Adhesive types:

Pressure sensitive label adhesives are commonly made from water based acrylic adhesives, with a smaller volume made using solvent based adhesives and hotmelt adhesives. The most common adhesive types are:

• Permanent - Typically not designed to be removed without tearing the stock, damaging the surface, or using solvents. The adhesion strength and speed can also be varied. For example, full adhesion can be nearly instant, or the label can be almost removable for a short period with full adhesion developing in minutes or hours (known as respositionable adhesives).

• Peelable - Adhesion is fairly strong and will not fall off in normal circumstances, but the label can be removed relatively easily without tearing the base stock or leaving adhesive behind on the old surface. The adhesive is usually strong enough to be applied again elsewhere. This type is frequently known as 'removable'. There are many different types of removable adhesives, some are almost permanent, some are almost 'ultra peelable'.

• Ultra-peelable - Designed principally for use on book covers and glass, when removed these adhesives labels do not leave any residue whatsoever. Adhesion is weak and only suitable for light duty applications. Normally these labels have very little adhesion to anything once they've been removed.

• Freezer or Frost fix - Most permanent and peelable adhesives have a service temperature limit of -10 degrees Celsius, whereas freezer (otherwise known as frost fix) adhesives have a service temperature -40 degrees Celsius and are suitable for deep freeze use

• High Tack - A type of permanent adhesive that exhibits a high initial grab to the application surfaces, and is commonly used at higher coat weights to enable labels to adhere strongly to difficult, rough or dirty surfaces.

• Asset Labels / Tags are used for marking fixed and non-fixed assets. They are usually tamper-evident, permanent or frangible and usually contain a barcode for electronic identification using readers.
• Blockout labels are not see-through at all, concealing what lies underneath with a strong gray adhesive.
• Piggyback labels are made from combining two layers of adhesive substrate. The bottom layer forms the backing for the top. The label can be applied to any object as normal, the top layer can be a removable label that can be applied elsewhere, which may change the message or marking on the remaining label underneath. Often used on Express mail envelopes.
• Laser Labels are generally die cut on 8.5" x 11" sheets, and come in many different shapes, sizes, and materials. Laser label material is a nonporous stock made to withstand the intense heat of laser printers and copiers.
• Inkjet Labels are generally die cut on 8.5" x 11" sheets (US letter) and a4 size, and come in many different shapes, sizes, and materials. Inkjet label material is a porous stock made to accept ink and dye from your inkjet printer. One of the more modern inkjet label material stocks is waterproof printable inkjet material commonly used for soap or shower gel containers.
• Security Labels are used for Anti-counterfeting, Brand protection,tamper-evident seals, etc. These combine a number of overt and covert features to make reproduction difficult. The use of security printing, embossing, barcodes, RFID, custom printing, weak (or weakened) backings, etc. is common. They are used for authentication, theft reduction, and protection against counterfeit and are commonly used on ID cards, credit cards, packaging, and products from CDs to electronics to clothing.
• AntiMicrobial Labels With the growth in hospital acquired infections such as MRSA and E-Coli the use of Antimicrobial labels in infection sensitive areas of hospitals are helping in combating these types of microbes.