Label Materials - Labelservice

Materials

At the heart of your label.

Choosing the right substrate can be vital to the look and feel of your product which is why we obsess over our materials.

The following is a brief summary of the main types of face materials and adhesives that are used in the label industry. Should you require a full written technical specification of a particular product please contact us at any time.

Get in Touch

Face Materials

Paper

Less expensive than film, paper provides limited resistance to moisture, temperature, and chemicals. A wide range of label stock paper grades and weights is available to meet a variety of application requirements. Auto ID paper applications are generally for short-term, indoor use and carton or pallet labelling.

Get in Touch

Polypropylene (PP)

Excellent substitute for vinyl labels. Hard and rigid to the touch. Stretches in only one direction. More rigid than Polyethylene. Good tear and UV resistance. Recommended for applications requiring a higher degree of durability than a paper label. Designed for 6 months outdoor use and harsh environmental applications or where tensile strength is needed. Withstands up to 180 degrees. Has reasonable resistance to most solvents and is moisture resistant. Popular Applications include shelf / bin labels, warehouse rack labels, drum labelling, laboratory labelling, food packaging and low-cost rating plates. Resistant to blood, oil and alcohol. Better than PE for Print & Apply applications.

Get in Touch

Polyethylene

Slightly softer than PP with moderate stiffness. Breathable. Stretches in all directions but will tear quite easily. Designed for 6 months outdoor use. Withstands up to 180 degrees. It is slightly softer and more conforming than polypropylene and generally well suited for applications where paper is not acceptable due to moisture. Useful for labelling products that expand and contract. Popular applications include recyclable shrink wrap labels, garment label bin markings, shelf edge labels and warehouse rack labels.

Get in Touch

Polyester (PET)

Gloss or matt finish. Usually white, silver or clear but now available in a wide range of colours. Highly print receptive. These tough, high-performance films provide excellent outdoor durability, chemical resistance, and heat resistance in a wide range of applications. Polyester has excellent dimensional stability and high tensile strength. Polyester is usually matched with high-performance resin ribbons for a finished label that is highly durable. Normally last outdoors for more than 2 years and resist temperatures up to 300 degrees. Popular applications include UL/CSA recognised nameplates, rating plates and fixed asset identification. Withstands solvents whilst maintaining excellent image quality.

Get in Touch

Vinyl

Vinyl is available as cast or calendered materials in clear, coloured, black or white, matt or gloss facestocks. Most grades have a thickness of 85 to 100 microns, but may be much thicker for long life and/or exterior applications. These include point-of-sale material, outdoor promotional and warning signs, vehicle and fleet markings. Vinyl films have a high tear resistance and are perfect for end use situations where a high level of chemical and abrasion resistance is required.

Get in Touch

Tamper-Evident

Tamper-Evident Vinyl is manufactured using white, ultra-thin, brittle pvc with an extra-strong acrylic adhesive. When any attempt is made to remove these labels, they break up into tiny pieces. These labels cannot be removed in one piece. Weather and heat resistant, they can be used indoors or outside. VOID Polyester has a top coated matt silver finish. Labels leave a message on surfaces to which they are applied which becomes visible when the label is removed. Labels cannot be re-applied.

Get in Touch

Kapton®

Du Pont trade name for Polyimide. A very tough material in white or gold. Flame and radiation resistant. It provides the highest level of performance to meet the most challenging applications. Offers extremely high temperature and chemical resistance and superior tensile strength and tear resistance. Both Kapton and the lower-spec Polyetherimide, when used with the right topcoat/ribbon combination, are unaffected by the processes used in printed circuit board production.

Get in Touch