-price stock is a very low barrier to producing compliant labels.

BS5609 and regulatory positioning

This is the most important distinction in OnlineLabels’ profile. Its chemical vinyl is certified to BS5609 Section 2 — meaning the base label material and adhesive pass the marine-immersion durability test (roughly three months in seawater). It does not advertise Section 3 certification, which covers the durability of the printed image under the same conditions.

In practical terms: the label stock itself is marine-grade, but because print permanence isn’t certified, OnlineLabels is not a full marine-shipment (Section 2 + 3) solution the way Brady, DuraLabel, and Avery’s roll products are. This makes it well suited to workplace and secondary-container labeling, and to durable in-facility use, but buyers shipping hazardous chemicals by sea under IMDG rules should look to a Section 3-certified supplier.

On regulatory emphasis, OnlineLabels is US-centric and OSHA-oriented. There is no clearly advertised EU CLP support or multi-language label capability, so European buyers should confirm requirements elsewhere.

Where OnlineLabels fits in a procurement decision

OnlineLabels competes on price and accessibility, not certification depth or enterprise scale. For a buyer whose need is workplace GHS labeling, secondary containers, or durable in-facility identification — and who values free design tools and the lowest per-label cost — it is hard to beat. The no-minimum model also suits one-off or variable needs that would be awkward with a printer-system vendor.

The trade-offs are scope and certification. As a general retailer, GHS is one use case among many rather than a specialty focus, and the BS5609 Section 2-only rating means it stops short of full marine-grade compliance. Buyers who need Section 3 print durability, enterprise volume, or EU/CLP coverage should weigh those gaps carefully.

How to evaluate OnlineLabels for your facility

1. Do you need full marine-grade (Section 3) labels? If you ship hazardous chemicals by sea, OnlineLabels’ Section 2-only rating is likely insufficient — choose a Section 3-certified supplier. For workplace and in-facility use, Section 2 vinyl is appropriate.
2. Is price your primary driver? If lowest per-label cost and no minimums matter most, OnlineLabels is strongly positioned. Weigh that against the certification limits.
3. How much volume, and how often? For low or variable volume printed in-house on existing laser printers, the model is efficient. For sustained enterprise volume, compare against a dedicated system.
4. Which regulatory regime governs you? For US OSHA workplace labeling, the free generator and Section 2 vinyl fit well. For EU CLP or multi-language needs, verify support elsewhere before committing.