Label knowledge

Learn labels from the people who make them

Thirty years of production experience, written down — printing processes, materials, adhesives, artwork prep, and how to buy labels smarter.

Printing 101

What Is Flexographic Printing? The Process Behind Most Labels on the Shelf

Flexo prints the majority of pressure-sensitive labels in North America. Here's how the process works, why it wins at volume, and what plates actually pay for.

Read the guide

Inked cylinder rollers on a working flexographic press with the paper web running through

A flexographic press die-cuts, strips the waste matrix, and rewinds finished rolls in the same pass as printing — your label goes from blank material to applicator-ready in one trip through the machine.

Rolls of paper and film label substrate stacked on cores in a converting plant

Materials 7 min

Paper vs. Film Labels: How to Choose the Right Facestock

Semi-gloss paper, white BOPP, clear BOPP, PET — the facestock decision drives cost, durability, and shelf look. A practical guide to choosing.

A roll of printed die-cut labels lifting off its release liner, showing the adhesive edge

Materials 6 min

Label Adhesives Explained: Permanent, Removable, Freezer, and All-Temp

The adhesive is invisible until it fails. What each adhesive class actually does, and how surface and temperature decide the right one.

A thermal label printer feeding a freshly printed barcode label beside labeled shipping cartons

Operations 5 min

Direct Thermal vs. Thermal Transfer: Which Labels for Your Printers?

Both run through the same printers — but one needs a ribbon and lasts for years, while the other fades in months. How to pick, and how to pair ribbons correctly.

Close-up of a retail food pack label showing certification marks, weight and use-by date

Compliance 6 min

FDA Direct Food-Contact Labels: What They Are and When You Need Them

The sticker on an apple touches your food — so the material and adhesive have to be approved for it. What direct food contact means in practice for produce and food brands.

A Pantone swatch book fanned open across numbered spot-colour chips

Design & Prepress 7 min

Preparing Label Artwork for Print: A Prepress Checklist

Bleed, dielines, spot colors, barcode sizing, and the file formats that keep your label sharp — everything to check before you send art to your label printer.

Rolls of finished printed labels loaded on a labelling machine, liner web feeding through

Buying Guide 6 min

How Label Quotes Work: Why Quantity, Colors, and Size Drive Your Price

Label pricing looks opaque until you see the structure: fixed setup costs, material area, and volume breaks. How to read a quote — and lower it.

Chilled packaged fish fillets in a refrigerated case with certification and date-code labels

Applications 5 min

Labels That Survive the Cold Chain: Refrigerated and Frozen Products

Condensation, frost, and near-freezing application temperatures kill standard labels. The construction that works — facestock, adhesive, and finish as a system.

A high-gloss black die-cut label with gold lettering catching a bright specular sheen

Materials 6 min

UV Varnish vs. Lamination: Which Label Finish Do You Actually Need?

Both protect your print and change how the label looks and feels — but one is a thin coating and the other is a second film layer. When each finish is worth the cost.

A rack of labelled clear specimen tubes in a laboratory

Applications 8 min

Choosing Thermal Label Stock for Clinical Environments

Alcohol wipes, refrigeration, condensation, and years in an archive freezer break ordinary label stock. How hospitals, labs, and pharmacies should spec thermal labels — and exactly what to send a supplier.

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