Self-Adhesive Labels: A technical guide for label converters and brand owners

As recently as 1970 self-adhesive made up less than ten per cent of total label usage in Europe and the US, with label markets dominated by wet-glue applied and gummed paper labels. Since then self-adhesive labels have experienced consistent and rapid growth worldwide of between 4-7 per year – generally keeping 1-2 percentage points above GDP growth – to become the dominant label technology. Key to this growth has been the flexibility of the self-adhesive label format, with end users able to specify bespoke constructions using a vast range of different materials, top coatings, adhesives and liners. This has allowed end users to meet the challenges of labeling products and containers even in the harshest environments from deep freezers to chemical drums on oil rigs, and from automobile and aerospace to the FMCG retail shelf. This Label Academy book aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to self-adhesive/pressure-sensitive label technology, materials and end use applications. It looks in detail at each element which makes up the self-adhesive laminate: the release liner and its thin coating of silicone; the pressure-sensitive adhesive; the various types of paper and film label face materials available; and the process by which these elements are brought together into the laminate delivered to the label converter. Chapters include: Introduction to the self-adhesive label market Self-adhesive laminates and their manufacture Silicone release liner technology Pressure-sensitive adhesive technologies Paper face materials Filmic face materials Identification and characteristics of PS label materials Test methods for pressure-sensitive labels Managing a self-adhesive label inventory