Resources

Label & packaging glossary.

The vocabulary of our industry — translated into plain language. Bookmark this page; it's an ongoing reference.

BOPP: Biaxially-Oriented Polypropylene — a clear, durable film face stock commonly used for premium pressure-sensitive labels. Resists moisture and tearing.
BS5609: British Standard certifying that a pressure-sensitive label adhesive and printed ink system will survive 90 days of marine immersion. Required for chemical drums shipped by sea.
Cold Foil: An in-line decoration process where metallic foil is laminated to a UV-cured adhesive image during printing. Less expensive and faster than hot stamping for large foil areas.
Delta-E (ΔE): A numeric measure of the perceived color difference between two samples. Lower numbers mean closer match. Brands typically spec ΔE tolerances of 2.0 or less for critical colors.
Die-Cut: The process of cutting a label to its final shape on the liner. Can be done with a magnetic / solid die, or via laser.
ECG (Extended Color Gamut): A 7-color (CMYK + OGV — orange, green, violet) printing approach that reproduces a wider color range from a fixed ink set, reducing makeready and plate changes.
Face Stock: The printable top layer of a pressure-sensitive label — paper, film or foil — bonded to an adhesive and release liner.
Flexography (Flexo): A high-speed printing process using flexible relief plates and fast-drying inks. Best for long runs and high-volume production.
G7: An Idealliance methodology for calibrating printing devices to a common neutral print density curve, ensuring color consistency across presses.
GHS: Globally Harmonized System — the international standard for chemical hazard labeling. CLP is the EU equivalent.
Hot Stamp: A decoration process that uses heat and pressure to transfer metallic or pigmented foil to a substrate. Premium look for small precise areas.
HD Digital: High-definition digital printing using inkjet or electrophotographic presses. No plates, fast setup, ideal for short runs, versioning and variable data.
Liner: The silicone-coated backing material that protects the adhesive on a pressure-sensitive label until application.
Mono-Material: Packaging built from a single polymer family (e.g. mono-PE or mono-PP), enabling easier recycling versus multi-material laminates.
Pantone: A widely-used spot color system. Pantone references give designers and printers a shared language for specifying exact brand colors.
PCR: Post-Consumer Recycled content — material recovered from consumer waste streams and reprocessed into new packaging substrates.
PETG: Glycol-modified Polyethylene Terephthalate — the most common shrink-sleeve film, offering high shrink and excellent clarity.
Pressure Sensitive (PS): An adhesive that bonds on contact without heat, water or solvent. The dominant technology for self-adhesive labels.
Prepress: All work between artwork approval and the press — trapping, distortion, separation, plate or file output, and color proofing.
RFID: Radio-Frequency Identification — a chip + antenna inlay embedded into a label, enabling wireless reading at a distance. UHF for retail / logistics, HF/NFC for consumer interaction.
Shrink Sleeve: A printed film sleeve applied loosely to a container and then heat-shrunk to conform to its shape, providing 360° decoration.
Substrate: The base material being printed — paper, film, foil or a laminate combination.
Tactile Varnish: A raised UV coating that adds physical texture to specific design elements, used to highlight logos, illustrations or callouts.
Variable Data Printing (VDP): Digital printing where each piece can carry different copy, codes or imagery — used for serialization, versioning and personalization.