Key Considerations for Choosing the Right Labeling Solution
To determine the best printing technology, materials, and ribbon (if thermal transfer) to ensure that labels remain readable for the life of the product, you should consider the following:
Surfaces
The type and shape of the surface being labeled needs to be considered to ensure that the label remains adhered to the surface. Have you noticed that a particular label does not adhere as well to a plastic box as it does to a cardboard box? This is because these items have different surface energies. The shape of the surface is also important. For example, small curved surfaces are also difficult to label because they require flexible materials and mandrel adhesives to ensure that the label does not lift off the surface.
Extreme Temperatures
Materials and adhesives are also sensitive to very low and very high temperatures. There are two types of temperatures you need to consider, application temperature and use temperature:
Standard materials generally perform well when the application temperature is as low as 25°F (-4°C) and the use temperature range is -65°F (-54°C) to 200°F (93°C). Labeling outside of this range requires the use of a thermal transfer solution and often a specialized adhesive to ensure the label stays secure.
There are adhesives that work well within specific temperature ranges. High and low temperature adhesives maintain a strong bond at both high and low temperatures, but need to be applied to the surface at moderate temperatures. All temperature adhesives, on the other hand, are special in that the label can be applied to the surface at temperatures below freezing.
There are two types of high tack adhesives: high tack acrylic and high tack rubber.
High tack acrylic works well on difficult to label surfaces and has good chemical and UV resistance.
High tack rubber works well on difficult to label surfaces and provides better initial tack. In addition to permanent adhesives, there are several types of removable adhesives: removable, multi-removable, ultra-removable, and secure.
The key application of removable adhesives is to provide good adhesion on the product when initially labeling, while allowing one to remove the label without damaging the label and the product surface. It also allows for clean removal of the label when it is no longer needed.
Multi-removable adhesives are unique in that they allow the label to be applied, removed, and reapplied to a surface. This allows the label to be repositioned on the surface if needed.
Ultra-removable adhesives can be cleanly removed from nearly all surfaces without damaging the label or the surface (including metal and glass surfaces).
Tamper-evident adhesives allow you to visually see when a label has been removed because the adhesive pattern remains on the surface. This type of adhesive can support warranty integrity claims when the label is removed.
Abrasion Resistance
Contact and friction can affect the readability of images and barcodes over time. If in your application the label will come in contact with items that could scratch the label and make it unreadable, a ribbon with a higher resin content will provide better durability.
Chemical Resistance
When labels are exposed to moderate to extreme chemicals, a thermal transfer label solution is needed. High durability resin ribbons are also recommended for harsh and extreme chemicals.
