What Elements Make Up Pressure Sensitive Labels?

Self-adhesive labels, also known as pressure-sensitive labels, may not appear complex in nature, however when you break down the components which go into producing them there are a whole host of important elements to be aware of.

In simple terms, a label construction is made up of three main components, with the materials chosen for each carefully selected to make sure they are suitable for the environment they will be used and offer maximum performance.

What Three Components Make up Pressure Sensitive Labels?

The three components which make up self-adhesive labels are the label adhesive, face material and the release liner.

1.      Adhesives

The label adhesive is the material which will ensure your labels stick to your required surface and end application. The strength of adhesives can be tested in labs using ‘grab tests’ to understand the strength of the initial grab of adhesive materials. In addition, ‘peel tests’ can also be used to evaluate the strength of the bond between a substrate and the material being peeled off.

As a leading label manufacturer we offer a wide-range of adhesives as it is crucial we’re capable of meeting requirements in varying environments as well end applications. One of our most common type of adhesive is permanent adhesives - this is where the adhesive is not designed to be removed after contact is made. We also offer a large variety of adhesives which fall into the following categories:

• Acrylic & hotmelt: These are very high tack and permanent adhesives which are designed for coating onto a variety of rough and difficult substrates.
• PurityWash: Innovative Cold Water (Paper & Film) & Hot Caustic Wash-Off - Enables labels to wash off PP, PE, HDPE and PET bottles and containers during industrial cleaning processes.
• Removable: Offer great initial tack however can be removed from a variety of substrates including glass, metal, PE and PP. Also suitable for peel and reseal applications.
• Repositionable: A repositionable adhesive provides a bond which is not permanent and allows the label to be repositioned, however once repositioned provides a secure hold and durability over time.
• Freezer: A freezer or deep freeze adhesive is suitable for applications which need to be stored in chilled or freezer environments.
• Wash off: A wash off adhesive sticks permanently to a surface and is cleanly removed once the products life-cycle is complete, this maximises the recyclability of products.
• Wet pack: Our wet pack adhesives provide suitable durability within wet environments which is perfect for food, drinks and spirits, chemical and industrial environments.

Face Materials

A face material is the term given to any paper, film or foil suitable for converting into self-adhesive labels. We offer a large variety of face materials, which can be mixed and matched with liners and adhesives. The below is not an exhaustive list, and is ever growing, therefore if you require any advice about what face materials to use for your application then we can advise on the most suitable materials, or customise a construction using our mix and match approach.

• FSC® Certified Papers
• Recycled Papers
• Compostable Films
• Digital Thermal Papers
• Digital Gloss Papers
• Digital Inkjet
• Digital Films
• Digital Metallics
• Textured Papers
• Laid Papers
• Metallised Papers
• Gloss Papers
• Vellum Papers
• White Polypropylene Films
• Clear Polypropylene Films
• Semi-Gloss Papers
• Fluorescent Papers

Release Liners

A release liner, also known as a carrier or backing paper/film, holds onto and carries the adhesive and face material of a pressure sensitive label, until it is ready to be released. These liners always have a release coating, typically silicone, which prevents the adhesive from permanently sticking to the backing, allowing the face material and adhesive to be removed together when the label is applied. Release liners can be used for a variety of requirements, for example:

• Backing paper for high-speed conversions, punching and perforation
• Roll stock applications, and heavier weight for information labelling
• 2-layer self-wound constructions

Are Release Liners Important?

Release liners are very important as these can impact the final quality of labels. For example, various label printers will use high heats during printing which can cause liners to ripple. This reinforces the importance of us understanding the final application, as for instance, in this case we may suggested thicker coated liners which will support how flat materials are during printing.

Want to Learn More?

Our team have over 170 years’ experience manufacturing pressure sensitive label, tickets and tag materials. Speak to our team about your requirements, including your manufacturing processes and final application so we can help you choose the correct self-adhesive label materials to meet your needs.