The selection of self-adhesive materials involves considering various factors based on the application scenario, surface material characteristics, and printing requirements. For product labels, materials like cellophane and PET are chosen for their transparency and chemical resistance. Logistics labels require wear-resistant materials such as polyolefin or kraft paper. Asset tags need durable materials like metallized polyester for long-term readability. Surface material characteristics include transparency, glossiness, and pliability, which affect the appearance and functionality of the label. Printing requirements involve ink adhesion and compatibility with different printing modes like letterpress, flexographic, and screen printing. Choosing the right material ensures the label's effectiveness and quality.
The choice of self-adhesive material needs to consider a number of factors, the following are some key points:
1. Select according to the application scenario
Product label
If it is used for the outer packaging label of the product, such as food, cosmetics, daily necessities, etc., it is necessary to consider the aesthetics and printing adaptability of the surface material.
For food labels, materials that meet food safety standards, such as cellophane (PT), are generally selected. Cellophane has good transparency, can clearly display the product content, and its adhesion to the ink is better, the printed pattern and text are clear and bright.
Cosmetic labels can use polyester (PET) materials. PET surfaces have excellent chemical resistance and can resist the erosion of oils, spices and other ingredients in cosmetics. At the same time, its surface is smooth, can present a high-quality printing effect, enhance the brand image.
Logistics label
Logistics labels need to have good wear resistance and scratch resistance. Polyolefin (PO) materials are a good choice. Its strength is high, and the label is not easy to be scratched or damaged during logistics transportation. Moreover, PO material has strong adaptability to the environment, and can maintain good viscosity and stability under different temperature and humidity conditions.
For some logistics file labels that need to be stored for a long time, you can also consider using kraft paper as a surface material. Kraft paper has good durability and can withstand long-term storage and flipping.
Asset tag
Such as equipment labels, fixed asset labels, etc., need to consider the durability of the label and the long-term readability of the information. Metallized polyester (Mylar) surfaces are a good choice. It has excellent tear resistance and weather resistance, and can be used for a long time in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments.
For example, on outdoor power equipment labels, Mylar cladding can resist UV radiation, rain wash and other harsh conditions, ensuring that equipment numbers, maintenance information and more are clearly visible.
2. Consider the characteristics of the surface material
Transparency
Transparent surface materials such as transparent PVC, transparent PET, etc., are suitable for situations where the appearance of the paste itself needs to be displayed. For example, in the label on the transparent plastic container, the use of transparent surface material can make the label integrated with the container, while clearly seeing the product inside the container. The price of transparent PVC is relatively low, but the chemical resistance is not as good as transparent PET.
Glossiness
High gloss surface materials, such as high-gloss paper, bright PET, etc., can make the label color more bright, suitable for product labels that need to attract consumer attention, such as high-end gifts, electronic products, etc. High gloss paper feels soft, suitable for printing beautiful patterns; Bright-faced PET is tougher and has better scratch resistance.
The low-gloss surface material, such as matte paper, matte PET, etc., gives a low-key, high-end feeling, often used in some products that focus on texture, such as wine bottle labels, high-end cosmetics. Frosted PET also has a certain anti-slip effect, and it is also suitable for some product labels that require hand-held operation.
Pliability
For the labeling of curved or irregularly shaped objects, it is necessary to choose a surface material with good flexibility. For example, PE (polyethylene) surface material has good flexibility and can fit well on the surface of curved bottles, circular pipes and other objects. Its elasticity also makes the label less likely to wrinkle or fall off after attaching.
3. Combine printing requirements
Ink adhesion
Different surface materials have different adhesion ability to ink. For example, the surface of coated paper is specially treated, has a strong affinity for ink, and can achieve high-quality printing effects, such as four-color printing, spot color printing, etc., which is suitable for labels that need to print complex patterns and rich colors, such as brand promotion labels, product description labels, etc.
Some plastic surface materials, such as PP (polypropylene), may require surface pretreatment, such as corona treatment, to improve ink adhesion to ensure printing quality.
Printing mode compatibility
If the use of letterpress printing, the applicability of paper surface material is wider, such as writing paper, cardboard and so on. Letterpress printing can clearly print text and patterns on the paper surface, and the printing effect can be adjusted by choosing different paper thicknesses.
For flexographic printing, plastic surface and paper surface can be, but it is necessary to pay attention to the elasticity of the surface and the absorption of ink. For example, in flexographic printing, the drying speed of water-based inks on different surfaces will be different, like PET surfaces drying speed is relatively fast, and some paper with strong water absorption drying speed may be slower.
Screen printing on the opposite side of the flatness requirements are higher, glass, metal and other flat materials and some thick cardboard is more suitable for screen printing, you can print a thick, textural pattern.
