Our eximious customers say that one of the BEST WAYS to color-code inventory, sales, or processes is to add another color to the mix. By far, your biggest benefit from our products are the 38 jolly colors that keep escaping our shelves.
But what happens when you need to communicate more complex information via color coding, or don't want to add another color, or if you're on a tighter budget (Harvey over in accounting is only allocating 50 bucks for new stickers? bah!!)???
Here are a few little shortcuts WE USE EVERYDAY in our Kansas office to fool-proof our conversation between the office and the shipping folks — let's face it, we all make mistakes sometimes, especially after coming back from that long holiday weekend where you mistakenly drank some Grandpa Murry's Poitín.
Stars on dot labels communicate two directivesSuper Secret, Dirt-Easy Color Coding Life Hack #1
Stick a star on a dot.
In this example, we'll put a contrasting 3/4" star on a 3/4" dot. The dots are all the same color and identify the customer our fulfillment elves are shipping to that week. The star, however, indicates a different shipment for that same customer.
This is, by far, our favorite method for communicating two vital pieces of information in a very small space. It really stands out, minimizes blunders, and looks oddly festive.
But don't stop with the star/dot concept — this also works swimmingly well with our squares and rectangles.
Different colored stars on the same circle labels
Combining circles, squares, rectangles and colors 
Smaller striped dots on larger blue dotsSuper Secret, Dirt-Easy Color Coding Life Hack #2
Stick a smaller dot on a larger dot.
This is ideal if you want to keep your coding system in the same family of colors for simplicity or branding. For example, put a 1/2" blue striped dot on a 1" blue dot.
You may want to stick complementary colors together to provide a harmonious and delightful effect for yourself or customers.
In this example (lower right picture), we put a 1/4" yellow dot on a 1/2" green dot on a 3/4" red dot on a 1-1/4" dark blue dot on 2" green dot on a 3" yellow dot (kinda reminds me of Epic Meal Time's Thanksgiving turkey).
Putting two complementary colors together for beautiful visibility
Or sticking analogous and complementary colors together 
Markers & pens work on fluorescent labels (left, green dot). Stick with markers for all the other colors (right, red dot).Super Secret, Dirt-Easy Color Coding Life Hack #3
Write on the sticker.
I know, I know. It seems simple enough, but you'd be surprised how many people aren't sure about this.
It's best to USE A SHARPIE for writing on our labels. Certain pens work better than others, but the marker takes the cake. Also, certain labels have different finishes that will affect the ability of the ink to penetrate. Here's the breakdown:
Update from September 2019
Making organization easy
Our color-coded labels are more than just stickers, they are problem solvers. In fact, these simple adhesive labels can be used in so many different areas that it isn’t surprising when someone reaches out explaining uses of our product we haven’t thought about. There are so many different uses that only you can know what use you will find for these labels. Depending on a specific function you can choose between Permanent or Removable Adhesive, a wide array of sizes and of course a multitude of colors. You may be shocked to see what problems these stickers solve for you.Conclusion
It's ridiculous how many ways there are to use colored stickers. We're glad to hear what you have to say or post any of your examples on our site or in our babbling social media streams.
Join the sticky, highly organized, and colorful club! Have questions about what to order? Give us a call and we’d be happy to help you pick the products that are right for you.
Comment directly to this post, call us in Kansas at (800) 256-0435, or email a live body at Info@ChromaLabel.com
Update from April 2021
There are limitless options for color coding! Stars, dots, and rectangles, oh my! With 38 different colors, multiple sizes, and the option of both permanent and removable! Whatever your organizational task is, we should have the right product for you.
All our 38 glorious colors
