What’s in a Label?
The world of labeling offers a wealth of options ranging from various substrates, finishes, shapes, sizes, and more. So, how do you ensure the material you choose is the best option for your labeling needs?
The world of labeling offers a wealth of options ranging from various substrates, finishes, shapes, sizes, and more. So, how do you ensure the material you choose is the best option for your labeling needs?
For starters, you want a material that’s suitable for your application – if you’re looking for superior durability, resistance to certain elements, or extra-strength adhesion, you want to find a material that meets these specific needs and, has been properly tested and qualified to meet these expectations.
Labeling Testing and Standards
A quick overview of the label testing process and all it should entail when looking at quality assured labels:
1. Peel Adhesion — Using an Adhesion/Release Tester, the Peel Adhesion test is used to measure the ability of the adhesive to stick to a variety of substrates including stainless steel, glass, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene, polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and corrugated cardboard.
2. Taber Abrasion — The Taber Abrasion test is used to determine the amount of a printed image removed due to abrasive forces applied directly to the surface.
3. Chemical Resistance — Chemical Resistance testing is done to test both the chemical resistance of a material and chemical resistance of an ink/toner/thermal transfer ribbon. The standard chemicals tested include water, Formula 409, WD-40, non-acetone nail polish remover, and isopropyl alcohol. To report results, the number of strokes the material can handle before failure is counted. This number is recorded and compared to the acceptable limit based on the intended application/end-use for the material.
4. Environmental UV Chambers — Environmental chambers allow for temperature and relative humidity to be set, for various liquids to be sprayed onto the label surface in regular intervals, and for varying amounts and types of UV light to come in contact with the label surface, ultimately simulating various storage and real-life conditions and ensuring the highest quality end product.
5.UV Fade — The UV Fade test measures the colorfastness of a material or ink/coating to light. Samples are exposed to continuous light and removed after 100, 500, and 1000 hours. When all samples have completed the testing process, delta E’s are measured between the control and each sample.
Experts in Label Development
Still feel overwhelmed with the library of options available to you? Not sure where to start or which material is truly the best fit for your labeling needs?
At Jiamei Labels, we work with you to recommend the materials best suited for your product and are happy to source and test new raw materials to meet all your end-use requirements.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation and receive printed samples of your labels.