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AXIOM LABEL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is matrix?
What is copy position?
Copy position signifies which direction of the copy dispenses first. Please see our Request a Quote page on the website for a picture of the four copy positions.
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What are leaders or trailers?
A leader is a portion of the initial unwind on a label roll void of labels.
A trailer is a portion of the unwind closest to the label core on a label roll void of labels.
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What are positive, reverse, and mirror plate types?
Positive - Positive plates have graphics printed on the surface and the label material is the background color Reverse - Graphics are etched out of the printing plate or screen and the printed color is the background color and the material color becomes the text. Mirror - Graphics are printed so they appear backwards when they are read directly
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What is a standard pressure sensitive label material?
A standard pressure sensitive label material consists of a face stock to be printed on, typically made of paper or film; an adhesive which is coated to the release liner, and a release liner coated with silicone which protects the adhesive until it is applied using pressure to the substrate being labeled.
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What is a piggy back label material?
A piggy back label material is a label construction with one label material on top of another label material (piggyback). The complete construction is applied to a substrate and the top label can be removed and applied to another substrate leaving the original label affixed.
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What is a face material?
A face material is the material to be printed on via a printing press or imprinted on via an electronic means such as ink jet, thermal transfer, laser and others. Face materials are typically paper-coated or uncoated, films- including polyester, polypropylene, vinyl, and Tyvek®, and other specialty synthetic materials including; Valeron®, HopSyn®, and Yupo® Synthetic Papers.
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What is a pressure sensitive adhesive?
A pressure sensitive adhesive is coated to a release liner and then laminated to a face stock. The adhesive requires pressure either by application equipment or by human means to affix the label/adhesive to its substrate. The more popular means of coating pressure sensitive adhesives are solvent, emulsion, and hot melt.
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What is a release liner?
A release liner is a paper, coated paper, or film material coated with silicone. The coated silicone side of a release liner has pressure sensitive adhesive applied to it and the face stock is laminated to the adhesive creating a pressure sensitive label construction. The release liner protects the adhesive until the label is applied to its substrate and the silicone ensures clean removal of the face stock and adhesive from the release liner.
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What is a surface treatment?
Face materials may require a treatment to enhance ink adhesion on its surface. Two popular methods of accomplishing this are chemical print treatment which is a coating that bonds to the face material and corona treating which requires passing the material to be printed over an electric field, raising the surface energy of the face stock which improves ink adhesion.
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What are the more popular inks used?
The most popular inks used are water base, uv cured, and solvent based.
Water Base - This ink technology uses water, resin, pigment, and an emulsifier to mix the ink. The water and emulsifier are evaporated off using heat and air to cure the ink.
UV cured - The uv ink contains pigments, resins and organic solvents. The ink is exposed to uv light, cross linking the polymers.
Solvent Based- Pigment resin and solvent are used to make the ink. The solvent is evaporated using heat and air curing the ink to the face material.
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What is a varnish?
A varnish is a coating applied in the last print station to protect the graphics previously printed. A varnish can also be applied to enhance imprinting on the label stock. Most varnishes used for print protection are uv cured and provide additional abrasion and chemical resistance, but not as much as using an over laminate.
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What is slitting?
Slitting is the process that occurs in finishing and packaging. A roll of printed labels may be printed in multiples across the web on a printing press. When the web is removed from press it is sent to finishing and packaging to slit the labels down to the customer specified roll and trim dimensions.
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What is adhesive bleed?
Adhesive bleed is the oozing of adhesive beyond the perimeter of the face material. Adhesive bleed is typical in heavy coat weight adhesives or in adhesives with low temperature flow. Adhesive bleed can lead to labels offsetting to the back of a release liner or to label roll blocking, Proper storage conditions of roll labels and materials can minimize this issue.
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What is web direction and cross web direction?
Web direction is the forward parallel direction the label material is processed through the press. This can also be referred to as machine direction. Cross web direction is the perpendicular direction across the label web of material on a printing press.
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What is label roll stock?
Roll stock is a roll of material provided to a label converter which is used to then make die cut printed or plain pressure sensitive labels.
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What is a back slit?
A back slit is a slit or cut in the backing material to assist in release liner removal. This is typically more prevalent in sheeted labels.
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What is a face slit?
A face slit is a cut or slit in the face material to create multiple part labels from a single label.
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What is matrix?
Matrix is the waste material removed between labels during the die cutting process on a printing press.
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What is a die?
A die is a tool used to cut materials to their shape.
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