Archive for the ‘Flexo Labels’ Category

What is a “Corner Radius”? Do I need one?

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

 

 ”Corner Radius”(CR) describes how rounded the corners are on a rectangular die-cut.  The term “corner radius” refers to the radius of the circle created by extended the corner arc to form a complete circle.

What is an RCR?

Rounded Corner Rectangle.  Describes a rectangle with a corner radius greater than 0.0 (the radius of a square corner).   

Why Do Labels Have a Corner Radius?

1)       The need for high speed automatic label application led to Pressure Sensitive Labels - labels with adhesive already on them adhered to a carrier liner.  The liner is pulled across a sharp edge, causing the label to dispense onto the container.  A square cornered label does not release as easily from a PS liner - thus corner radius is used to help ease automatic application. 

2)      Graphic Designers will often choose rounded corners or square corners to enhance a design concept.  For example, many wine labels have square corners to evoke the look of old-school cut and glue labels.  Other designers use large radius rounded corners to differentiate their products on the shelf against traditional 1/8″ corner radius labels.

 How do I measure the Corner Radius of a label?corner-radius1

Click the thumbnail on the right to open a full page Corner Radius Chart.  Print the page and hold the label against the corner radius examples until you find a match.

   What Corner Radius should I use?

This is a matter of preference.  The packaging industry standard is 1/8″ corner radius.  This size radius is not unsightly, but allows ease of manufacturing and application.  For customers desiring “square corners” we often recommend 1/64″ (0.015625″) as the smallest CR we can consistently convert.  For machine application projects Custom Label recommends consulting your production team or contract packager before purchasing labels with less than a 1/8″ CR. 

 

 

 

What is a “Pressure Sensitive Label” ?

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

rotary-loop-applicatorConventional wisdom indicates that during recessionary periods, new businesses appear at a higher rate. Terminated employees strike out on their own, determined to take control of their future. For many an entrepreneur, they are in un-chartered waters. Custom Label works daily with these heroes of industry. We are often contacted with the generic question “I’ve got a bottle and I need to put a label on it!”. Just this week I was contacted by a start-up, and the owner said “my bottler told me I need a pressure-sensitive label, whatever that is!” In this blog entry I will answer that question, and help you understand how we ended up with this product called “pressure-sensitive”.

Early Labels:
For thousands of years mankind has placed identification on containers. As modern-day printing was developed it wasn’t long before a “gummed” label was marketed. As early as the beginning of the 19th century printing presses were used to manufacture paper labels. A gum adhesive was placed on the back and dried. It could be re-wet and applied to a product. In the 1840’s, for example, “self-adhesive” stamps exploded in popularity! While they were a novelty item then, their basic construction is not far from the “lick and apply” gummed stamps from a couple decades ago.

Automatic Application: Glue-Applied
With the industrial revolution manufacturing plants sought ways to automate their production lines. Hand-applying labels was too slow to keep up. To increase output, machines were invented that could apply glue to a label and then stick it to the product. For 50 years this basic technology developed into a high-speed method for applying a non-adhesive paper label to a package. Soup cans are an example of a “Glue-applied’ or “cut and stack” label. Glue-applied labels are very inexpensive, but the application process is unreliable, has low accuracy, and significant maintenance costs.

Pressure-sensitive (PS) Labeling is born:
Seeking an alternative to glue-applied labels, many sought a self-contained label solution that did not require a glue to be applied. In 1935 Stanton Avery began manufacturing self-adhesive labels. These materials had adhesive coated on the back of the label, and could be delivered on a release-coated liner. The liner was pulled around a metal “peeler tip”, causing the labels to shoot off the applicator. If placed close to the container (as it passed by on a conveyor) the label could be accurately adhered onto the product.

PS Labeling Today:
While nearly every aspect of package labeling has changed in the past 75 years the basic concept remains the same. As a printer we purchase material from suppliers who pre-coat the adhesive and create the PS “sandwich”. The material we receive has 5 layers:

  1. Ink-receptive Coating
  2. Label Substrate
  3. Adhesive
  4. Silicone Release Agent
  5. Liner

Here is a graphic showing how a Pressure Sensitive Label is dispensed:

labelhead1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So do you need a pressure-sensitive label? If you are hand-applying your labels a PS label give the highest quality and aesthetics for your package. For automatic-application, your contract packager or manufacturing plant can tell you if they will be using pressure-sensitive label applicators. Or give us a call at Custom Label and we can help you figure out whether pressure-sensitive is right for you!

Choosing the Right Adhesive

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Do you get frustrated when someone answers a question, by asking a question? Well, then, you may find choosing the correct label adhesive a little frustrating! When engineering a label specification one of the most important decisions is which label adhesive to use. There are more than a hundred different label adhesives available. Choosing the wrong adhesive can lead to poor application (lowering production efficiency), re-work / waste, and poor package aesthetics. Often, the end consumer is affected if the label adhesive fails after retail. Worst case a product recall may be initiated because a label (with critical consumer information) does not adhere to the package.

Types of Adhesives
It’s glue, just pick a glue that sticks, right? We wish it were that simple! Modern label adhesives are manufactured several ways (hot melt, solvents, emulsions) and using a few different materials (rubbers, acrylics, etc). But no matter which method or material is used for manufacturing - they need to perform.

Adhesive Performance Criteria
There are four basic criteria of performance that an adhesive is evaluated on:
- Printer converting (die-cutting and stripping)
- Initial tack (how well does the label stick initially)
- Long term bond (after setting up, how well does the label perform)
- Consumer use (in shower, under sink, outdoor, etc)

Specialty Adhesives
Scientists have taken the basic types and engineered very specific adhesives - each aimed at a performance specialty.   Examples of these special uses are:

All-Temp:  Very good adhesion across a wide range of temperatures.
Cold-Temp:   Engineered to have strong adhesion in very cold temperatures.
Wet-Stick:  Adheres well to moist application surfaces.
Tire Adhesive:  A very aggressive high-coat-weight adhesive for adhesion to porous surfaces.
Removable:  Can be removed from some surfaces. Testing strongly recommended.
Ultra-removable:  Can be removed from most surfaces even after long term bond.
Repositionable:  Weak initial tack, strong long term bond. Allows the label to be removed and adjusted during application.
Soak and Remove:  Adhesive is formulated to be removed when soaked in warm water.

 
Questions to Ask
Custom Label can help you select the correct adhesive:

What container, product, or surface is the label being applied to?
Is there any moisture or residue on the application surface during labeling?
What temperature is the room where the label will be applied?
Once the label is applied, will it need to be repositioned or removed?
What temperature will the label endure during storage, distribution and end use?
Will the label encounter unusual humidity during application, distribution or end use?

Even after answering those questions, an adhesive recommendation is exactly that: a recommendation. There is no guarantee that the adhesive will perform exactly as desired. Custom Label strongly recommends adhesive testing prior to production - give us a call and we’ll expedite label samples for your testing!

How Important is Color?

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

private-2In the most recent blog I cited a study which found that people make a subconscious evaluation about a person, environment or product within 90 seconds of their initial viewing (source:  CCICOLOR – Institute for Color Research) and that more than 62% of that assessment is based on color alone!  We are all programmed to react with emotion to different colors.  It seems clear to me that a product’s color has more to do with our purchasing behaviors that we are aware of.  On a subconscious level we connect specific colors with feelings, fears, emotions, and sensations.   Brand managers and entrepreneurs must pick their colors carefully to make sure their brand colors match their brand image.

There are other reasons to pick packaging colors carefully.  In another research study color was found to increase brand recognition by up to 80% (source:  University of Loyola, Maryland).  That is a big number!  Coca-Cola versus Pepsi is a clear example of this phenomenon.  Same can, same artwork layout, but if I asked “which is red, and which is blue” you wouldn’t need to phone a friend.  What about Pepto Bismol?  Easy to remember when you have an updset stomach?

d004Custom Label is all about Color.  Your Color.  We have more than 30 years of experience working with customers to match your exact color – not once, but every time you place an order.  Our flexo label presses are multi-color platforms that support up to 10 individual colors run in a single pass.  Each print station can print a different PMS or custom-match color.  We can provide color draw down samples or conduct a live press-check proof where you can be involved and confirm the perfect color for your label and product.  Our digital press uses up to 6 colors to create a process blend that emulates the traditional PMS colors.  We can come very close for a large percentage of PMS colors.  For those colors that do not translate to process printing, we can order PMS match colors for the digital press.  Whether your need is short run digital labels or a long run flexo job, we will make sure you are happy with the color.  Your success depends upon it!