Logistics & Shipping
Logistics & shipping label materials
Logistics labels are judged on one thing: whether the barcode still scans at the far end. We supply top-coated direct thermal and thermal transfer stock in jumbo rolls and 4×6 formats, engineered for print-and-apply speed, abrasion in transit and adhesion to recycled corrugated.
- 300mm/s
- Print-and-apply speed
- 6mo
- Image life, top-coated DT
- 4×6in
- Standard format
- 48h
- Sample dispatch
What the application demands
The failure modes we design against
- 01
Barcode legibility after handling
A protective topcoat resists the abrasion, plasticiser and moisture that grey out direct thermal images inside a trailer or sorting hub.
- 02
Adhesion to recycled corrugated
Recycled board is dusty and low in surface energy. A high-tack permanent hot-melt grabs the fibre immediately, even below 5 °C in an unheated warehouse.
- 03
Dispensing at line speed
Tight caliper tolerance and a stable glassine liner keep the web tracking straight at high-speed peel-plate dispensing with no label lift.
- 04
Cost per thousand labels
Face and liner combinations are tuned so you can drop basis weight without losing dispensing performance, which lowers freight and cost per label.
Recommended constructions
Facestock, adhesive and liner by application
| Application | Facestock | Adhesive | Liner | Spec sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parcel and carton, ambient | Top-coated direct thermal 80 g | Permanent hot-melt | Glassine 60 g | View → |
| Long-life pallet and asset labels | Thermal transfer vellum 80 g | Permanent hot-melt | Glassine 60 g | View → |
| Cold store and frozen pallet | Top-coated direct thermal 80 g | Freezer-grade acrylic | Glassine 60 g | View → |
| Outdoor yard, weather exposed | White PP film 60 µm | High-performance acrylic | PET 23 µm | View → |
| Tamper-evident seals on cartons | VOID polyester 50 µm | High-tack permanent acrylic | PET 36 µm | View → |
Supply formats for high-volume converters
- Jumbo rolls to 1,600 mm, 3" or 6" cores
- Slit reels cut to your width and core tolerance
- Fanfold and sheeted formats for laser and 4×6 lines
- Lot-level COA with coat weight, release and caliper
Materials used in this sector
Adhesive & liner guide →Converters and distributors can source the recommended constructions as converter-ready label material rolls for slitting, printing and rewinding.
Frequently asked questions
Direct thermal or thermal transfer for shipping labels?
Direct thermal for anything consumed within weeks — no ribbon, lower total cost. Thermal transfer with a wax/resin ribbon when the label must stay legible for months, sees heat or sunlight, or is scanned after long storage.
Will the adhesive hold on recycled corrugated in a cold warehouse?
Our permanent hot-melt has a minimum application temperature of 5 °C on recycled board. Below that, specify the freezer-grade acrylic construction, which applies down to −20 °C.
Do you supply 4×6 inch die-cut labels or only jumbo rolls?
Both. We supply jumbo rolls to 1,600 mm for converters, plus slit reels and 4×6 formats when you need a finished roll on a specified core.
How long will a direct thermal barcode stay scannable?
Top-coated direct thermal holds a scannable image for around six months in ambient indoor storage. Heat, sunlight and plasticiser exposure shorten that; thermal transfer is the answer for multi-year life.
Other application programmes
Quote a logistics programme
Tell us the printer, the substrate and the annual volume. We will send free rolls for a print trial within 48 hours and quote jumbo or slit supply.