How to read a label material datasheet (TDS)

The facestock block

Caliper (µm) and basis weight (g/m²) together tell you stiffness and yield. Opacity matters on transparent containers; gloss and whiteness matter for brand colour matching. If a topcoat is listed, check which print processes it is qualified for.

The adhesive block

Look for four numbers and their conditions: loop tack (instant grab), peel adhesion at 20 minutes and 24 hours (bond build), shear (resistance to cold flow), and the minimum application plus service temperature range.

• —Loop tack — predicts behaviour on fast applicators and curved surfaces.
• —Peel 20 min vs 24 h — the gap shows how much bond is still building.
• —Shear — low shear means adhesive ooze and dirty die-cutting.
• —Minimum application temperature — the line condition, not the storage condition.

The liner block

Liner caliper and type set die-cutting precision and dispensing speed; release value in cN/50 mm tells you whether labels will strip cleanly on your applicator. Film liners cost more but give tighter tolerances and better performance in humid plants.

Once constructions and test conditions match, compare label stock quote units on the same currency-per-square-meter basis; a unit conversion cannot make different constructions equivalent.

What a datasheet cannot tell you

No TDS accounts for your container geometry, line speed, applicator tension or the residue left by your cleaning process. Treat published figures as a shortlist and confirm with samples on the real pack.

Frequently asked questions

Why do two suppliers quote very different peel values for the same grade?

Almost always different test panels or dwell times. Ask for the substrate, dwell and temperature alongside every peel figure.

Where can I download your datasheets?

Every product page has a Download PDF button for that material's TDS, and the datasheet centre lists all of them in one place.