Akin OduwoleI woke up this morning and on my mind was party jollof rice, a delicacy that we are proud of as Nigerians. In fact in the past, many open debates on which country has the best jollof rice has consistently been done. What I look out for is that “bottom pot” burnt taste which makes it unique. What do you think about party jollof? Laugh! It’s a joke, I just wanted to catch your attention, now that it is done let us quickly conclude this discussion on the blind spot in label printing. So far, we have been able to define the importance of printing labels professionally, we have also classified label printing by Technology. Let’s use this edition to define labels by types. 1. Wet-Glue Labels are labels that are not coated until the time of application. Printed paper or film substrates are coated with wet glue on the labelling line prior to application. These labels can be produced also on special substrates like metallised papers or transparent PP. Although wildly used today on beer bottles, it can also be found on pet foods, cleaning products, egg cartons and sauce in the supermarket. Wet-Glue Labels can be laminated, cold-foil stamped, cut or die-cutted to any shape. The major Benefits of wet glue paper labels is that it’s Suitable for high line and extreme labelling speed.
2. Self-Adhesive labels, the construction is made up of three layers; a face material, a pressure sensitive adhesive, and a back liner. These has limitless applications ranging from the food and beverage to oil and gas industry… In short used on variety of products, this is the real benefit. To remove the bottle neck of applying the labels manually those in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumable Goods) sector have invested in their own label applicators, so today they demand their labels in rolls. Inkjet and toner based entry level machines are available in the market to help build volume. 3. PVC shrink label, shrink sleeve label, or simply shrink wrap labels are used mainly on PET bottles. It has become a style or trend for that sector. The labels are shrunk to the container by applying heat after printing has been done. 4. Linerless Label is the new hype in the label industry, self-adhesive label has a backliner that is peeled off to expose the glue, but with linerless silicon coated label adhere to themselves (usually used as tapes in wrapping boxes and packages). You’ll need a special printer that smoothly rolls linerless labels over a silicone roller if you are to print this type of labels It is important to note that one technology cannot serve all the label types. For instance, output from an inkjet label printer cannot go on a product that will end up in the freezer for months unless they are Water shield inks which are significantly more resistant to the effects of prolonged moisture exposure, so for applications like chilled beverages, foods, chemical or beauty products that will be exposed to moisture or in similar manner, when printing food or any labels on products that will touch the mouth, you will need food and drug administration (FDA) approved ink. Time won’t permit to talk about wine labels, printed specially on texture paper, or printed clothing label which is now a preferred option to woven labels. But the next time you are confronted with printing a label, take a deep breath and think about the best suited technology. This is how professionals roll! Thanks you for your time. Thoughts from: Akin Oduwole CE @ Technology Global
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