Pressure sensitive label material is a part of our everyday life in some way or another. You may have seen it when you made your morning coffee, you could have held it when you cooked soup for lunch, and you might have recycled it after quenching your thirst. Pressure Sensitive Label Materials are everywhere and wrapped around everything, promoting the brands and companies we know and love today.

But what makes a Pressure Sensitive Label stick? While it may seem simple at first glance, Pressure Sensitive Labels consist of five individuals layers:

  • Liner – The backing material (made of paper or plastic film) that is the base for the remaining four layers. This is the part that is thrown away after application.
  • Release Coat – A special coating is then applied to the top surface of the liner in an effort to oppose the sticky adhesive that will be applied in the next layer. Once the product is finished, the release coat will allow the face stock (the main label or brand art) and adhesive to easily peel away from the liner and eventually be applied to a given product.
  • Adhesive – The glue that holds the face stock (the label) to a given products is important and often varies upon a client’s request. The adhesive formula can be constructed to fit the client’s cares and needs through the variables within their requested application: the products material (paper, metal, plastic, etc.), the label application temperature, product storage temperature, product’s surface texture, wet or dry environments, etc.
  • Face Stock – The label material is used to construct the client’s requested brand or image on various materials such as paper, plastic films, foils, fabrics, and laminates. This is the part you see on your shampoo bottle.
  • Top Coat – Lastly, a top coat is laminated on the face stock in an effort to protect the label from abrasions and give it a nice finished look.

Reels of labels are sold, distributed, and easily applied with light pressure on to the products we know and use on a daily basis.