Label Material Glossary
Plain-English definitions of self-adhesive label material terms: facestock, adhesive, release liner, BOPP, glassine, GSM and more.
A
- AdhesiveConstruction
- The pressure-sensitive layer coated between the facestock and the liner. It bonds on contact with light pressure, with no water, heat or solvent needed. Chemistry (acrylic, hotmelt rubber, silicone) decides tack, service temperature and chemical resistance. Adhesives & release liners →Read the full definition →
- Anti-counterfeit labelConstruction
- A label built to make copying or undetected removal impractical — holography, destructible facestock, VOID tamper-evidence, UV/IR taggants or serialised codes, usually combined in one construction. Anti-counterfeit materials →Read the full definition →
B
- Basis weightFacestock
- The weight of one square metre of paper facestock or liner in grams. Typical label papers run 60–90 gsm; glassine liners 60–65 gsm. Higher basis weight generally means more stiffness and better dispensing, but fewer metres per roll.Read the full definition →
- BOPPFacestock
- A polypropylene film stretched in both directions for strength and clarity. Supplied clear (no-label look), white or metallised. Water resistant, tear resistant and the default film face for beverage, personal care and household chemical labels. Clear BOPP →Read the full definition →
C
- CaliperConstruction
- The thickness of a facestock, liner or complete laminate, measured in microns (µm) or mils. Caliper drives die-cutting settings, dispensing speed and how many labels fit on a roll.Read the full definition →
- Cast coated paperFacestock
- Paper dried against a polished chrome cylinder to produce a very high natural gloss without lamination. Used for premium high-gloss labels where a mirror finish is wanted straight off the press. High-gloss cast coated →Read the full definition →
- Cold-chain labelConstruction
- A label construction validated for chilled or deep-freeze service. Requires an adhesive that either applies at low temperature or bonds at ambient and holds down to −40 °C without lifting on condensation. Freezer & cold-chain →Read the full definition →
- ConverterSupply
- The printer that buys jumbo or slit label stock, then prints, die-cuts, matrix-strips and rewinds it into finished label rolls for a brand owner or end user.Read the full definition →
- CoreSupply
- The cardboard or plastic tube a roll is wound on, specified by inside diameter — typically 3" (76 mm) for converting rolls and 6" (152 mm) for jumbos, with 1" and 1.5" cores for desktop printer rolls.Read the full definition →
D
- Destructible vinylFacestock
- An ultra-brittle facestock that fragments when peeled, so a security or warranty seal cannot be removed intact and reapplied elsewhere. Destructible eggshell →Read the full definition →
- Die-cuttingPrinting
- Cutting the facestock and adhesive to the label shape without cutting the liner. Correct cut depth depends on face and liner caliper; too deep strikes the liner and causes web breaks on the applicator.Read the full definition →
- Direct thermalPrinting
- Printing by heating a thermally reactive coating on the facestock — no ribbon. Cheap and simple, but images fade under heat, UV, oil and plasticisers, so it suits shipping and short-life labels. Direct thermal paper →Read the full definition →
- Dyne levelTesting
- A measure of a substrate's surface energy in mN/m. Low-energy plastics such as PP and PE (around 29–34 dyne) need a high-tack or specially formulated adhesive; glass and metal are high-energy and bond easily.Read the full definition →
F
- FacestockConstruction
- The printable top layer of the laminate — paper, film or synthetic. It carries the graphics and determines look, conformability, durability and print compatibility. All facestocks →Read the full definition →
- FlexographyPrinting
- Rotary printing from flexible photopolymer plates using UV or water-based inks. The dominant process for long label runs because of low unit cost and inline die-cutting.Read the full definition →
- FSC certifiedSustainability
- Paper made from fibre traced through a Forest Stewardship Council chain of custody. Required by many European retailers; supplied with an FSC claim on the invoice and delivery note. FSC paper →Read the full definition →
G
- GlassineLiner
- A dense, supercalendered paper liner coated with silicone. The standard 60–65 gsm release liner: cost effective, dimensionally reasonable and suitable for high-speed dispensing.Read the full definition →
H
- Holographic filmFacestock
- A metallised film embossed with a diffraction pattern that shifts colour with viewing angle. Used as a brand-protection and shelf-appeal feature that is difficult to reproduce. Holographic materials →Read the full definition →
- Hotmelt adhesiveAdhesive
- A rubber-based adhesive coated hot with no solvent or water. Gives very high initial tack on cartons, textured board and plastics, but softens above roughly 60 °C and yellows under long UV exposure.Read the full definition →
J
- Jumbo rollSupply
- The full-width master roll as coated, typically up to 1,600 mm wide on a 6" core. Converters buy jumbos and slit them in house; smaller printers buy pre-slit reels.Read the full definition →
K
- Kraft paperFacestock
- Unbleached brown paper with a natural, fibrous look. Popular for artisan food, coffee and organic cosmetics branding; also used as a heavier-duty liner. Kraft paper labels →Read the full definition →
L
- LaminationPrinting
- A clear film applied over the printed label for scuff, moisture, chemical or UV protection. Adds cost and caliper, but is often cheaper than moving to a fully synthetic facestock.Read the full definition →
- Linerless labelConstruction
- A construction with no release liner: the adhesive side is protected by a silicone topcoat on the face. Removes liner waste and puts more labels on each roll. Linerless materials →Read the full definition →
- Loop tackTesting
- A test of instant grab: a loop of label material is touched to a test panel with no pressure and pulled away. High loop tack matters for fast applicators and difficult, curved or textured surfaces.Read the full definition →
M
- MatrixPrinting
- The waste web of facestock and adhesive stripped away after die-cutting, leaving the labels on the liner. Poor matrix stripping is usually a cut-depth or adhesive-cold-flow problem.Read the full definition →
- Matte woodfreeFacestock
- An uncoated or lightly coated matte paper with a premium tactile feel. Widely used for wine, spirits and cosmetics labels, often with hot foil or embossing. Matte woodfree paper →Read the full definition →
- Metallised paperFacestock
- Paper with a vacuum-deposited aluminium layer that gives a bright silver or gold finish at lower cost than foil film. Standard for beer, wine and spirits labelling. Metallised paper →Read the full definition →
- MOQSupply
- The smallest volume a supplier will produce for a given construction. Stock constructions carry low MOQs; custom coatings and colours require a full coating run.Read the full definition →
N
- No-label lookFacestock
- A clear film label with a clear adhesive that appears to disappear on a transparent container. Needs bubble-free application and a clean, dry surface.Read the full definition →
P
- PCR contentSustainability
- The share of a facestock or liner made from material recovered after consumer use. Increasingly specified by brand owners for packaging reduction targets. rPET / PCR facestock →Read the full definition →
- PE filmFacestock
- A soft, highly conformable film that squeezes and recovers with the container. The standard face for squeeze tubes and flexible bottles where a stiff film would lift. PE film →Read the full definition →
- Peel adhesionTesting
- The force required to peel a label from a standard panel at 180°, reported in N/25 mm after 20 minutes and 24 hours. The 24-hour figure shows the adhesive's ultimate bond after wet-out.Read the full definition →
- Permanent adhesiveAdhesive
- An adhesive that builds a bond strong enough that the label cannot be removed cleanly. Most product labelling uses permanent acrylic for its clarity, ageing and chemical resistance.Read the full definition →
- PET filmFacestock
- A stiff, dimensionally stable film with excellent heat, solvent and abrasion resistance. Used for durable asset, chemical drum, electronics and rating-plate labels. PET film →Read the full definition →
- PP synthetic paperFacestock
- A filled, opaque polypropylene film that prints and feels like paper but is tear-proof and waterproof. A cost-effective durable face for outdoor, garden and chemical labels. PP synthetic paper →Read the full definition →
- Pressure-sensitiveConstruction
- The label family that bonds under light finger pressure alone. The laminate is always the same three layers: facestock, adhesive and release liner.Read the full definition →
- PVC / vinylFacestock
- A soft, highly conformable film with strong outdoor durability, used for drum, vehicle and equipment marking. Contains plasticisers, so the adhesive must be plasticiser resistant. PVC / vinyl film →Read the full definition →
R
- Release linerLiner
- The silicone-coated carrier that protects the adhesive and lets labels dispense. Paper (glassine, kraft) or film (PET, PP); the choice drives die-cutting precision and dispensing speed. Release liners →Read the full definition →
- Release valueLiner
- The force needed to separate the label from the liner, in cN/50 mm. Too low and labels fall off in transit; too high and the applicator tears the web or misfeeds.Read the full definition →
- Removable adhesiveAdhesive
- An adhesive with controlled, low ultimate bond so the label peels off cleanly within a stated period. Used for promotions, returnable containers and temporary marking.Read the full definition →
- RepulpableSustainability
- A construction whose adhesive disperses in the paper recycling process instead of forming sticky contaminants, allowing labelled paper packaging to be recycled. Recycling-compatible materials →Read the full definition →
S
- Semi-gloss paperFacestock
- A coated paper with a mid-level sheen. The everyday workhorse facestock for logistics, retail and general product labels, and the standard face for thermal transfer printing. Semi-gloss paper →Read the full definition →
- Shear resistanceTesting
- How long an adhesive holds a static load without sliding, measured in hours. High shear means low cold flow and clean die-cutting; low shear means adhesive ooze at the label edge.Read the full definition →
- SlittingSupply
- Cutting a jumbo roll down to the working widths a press or applicator needs, with defined roll lengths, core sizes and edge quality.Read the full definition →
T
- Thermal transferPrinting
- Printing by melting a wax, wax/resin or resin ribbon onto the facestock. Produces durable, scan-stable barcodes suited to long-life logistics, chemical and asset labels. Thermal transfer paper →Read the full definition →
- TopcoatFacestock
- A thin surface treatment on the facestock that anchors ink or thermal images. Digital presses, UV inkjet and HP Indigo each require a matched topcoat, so always specify the press.Read the full definition →
V
- VOID tamper-evidentConstruction
- A film that leaves a permanent "VOID" or honeycomb pattern on the substrate when the label is lifted, giving visible evidence of opening. Tamper-evident VOID →Read the full definition →
W
- Wash-off adhesiveAdhesive
- An adhesive designed to release cleanly in a caustic wash — typically 1–2% NaOH at 80 °C — so PET bottles and returnable glass can be recycled or refilled without label residue. Wash-off adhesive →Read the full definition →
- Wet-outAdhesive
- The flow of adhesive into the microscopic texture of a surface after application. Bond strength keeps building for up to 24 hours, which is why bond tests should be read at 24 hours, not immediately.Read the full definition →
- Wet-strength paperFacestock
- Paper treated with a resin so it keeps its strength when soaked. Essential for beer and beverage labels on chilled bottles standing in ice water.Read the full definition →
Request a quote or a free sample
Send us your facestock, adhesive, liner and roll specification. Low MOQ, OEM/ODM, export to 60+ countries.