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A Guide to Label Durability: Materials, Environments, and Best Practices

Label durability is one of the most important aspects of product packaging. It can influence the label’s functionality and your brand’s overall perception. A weak and flimsy label can make the product look weak and flimsy, too.

Durable labels do more than just resist wear and tear. Choosing the wrong material, adhesive, finish, or even application technique can lead to one of the many stories we’ve heard of labels peeling, tearing, fading, and falling off (like the product below).

But don’t worry, we’ll guide you through making the right choices so your product shows up and stays looking its best.

4 Environmental Factors Impacting Label Durability

It can be rough for a product going in and out of production lines, packing, stocking, and, eventually, your customer’s home. It’s important to consider that you not only want your product to show up gleaming on a shelf or your customer’s doorstep, but you also want a resilient label that lasts.

Understanding how environmental factors affect durability will help you create an ideal label. Let’s start by looking at the four big environmental considerations: moisture and humidity, temperature, UV exposure, and abrasion resistance.

Can labels being exposed to moisture

1. Moisture and Humidity

The Challenge

Moisture can be the end of a perfectly good label design, whether from the product itself or surrounding environments that your products might find themselves in, like bathrooms, kitchens, or outdoor settings.

Moist conditions can lead to adhesives failing, ‘label swelling,’ or degradation of the print on the label. The worst case scenario: compromised product integrity and brand reputation. But moisture-resistant labels can help.

Recommended Materials

BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene) is highly resistant to moisture, making it ideal for products exposed to moist environments.
Vinyl is water-resistant and durable. It’s best suited for products that are frequently exposed to water or stored in humid conditions.
Polyester labels are moisture-resistant and excellent for indoor and outdoor use.

Additional Printing and Finishing Techniques

Lamination adds a clear laminate over a label that creates a barrier. This adds a step to protect the printed design and ensure the label remains intact even in wet environments.
UV coating, while primarily used for protection from UV light, adds a layer of resistance, helping to seal the label’s surface.

Adhesives

If you’re worried about peeling, water-resistant adhesives are the way to go. These types of adhesives are specifically designed to maintain their bond even in the highest moisture environments. This prevents the label from peeling or losing “stick” when exposed to water or humidity.

Beer cans with labels

2. Temperature Fluctuations

The Challenge

Extreme heat, cold, and even rapid temperature changes can compromise your label’s integrity. Conditions like this can lead to adhesive breakdown, label deformation, or fading of printed information. All of this can ultimately affect product presentation and degrade consumer trust.

Shipping through the summer? Heat-resistant labels can be a good solution.

Recommended Materials

Polyester (PET) labels are exceptional for both high- and low-temperature environments. This makes them suitable for products that are stored across environments — refrigerated, frozen, or stored in warm places.
Polypropylene (PP) labels are highly resistant to temperature variations. They are commonly used for products that move between cold storage and ambient shelves, like certain beverages.
Vinyl tolerates temperature extremes well. It’s a solid choice for outdoor products or SKUs that undergo pasteurization.

Additional Printing and Finishing Techniques

Heat-resistant inks are designed to withstand high temperatures without fading or altering. This ensures the label remains legible and intact. Cold-resistant adhesives perform well in low temperatures and can prevent labels from peeling or becoming brittle when exposed to cooler environments.

Adhesives

Sometimes, you have to be prepared for all situations, from extreme freeze to hot and humid. Fortunately, there is an adhesive solution that lends itself to both ends of the temperature spectrum. Temperature-resistant adhesives are designed to remain consistent across temperature ranges, ensuring that the label stays adhered to, hot or cold.

Freezer-grade adhesives are also an option for products that may spend extended amounts of time in below-freezing environments.

Kombucha glass bottle and in can with custom labels

3. UV Exposure

The Challenge

Ultraviolet (UV) exposure can pose a number of risks to your label. It can cause fading, material degradation, loss of print legibility, and make bar codes unreadable. Products displayed on bright or sunny shelves or those exposed to sunlight in any part of the supply chain are particularly vulnerable.

Recommended Materials

UV-coated paper will go a long way in protecting your label. It is a specially treated paper, treated with a glossy coat and cured using special equipment to add a layer of protection.
Polyester (PET) is naturally resistant to UV light. It’s a great choice for outdoor products.
BOPP with UV Inhibitors, also known as BOPP UV Resistant, has a film that protects against solar exposure.

Additional Printing and Finishing Techniques

UV varnishes applied to a label’s surface add protection against fading and discoloration.
Fade-resistant inks are designed to keep colors vibrant over time, regardless of UV exposure.
Overlamination with UV Protection includes UV inhibitors using a solvent acrylic adhesive.

Adhesives

There’s an adhesive for every environmental problem! UV-resistant adhesives don’t yellow under UV exposure and have no surface tack at room temperatures.

The other option is acrylic-based adhesives — one of the only options that is inherently UV resistant. Acrylic adhesives are known to keep their bond strength even under UV light exposure.

Cans that are packaged together in cardboard

4. Abrasion

The Challenge

Whether we like it or not, products may see some wear and tear in the supply chain and under regular consumer use. Wear or abrasion during shipping and handling can affect the appearance and functionality of products before they even get to a shelf.

Worn-off instructions or barcodes can cause significant problems. Fortunately, these issues can be mitigated with the strategic use of durable materials and consideration toward finishes.

Recommended Materials

Vinyl is a tough material that gives excellent resistance to tearing and abrasion.
Polyester (PET) is durable, resistant to wear, and offers great abrasion resistance.
Polyethylene (PE) is flexible and resistant to impact. This makes it ideal for products that might be squeezed during handling, like cosmetics, kitchen, and bathroom products.

Additional Printing and Finishing Techniques

Scratch-resistant coating gives an extra layer of protection against scuffs from rubbing or abrasion.
Durable laminates with added thickness, like polypropylene (PP), can add an extra layer of protection against physical damage.

Adhesives

Pressure-sensitive adhesives with abrasive grit provide a strong initial tack that will hold and not shift under the rigors of transportation. This will ensure that labels stay on, even under stress.

Label Varnishes

Like different kinds of lamination, there are a few varieties of label varnishes also available to protect your label and even enhance your design. Varnishes are a great finishing technique that helps defend against scuffs, scratches, water damage, and fading while giving better overall longevity.

Common options include:

Gloss varnish
Matte varnish
Soft-touch or textured finishes

Label Application Considerations

Curing Time

Give it time—it’s important to allow sufficient time for your label’s adhesive to fully bond before exposing the product to extreme environmental conditions — especially extreme heat. Following the recommended curing times will result in maximum adhesion strength.

Typically, manufacturers recommend a curing period ranging from 24 to 72 hours, depending on the type of adhesive used and the environmental factors involved.

Apply in a Controlled Environment

Applying labels in a controlled environment where temperature and humidity are kept within recommended ranges can significantly aid the curing process. This ensures that labels perform reliably throughout their intended lifespan.

Get Durable Labels for your Products

Ready to invest in eye-catching, durable product labels? Contact us today to check out our materials, get a sample pack, or request a quote.

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Hot or Cold? The Role of Temperature in Label Durability

If your products will get hot or cold, it’s important to make sure your choice of label is just right. Whether your containers encounter hot or cold temperatures during application or sometime after, temperature can play a prominent role in identifying the right label for your situation. Here are some specific problems where hot and cold temperatures can wreak havoc with the durability of your product labels.

Heat or Cold Can Make Some Adhesives Fail

Behind every good label is some very important ‘glue’ – literally. Without the adhesive, you’d be stuck with some really nice leaflets to hand out with some blank containers. Unfortunately, hot or cold temperatures can be a dividing force that tears your containers and labels apart.

Temperatures issues can happen right away during the application process. Label adhesives have varying minimum application temperatures. If you apply a label with a certain adhesive outside of its recommended temperature range, it may not have the tack or adhesion necessary to stay on a container. For example, an acrylic adhesive may be a good choice for products that are hot-filled or exposed to higher temperatures, but it may pose problems in colder applicating conditions.

Different temperatures can also cause adhesives to fail at some point after initial application. For example, extreme cold or heat can cause removable label adhesives to break down. After a stay in the freezer or some time in direct sunlight on a summer day, your labels may start to peel off or fall off their containers altogether. In these instances, it would be better to opt for a permanent label designed to handle difficult, environmental factors.

A cold, wet beer can with a pressure sensitive label going through a filling machine.

Some Face Stocks Can’t Face Certain Temperatures

In addition to your adhesive, there’s another critical layer of your label that can be negatively affected by hot or cold temperatures: your face stock. Certain label materials can run into performance issues when forced into environments that are too hot or cold. Fortunately, a little planning can make sure your choice of substrate is perfect for your exact needs.

The first step is to think about exactly where your products and their labels will be in the future? Are they a bottle label that will end up in a refrigerator or a cooler? Will these products end up sitting out in the hot sun or a steamy bathroom? Will they potentially sit in a storage space for a while? Each environment can pose it’s own temperature issues, along with other environmental factors like moisture, humidity, and sunlight.

When it comes to face stocks, film substrates offer better resistance to heat and other damaging elements. Utilizing a material like a BOPP or PET substrate can help give you more peace of mind if your product will encounter any environmental hazards in its future. While paper stocks don’t have quite the durability of their film compatriots, UV varnishes or thicker paper materials can help mitigate the impacts of various temperatures and other issues.

Heat and Cold Can Make Shrink Sleeves Warp

Pressure-sensitive labels aren’t the only labeling option affected by varying temperatures. Shrink sleeve labels also require some care and planning to protect your investment.

While shrink sleeves are a great option for anyone looking for a label that provides 360-degree coverage, one downside is that these labels are very sensitive to environmental factors before application. If shrink sleeves get too hot or cold before they’re applied, they can warp. Not only can this destroy part of your design, it may ruin some shrink sleeves altogether.

To solve this, you’ll want to make sure that your shipping and storage situation can accommodate your shrink sleeves. Depending on the time of year and your location, that can mean temperature-controlled shipping or utilizing temperature gauge labels to check a shipment before you apply damaged sleeves. As for storage, you’ll want a climate-controlled space – or at least one that won’t become freezing cold or sweltering hot when the weather shifts.

A six-pack of beer with durable product labels sitting on a storage space floor.

Invest in the Durable Labels for Your Environments

There’s a lot more to a label than just the design. From the liner to the top coat, every part plays a role in your label. When you work with Blue Label, we help you invest in durable labels designed for your specific performance and budget needs – all while ensuring that your design dazzles your customers.

Want to work with a company that can provide you with quality, cost-effective labels that can stand the heat (or cold)? Contact us today about your next label printing project.

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The Different Wine Label Stocks You Can Use to Showcase Your Bottles

⚞ The Highlights:

Common wine label stocks include textured papers for a premium look, uncoated or coated papers for versatility, and synthetic or film materials for added durability and moisture resistance.
Paper stocks, including estate paper, are popular for wine labels because they provide a premium, textured appearance, absorb ink well for a rich look, and give an artisanal touch.
Other label materials, such as synthetic or film options, offer greater durability and moisture resistance, while metallic foils or clear films can provide a premium sheen or transparent look.

When it comes to investing in wine labels, it’s good to have options. There are a variety of label materials to choose from, but it’s up to you, your designer, and your label printing company to decide which one makes the most sense for your bottles. When it comes to wine labels, the three most popular types of materials you can use are:

Estate
Ever-opaque
Specialty

Each category offers various advantages depending on your desired look, feel, and price point. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different types of wine stocks so you can figure out what’s right for your packaging needs.

Estate Wine Labels

When you think of a classic paper wine label, you’ll likely envision something made with an estate material. Estate materials are a popular choice for the wine industry, and for good reason – they have a classic look and are generally a more cost-effective option.

Another advantage of paper labels is that they are incredibly versatile. While paper typically exudes a very natural appearance, there are various types of paper materials that can either enhance that look or provide a new type of aesthetic. For example, linen-style or uncoated eggshell bottle label papers both have different textures in the paper fibers that can help you match the look you want for your wine labels.

Of course, there is a downside to using an estate material. Unlike film, wine label paper absorbs water, which can cause those labels to disintegrate over time. While there are some paper stocks that have a higher wet strength, even those options aren’t completely waterproof. As such, estate may not be the best option if your wine labels will encounter water.

A paper wine label that has been embossed and stamped with hot foil.

Ever-Opaque Wine Labels

If you really love the look of estate but are concerned about water damage, you should consider investing in an ever-opaque material.

Ever opaque wine labels have a layer of BOPP film woven between paper to help shield your labels from moisture. This material option allows you to still give your bottles an estate feel without the downsides of soggy paper wine labels. This can make ever opaque materials a go-to option for white wines that are typically chilled before use or any other bottles that may encounter moisture throughout its journey from your facility to your consumers’ tables.

As can be expected, the downside of ever-opaque stocks is that the presence of a BOPP film can drive up costs. However, that increase may be well worth the investment if it protects your labels from future damage.

Specialty Wine Labels

While both estate and ever-opaque wine labels have a more traditional look and feel, specialty label stocks can help you take your bottles to a whole new level. These can be made of paper or film and vary greatly in terms of overall aesthetic. Some specialty options include:

Felt/velvet materials
Cobblestone patterns
Shrink sleeves
Holographic or glitter films
Gloss, matte, satin, and soft-touch varnishes or laminates

As you can see, there are plenty of possibilities to break out of the classic wine label mold with specialty labels. The various materials available will each have their own distinct advantages, but when used properly, they can make sure that your bottles stand out when placed next to your competition.

A black vellum wine label make with a duplex hot foil and white ink.

Work with a Label Printing Company that Makes Your Wine Labels Shine

No matter which wine material you like best, it’s important that you partner with a printing company that can turn your design into stunning, eye-catching labels. At Blue Label Packaging Company, we have the expertise and state-of-the-art printing equipment necessary to print stunning labels at competitive prices. We work with you to identify the right label material for your needs, and we can provide special label printing and finishing capabilities to add an extra dimension to your label design.

Are you in need of top-quality wine labels? Contact Blue Label today to talk to our experts about your next label printing project.

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3 Tips for Designing Natural-Looking Labels for Eco-Friendly Products

Eco-friendly products are making a splash in the market. According to Unilever, a third of consumers choose to purchase goods from brands that are involved in positive social and environmental change. A good green product label plays a role in making sure that the brand captures that eco-friendly look. Here are some things to consider when designing an eco-friendly product label that looks as natural as the products it contains.
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Pros and Cons of Different Types of Label Materials

Several factors can play into choosing a label material, such as cost, appearance, and durability. In general, label facestocks are separated into two categories: paper and film. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages, so choosing a specific type of paper or film depends on the specific needs of your pressure sensitive labels.
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