Last updated: 2026-01-03
Most “label problems” are actually adhesive problems. Face stock gets blamed, ink gets blamed, the printer gets blamed — but if the adhesive doesn’t match the container surface and environment, you’ll see edge lift, bubbles, tunneling, or residue.
Fastest way to stop adhesive failures: tell us the container material, texture, and temperature at application.
Typical production is 3–5 business days after proof approval.
Adhesive selection: the blunt checklist
If you can answer these, we can spec the right direction without guessing:
- Container material: glass, aluminum, PET, HDPE, PP, paperboard, corrugated, painted metal, etc.
- Surface: smooth vs textured, curved vs flat, any powder coat / silicone / wax / oil exposure.
- Application temperature: warm line, room temp, refrigerated, or “applied cold”.
- Use environment: moisture/condensation, oils, chemicals/cleaners, abrasion/handling, UV/sunlight.
- Removal requirement: must be removable? repositionable? or permanent only?
- Application method: hand-applied vs machine-applied (affects tolerance and dispensing).
What “surface energy” means (in plain English)
Some plastics (like PP/HDPE) are harder for adhesives to bond to than glass or PET. That’s why labels can “look fine” on day one, then start lifting after handling, temperature cycles, or time.
Selection matrix (directional, not a promise)
| Your reality | Common failure | Better adhesive direction |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerated + condensation | Edge lift, bubbles, wrinkling | Film labels + acrylic adhesive matched for cold/wet environments |
| Oily products / greasy handling | Slipping, lifting, residue | Construction that tolerates oils (spec dependent) + surface prep guidance |
| Low-surface-energy plastics (PP/HDPE) | Edge lift after 24–72 hours | High-tack acrylic / specialty adhesive direction (test on your container) |
| Need clean removal (promo / temporary) | Residue, tearing, ghosting | Removable adhesive direction or static cling (glass) |
| Outdoor exposure | Fading + adhesive ageing | Material + finish selected for UV/handling; adhesives matched to surface |
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Picking adhesive without testing: order a small spec test first if the surface is tricky.
- Ignoring application temperature: “applied cold” is a different spec than “stored cold”.
- Assuming paper = cheaper: paper can become expensive when it fails. Related: why paper labels fail.
- Not accounting for squeeze packaging: flexing stresses edges. Related: labels for squeeze containers.
Want a “spec we can reorder forever”? We’ll lock the material + finish + adhesive notes so reorders stay consistent.