The Complex Made Simple

You may wonder what really goes into a label. Well, while some may be as simple as three layers (i.e. paper, adhesive and liner), others can be more complex and contain several layers. For example, the Label Innovation team recently designed a unique two-in-one Contact Card (see enclosed sample). While this card may appear simply to be a business card, it actually contains a business card and a label constructed with the following eight layers.

(1) Polypropylene is the top printed layer of the business card.

The (2) Adhesive adheres the Polypropylene to the dry release coupon.

The coupon is made up of two layers: the (3) Dry Release layer and the clear (4) Coupon Base. These are separated on the press so the dry release becomes the bottom of the business card. Special properties of the dry release allow it to stick to the coupon base but not other surfaces. This is one of the key features of the two-in-one concept as the top three layers are now one and can be removed to be used as a regular business card that will not stick to anything. This design is great for mail-in rebates or coupons on product packaging.

Once the coupon is separated, the clear coupon base becomes the top of the label. But this layer is not the one that is printed; there is actually another layer of clear (5) Adhesive on top of the face stock. It is the (6) Face Stock on which the label is printed, and as with any label, (7) Adhesive is added before it is
applied to the (8)Liner.

To add another dimension to the design and to show the card’s complexity, the liner was back-printed with the construction diagram shown below. So the next time you see a label, remember it may not be as simple as it appears.

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