Plastic Labels

There are various reasons why one might choose plastic for a label, such as its ability to withstand heat and chemicals. Generally, plastic is not porous and can be either rigid or flexible depending upon which one is chosen. Making the best selection can therefore be very important.

Which plastic is best and how to choose

This is a list of the key properties of some common plastics available.

Vinyl (PVC)

Although there are other types of vinyl such as ‘Semi Rigid’, vinyl is normally soft and particularly given its relative thickness, flexible. However it would not normally be used where thickness might be considered intrusive. Shrinkage is often experienced even at ambient temperatures and it is not very suitable for even moderately high temperature applications. From a breakdown point of view, it excels outside where UV and weather affect it comparatively little.

Polyester (PET)

Polyester is a hard plastic that is often selected for its resistance to high temperatures and durability. It is often around just one third the thickness of vinyl but it too has great outside capability. It is considerably more expensive than vinyl and so is chosen when necessary.

Polypropylene (PP)

The modern plastic for labels, Polypropylene is hard, often thinner than Vinyl, cost effective and so the most popular plastic for general labels that must be impervious to water. It is eco friendly because it degrades relatively quickly and because of this is not the most suitable for external applications.

Polyethylene

This is a soft modern plastic that is often used for toiletry labels because it allows containers to be squeezed without damaging the label. In its ‘normal’ form, it is generally considered not the best for high quality print that requires close colour register. It is similar in thickness to Polypropylene but currently is not available in as many colours.