How Well Do your Lebels Stick? Choosing the Right Sticky Labels

So you’ve designed custom labels with eye-catching design. You’ve established a barcode verification system. Now it’s time to put those labels to work—and they’d better stick! Many people forget that adhesive is really the most important feature of a label; without it, design and accuracy no longer matter. It’s critical to choose an adhesive that will work for where your labels have to stick.

Types of Adhesives

Every label adhesive is made from one of three basic materials: rubber, acrylic, or an acrylic blend. Each of these base materials has distinct properties that make it work for specific adhesion applications.

• Rubber-based adhesives stick extremely well to a wide variety of surfaces. However, they have low resistance to heat, and UV, so they aren’t the best choice for labels that may be stored in areas that are exposed to the sun or un-air conditioned. Since rubber-based adhesives are not very resistant to solvents or plasticizers, they are a good choice if the end user will want to remove the label and any residual adhesive.
• Acrylic adhesives offer less “stick” than rubber for some kinds of plastics. However, they are much more resistant to plasticizers, solvents, heat, and UV, making them a durable alternative for applications that require long lasting labels in environments that lack reliable climate control.
• Acrylic blends, sometimes called modified acrylics, offer the highest level of adhesion. They will stick relatively well to virtually any surface. They also offer relatively little resistance to solvents, making them somewhat easy to remove. However, modified acrylic adhesives don’t resist heat or UV very well.

When choosing an adhesive material, it’s important to think about the conditions the label will be exposed to during every step of the way, including shipping, storage, and potential removal. For instance, merchants who sell retail products must consider whether the products will be stored in a warehouse without air conditioning and whether the person who purchases the product will need to remove the label to use the product. It is also critical to know what kind of material the label must adhere to, as different adhesives work best for specific materials.

Adhesive Application

How the adhesive is applied is just as important as the adhesive material itself. Most labels are pressure sensitive, meaning that they stick to the desired surface only with pressure. Three primary techniques are used to create pressure-sensitive adhesive labels.

• Emulsion: The ingredients of the adhesive are emulsified (blended) together in water. The mixture is applied to a web of material. The water dries, leaving only the adhesive behind on the web.
• Solvent: Adhesive ingredients are dissolved in a solvent and applied to a web of material. The process is similar to emulsion; like the water, the solvent dries, leaving the adhesive on the web material.
• Hot melt: Special thermoplastic rubbers are blended with oil, resins, and antioxidants. The mixture is then heated above 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and spread over a web of materials, where it cools.

A truly sticky label goes beyond eye-catching design, using the best adhesive materials and technique for the required application. Choosing the right material and application technique ensure that every label sticks long enough to get the job done.