Among the major market segments, those whom we serve are apparel, textile, data processing, durable goods, consumable food (also includes beverages), health care, industrial and the office product.
The basic label construction consists of four layers: the facestock, adhesive, release coating, and the liner.
The facestock is the uppermost layer of a label construction. This layer is where printing and/or writing is usually done on. When selecting a facestock, one should consider service environments, label comformability, label dispensability, print quality, and durability as key application considerations.
The adhesive is a sticky substance which bonds the label (facestock) with the substrate. Factors influencing selection of an adhesive include application conditions, substrate material type, service environment, and removability.
The release coating is usually a silicone based coating between the liner and the adhesive. It allows the facestock to seperate smoothly from the liner. A smooth and consistent release force are a very critical factors for high speed converting and stripping, as well as for automated label dispensing processes.
The liner is the lowermost layer of a label construction which serves as label carrier for converting, printing and dispensing. It also serves as a base for die-cutting. The liner determines the flatness of the label.
When choosing a label product, always ask yourself these eight questions:
- Do I need a permanent or removable label?
- What is the composition of the substrate which I would apply the label on?
- What is the texture of the surface of the substrate?
- What is the shape of the surface? (Circular, flat, etc.)
- Is the application surface clean or contaminated?
- Is there a possibility of migratory inhabitation of components on the substrate?
- What are the printing/imprinting and converting requirements?
- Are there special environmental factors which should be considered? (e.g. Extreme temperatures, UV exposure, outdoor weathering, sterilization, etc.)