Label Adhesives

When browsing various label products that appear similar to each other, it’s easy to overlook their important distinctions. Adhesives, for example, provide a nuanced difference in label products that have a major impact on what the label is best suited for. Each kind of adhesive is meant for a different purpose and is capable of withstanding different environments. The following blog post will detail the three most common types of adhesives explaining what they are and what they are used for.

Permanent:

• Characterized as a pressure sensitive adhesive, a permanent style adhesive is separated from the others via a good initial tack and a relatively high final adhesion. The super-strong adhesive will stick firmly and securely to a substrate and will be difficult to remove. A label with a permanent adhesive may be removed but the process is likely to leave adhesive residue on the surface and may result in both the label and the substrate being altered. Permanent adhesives are most commonly applied to labels that need to remain on an item for a sustained period of time, so that information remains on or with an item for as long as possible. This is usually the most popular kind of label, ideal for almost everything. A typical example of a permanent label is often found on box or shelf labels.

Removable:

• As the name suggests, these labels are temporary and can be removed. Removable labels have pressure sensitive adhesive characterized by low initial tack and low ultimate stickiness. The adhesive has enough tack to adhere a label securely to many surfaces, but it is also easily removed with a miniscule amount of adhesive residue left behind without damage caused to the label or the surface its applied to, most of the time able to be reapplied again. These adhesives will, however, become semi-permanent after longer periods without being removed or if they are exposed to more extreme temperatures and weather conditions. Removable adhesives are used to make temporary labels, which can be used to label items for short periods of time before the label is removed because it is no longer needed or is out of date. The most common uses for these are typically price tags or file labels.

Freezer:

• The aptly named freezer adhesive is categorized as a pressure sensitive adhesive for applications that involve exposure to freezer conditions. Freezer adhesives are designed for temperatures below 0°C, although they can still be reliably applied at room temperature and then frozen. They behave most similarly to permanent adhesives when applied and stored in freezer conditions, but will act as removable adhesives when applied at room temperature before being frozen. Most freezer adhesives will also work in less frigged refrigerator conditions. Some uses for freezer adhesives could, for example, be case-ready meats and other goods usually kept in the freezer.

We hope that this thorough run-down of the three most common adhesives provides enough detailed information to specify what you’re buying and looking for. If you’re looking for further information or details on different topics, explore our other blog posts or feel free to call us at 800-587-1173 and we’ll be glad to answer.