Choosing the right label for your products is crucial to ensuring they not only look great but also endure the demands of real life. Your labels are often the first thing customers notice, playing a key role in conveying quality and professionalism. A thoughtfully selected label can withstand temperature changes, moisture, and chemicals, keeping your products looking their best. Additionally, labels provide essential information like safety warnings, usage instructions, and barcodes, helping your customers connect with your brand. To simplify this process, here are five helpful tips for selecting the perfect label for your application.

1. Label Material Selection
Selecting the right material for your labels is essential, as it significantly impacts performance across various applications. At EMP Labels, we recognize that different types of paper and synthetic materials come with varying adhesive strengths and resistances, affecting their durability in different environments. It’s not just about choosing between paper or plastic—each material has its unique strengths. For example, while a paper label might look fantastic on a box indoors, a synthetic option may be better suited for items exposed to moisture or rough handling. We recommend testing material samples in your specific real-world environment to ensure your labels perform beautifully, regardless of the challenges they face.
 
2. Understanding the Environment
The environment where your Pressure Sensitive Labels (PSLs) will be applied plays a significant role in their performance. Factors such as temperature, humidity, and surface texture can greatly influence adhesive effectiveness. For instance, extreme heat or cold may compromise how well the adhesive sticks, while high humidity can weaken it over time. A smooth, clean surface is generally ideal for better adhesion, but many applications encounter rough or oily surfaces, which can pose challenges.
Our team at EMP Labels is here to help you navigate these environmental considerations. Whether you’re labeling a bottle, a drum, or a high-pressure gas cylinder, we can recommend the right adhesive tailored to your specific application. If you’re working with items that will be stored in cold environments, like food and beverages in refrigeration, we ensure you have an adhesive designed to withstand those temperatures without peeling or bubbling. By addressing these environmental factors, we help ensure that your PSLs perform reliably, regardless of the conditions they encounter.

3. Adhesive Selection
If you’ve ever had a label fall off or struggled with a temporary label that just won’t let go, you know the importance of choosing the right adhesive. Different applications require different adhesives—some need a permanent bond, while others should peel off easily without leaving residue.
We assist you in selecting an adhesive that aligns with both the material you’re labeling and the environment it will encounter. This ensures that your label remains secure until you decide to remove it, at which point it will come off cleanly. The adhesive type is crucial for label success, as it directly impacts how well a label stays attached. Different surfaces and conditions demand different adhesives; for example, a label on a glass bottle may require a different adhesive than one for cardboard or plastic. Environmental factors, such as temperature extremes and moisture exposure, also affect adhesive effectiveness. For temporary labels, it’s important to choose adhesives that peel off cleanly, while permanent labels require robust adhesion to last throughout the product’s lifecycle. Selecting the right adhesive is vital for maintaining label appearance, legibility, and customer satisfaction.

4. Print Quality and Accuracy
Exceptional print quality and legibility are essential to ensure your labels catch the eye and effectively convey vital information, such as ingredients, usage instructions, and compliance details.
High-quality labels play a significant role in customer perception. Poor print quality can result in unreadable text or faded graphics, frustrating customers and potentially jeopardizing safety. Investing in high-quality printing technology—like advanced, servo-driven presses—is crucial for achieving perfectly aligned, vibrant labels. EMP Labels offers this solution.
Additionally, implementing automated inspection systems helps guarantee accuracy, ensuring every label meets high standards before reaching your products. By prioritizing label quality and accuracy, you enhance the overall presentation of your products and build trust with your customers, making it a key step in your branding strategy.

5. Application Process
Understanding how your labels will be applied—whether by hand or through high-speed automation—is vital for achieving an efficient application process. At EMP Labels, we can adapt label specifications to match your application method. For instance, we can add perforations between labels for hand applications, making them easier to handle on rolls. We’re committed to finding solutions that streamline your process and enhance your experience with our labels.

Need Help Finding the Perfect Label?
Our team at EMP Labels is here to assist you with guidance on label materials, adhesives, and application options to ensure your labels look great and stay securely in place.

If you answered yes, it may be time to ask your label supplier some questions about the liner they’re currently using on your roll labels. There are various factors that can lead to in-line labeling issues, and defective liners are one of them. While there are many types of liners on the market, three main types are most commonly used in the Narrow Web Label Converting Industry:

1. SCK (Super Calendered Kraft)
2. Glassine
3. PET or other poly materials with different mil thicknesses 

Each of these liners has its pros and cons and varies in price. SCK liners are the most economical and are widely used.
 
Common Scenario
You’re running a high-speed bottling line when suddenly, the liner tears, halting your production! You stop the line, reload the labels, and hope that fixes it. But if the issue persists, you’re facing the dreaded “liner tear.” Today, I want to focus on the classic “V”-type tearing (insert image here), a common problem with SCK liners, which are particularly prone to this issue.

During the manufacturing of an SCK liner, pulp and fillers like clay and other minerals are compressed between hard steel and soft cotton rollers to achieve a smooth, glossy paper finish. This finish allows the liner to be coated with a silicone release agent. However, during the silicone coating process, occasional “voids” may appear on the liner’s surface. These voids enable adhesive to bleed into the liner fibers, potentially causing the label stock to stick or tear during the in-line label application process. Unfortunately, label converters have limited means to detect these voids other than spot-checking via peel tests on finished rolls—but this is no guarantee.
 
Solution:
If you’re running a high-speed label applicator, consider testing a poly (PET) liner from your label supplier. Testing is recommended, as there are many variables involved. Why PET? PET offers more consistent performance at higher application speeds and reduces web breaks due to its higher tensile strength compared to paper liners. Additionally, PET liners allow you to fit more labels on a roll since they are typically thinner than paper liners.
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If you have questions about choosing the best liner option for your label application, feel free to reach out.