Self-Adhesive Labels

Andreas Bayer

Product Advisor for Labels

Whether it’s a simple roll label or a multi-layered specialty label – I’m your go-to person for questions concerning materials, adhesion, and finishing of labels for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, chemical, and almost any other industry.

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Why Your Product Needs Self-Adhesive Labels

Self-adhesive labels, also called pressure-sensitive labels, are the most common label application for brands. Labels are key marketing tool. They are often the first touchpoint that the consumer has with your brand and product. Therefore, it is essential that you make a good first impression!

Available in both reel and sheet format, self-adhesive labels are easily applied to your product. Be that by hand, or by label applicator. We work with brands to ensure that your labels are supplied in the most efficient way for your production proces. For example, labels on a reel allow for machine processing, so that large quantities of products can be adorned with self-adhesive labels at fast speeds! 

Discover our entire label range below.

What are self-adhesive labels?

Self-adhesive labels are, as the name suggests, labels that stick by themselves without the addition of extra adhesive. They are typically made of paper or plastic with a varnish. On the reverse side of the label face (the part that has your design printed on it) there is an adhesive layer. This can vary between permanent or removable, depending on the intended use. Self-adhesive labels are supplied on a backing liner from which they can be easily removed.

Today, most labels are self-adhesive. Non-adhesive labels are divided into non-gummed label paper and dry-gummed label paper, also known as wet glue labels. Non-gummed labels are simply ordinary paper or other material without adhesive. They are coated with wet glue before labelling and then applied to the product. Dry gummed paper is coated with a dry adhesive that becomes tacky when exposed to moisture. A well-known example of dry gummed labels are stamps.

How are self-adhesive labels produced?

In the first step, the material for the self-adhesive labels is produced and wound into large reels. These reels of material are fed into the printing machine and printed using various processes such as digital inkjet print, flexo print and offset litho print. After the self-adhesive label has been printed with your design, the label is cut out into your desired shape. Finally, the waste material is seperated. What remains is your finished label on the backing liner.

At Labelprint24, we print your labels digitally. Digital printing is particularly well suited for small and medium runs and is advantageous over other printing techniques such as offset or flexo printing because of low minimum order quanitites, reduced tooling costs and fast lead times. Advanced digital technology means that your labels are printed to a high quality with accurate colour payoff. To ensure that your self-adhesive labels are of the best quality available, please familiarise yourself with the necessary DPI requirements in our print specifications.

Another option for printing your labels is the thermal processes. If you want to use the thermal transfer method, any material can be used. However, a special thermal transfer ribbon is also required. When using the direct thermal method, a special label material is required, but no transfer ribbon.

What label materials are available?

Self-adhesive labels can be printed on a variety of substrates including paper and PP. Different label materials have varying properties and advantages. When choosing your self-adhesive label material, it’s worth considering both the look and performance you need.

Paper labels are a cost-effective choice and ideal for many applications. Their naturally textured surface allows printing inks to bond beautifully, delivering sharp, vibrant designs.

Film (PP, PE or PVC) labels, on the other hand, are built for durability. They’re resistant to water, moisture, and other environmental factors, making them perfect for products that need to look great in tougher conditions. And with today’s advanced coatings, film labels also achieve excellent print quality, ensuring long-lasting colour and strong ink adhesion.

Want to learn more about the benefits of paper and film labels? Discover the differences — and how to choose the best option for your product — in our blog: Label printing on film and paper.

What are self-adhesive labels used for?

Self-adhesive labels are used in a wide array of markets and products. From highly embellished wine bottle labels designed to attract a customer to multi-layer labels designed to inform the customer of product ingredients in multiple lanugages.

Thanks to their self-adhesive property, pressure sensitive labels can be easily applied to the various products to represent your brand in the best way, long after the time of purchase.Typical applications of self-adhesive labels include cosmetic product labels, industrial chemical labels, healthcare product labels, food labels and many more.

Special forms of adhesive labels

Self-adhesive labels come in many forms. But there are more than just single-ply labels available from Labelprint24! 

Security Labels

Security labels offer an additional protective function to your product and brand. Safety labels can include tamper evident labels. This type of self-adhesive label is used when the integrity of your product inside the packaging must be guaranteed for customer safety and hygiene. For example; skincare, food and drink products.

Extended Content Labels

Extended content labels, also known as peel and read labels or muti-page labels create additional pages for your product labels. This is essential for brands selling in high-regulated industries such as the chemical sector, as there is often a lot of information required to include on your label. At Labelprint24, we can print extended content labels with up to 3 pages across a variety of substrates and designs. 

Adhesive types on self-adhesive labels

Depending on the application and product type, you will need varying adhesive types. We offer permanent, removable, wash-off and freezer-safe adhesives on our labels.

Permanent adhesive labels stick permanently to the product and are not intended to be removed. This is often necessary for consumer goods such as personal care products so that your product remains a professional appearance.

Removable labels, as the name suggests, are able to be removed from the product. Removal should occur without adhesive residue. This is often used for temporary labels such as promotional or price labels. 

Wash-off adhesives support the full recycling of the packaging component. This type of adhesive is great for those wishing to make a more sustainable choice with self-adhesive labels.

Freezer safe adhesive is able to resist low temperatures. This is needed for products that will experience extremely low temperatures, which could even occur in a storage warehouse - not just at-home freezers!

Discover our entire label range here.

5 Frequently Asked Questions about Self-Adhesive Labels