Label Adhesives: One Glue To Bond Them All?

There is a complex layer of chemistry underneath your label: a “one adhesive to stick them all” approach just does not work…
 

…but we can tailor the chemistry for your specific application!

Typically, self-adhesive labels are manufactured with one – or a combination of – five different types of adhesives, selected for their adhesive properties when used in combination with a range of label substrate materials, labelled product surfaces, label environments and specific label use-cases.

Although it’s near impossible to beat a quick and impartial consultation with our friendly sales experts, we will run through some of the main adhesive types, materials and environments below

Freezer label adhesive is chosen when labels have to stick at low temperatures, including sub-zero environments, without cracking or peeling. As the label and labelled product heats up, the freezer adhesive relaxes and it is possible to remove or reposition the label.

Permanent label adhesive is used on labels that expect to have a long-stick life; permanently applied to the labelled product. Permanent adhesives can usually only be removed using a solvent, and when the solvent is applied to the permanent self-adhesive label, the label is often compromised. However, permanent adhesive is the least expensive of all label adhesives.

Peel-able label adhesive is a good choice for labels that have a short-stick life; the peel-able labels can easily be removed from the labelled product surface; the peel-able label adhesive remains attached to the label substrate. Peel-able adhesives usually afford a peel-able label to be re-applied to a new surface, although some ultra-peel-able adhesive labels

Acrylic adhesive is a hard bonding adhesive and is used for more permanent label applications. Due to the hard bond of acrylic adhesive, acrylic self-adhesive labels can withstand warm, cold and wet environments; making acrylic adhesive a great choice for long-lasting outdoor applications, such as bumper stickers or signage.

Rubber adhesive is a hot melt type soft adhesive, which when pressure is applied, allows for the adhesive label to bond with a range of rough surfaces, including recycled and corrugated cardboards. Despite the adhesive bleed, rubber adhesive is great for indoor use and for temporary application, as there is no adhesive residue left on the surface when the label is removed. Direct sunlight or warmer climates may cause the label to detach, so use only in climate controlled environments.

Acrylic blend adhesive is a blend between rubber and acrylic adhesives, for self-adhesive labels that are more robust than rubber-adhesive labels, but not as permanent as acrylic-adhesive labels; they can be used outdoors, but may not withstand direct sunlight or extreme climates for a long time. This is a great choice for any self-adhesive labels that should be semi-permanent but easily removed without lasting surface adhesive residue. Acrylic blend adhesive is typically used for barcodes labels.