Label School – Liners

Liners!

Liners are the foundation of nearly all label substrates.

There are a few factors that are going to determine which liner is the best for your labels:

Cost constraints, application method, secondary or variable data printing. The most important of these considerations is the application method.

How will your labels be applied?

A key question when selecting a liner is how the label will be applied — by hand or machine.

• Hand-applied labels require a liner that will lay flat without curling yet allow easy manual release.
• Machine-dispensed/applied labels are available in two basic types of liners: roll or fan-fold. In either configuration, the demand is for a strong, dimensionally stable liner that will feed smoothly through the auto-dispensing/application equipment without misfeeds, jams or tears.

Liners that do not release easily can lead to poorly applied labels. They also increase the chance of contaminants reaching the adhesive. Both escalate the risk of adhesion failure.

Paper or film?

Once you know how your labels will be applied, choosing the right liner material becomes a simpler decision. Here are the basic properties of each liner type:

• Paper is the most commonly used liner material because it’s usually lower in cost than film. Paper liners typically use a supercalendered (a paper-making process to smooth the paper surface) sheet. The paper is coated with silicone to keep the adhesive from sticking to the liner. Overall, paper is less consistent in thickness than film and can sometimes fracture when die cut. Paper liners are available in a variety of weights, calipers and colors.
• Film liners are more consistent in thickness than paper and more resistant to tearing. This enables more forgiving die cuts and can often avoid feeding jams in machine-dispensed applications. Film is not as reactive to humidity, ensuring less curl and better dispensing at high speeds. Film liners can be opaque or clear and are available in a wide range of weights and calipers.

The right choice between paper and film will depend on your type of adhesive, dispensing method, budget and label size.

Eco-friendly options

Since the liner requires disposal once the label is applied, choosing an ecologically minded liner can be an important consideration. Fortunately, many types of paper and film liners fit the bill. Many liners can be recycled, but you need to contact your local recycler to confirm that they will accept it. 

Making the right choice

Choosing the right liner means your labels will arrive in good condition and be applied correctly with the adhesive intact. The wrong choice of liner can lead to wasted dollars, lost time and even a loss of adhesion, creating costly failures. Yet, the liner is just one part of the formula for creating the right label.