Film-based pressure-sensitive label materials are rapidly gaining popularity as industries move toward higher durability and environmental awareness. Compared with paper labels, film substrates such as PET, PP, PVC and PE offer enhanced resistance to moisture, chemicals, tearing and temperature variations.
Step 1:
Understand Film-Based Pressure-Sensitive Label Materials
Film-based pressure-sensitive labels offer a major upgrade over traditional paper labels in terms of durability, visual impact and design flexibility. They can survive moisture, chemicals and mechanical stress while enabling premium finishes and “no-label look” effects.
This article explores the key performance attributes of film label materials and the advantages and limitations of the most widely used types, helping you choose the right substrate for your specific application.
PART 01 — Key Properties of Label Films
Film substrates used for pressure-sensitive labels are defined by several measurable properties. Understanding these parameters is the foundation for selecting the correct film label material.
1. Thickness
The thickness of film materials affects flexibility, printing performance and overall durability. Thicker films usually provide better strength and impact resistance, while thinner films offer improved conformability to curved or squeezable containers.
2. Gloss & Color
Films may be glossy, matte, transparent, opaque or metalized—providing diverse branding options and on-shelf appearance. Choosing the right finish helps align the label with the product positioning and brand image.
3. Haze / Optical Density
Haze indicates the degree of light scattering within the film. A low haze value means glass-like clarity, while a high haze value means more diffused light and higher opacity. Haze is mainly influenced by surface roughness and the internal molecular structure of the material.
4. Surface Energy
Surface energy describes the molecular interaction between the film and another material. It is a direct indicator of how well liquids such as adhesives, inks and coatings wet the surface of the film.
- Wetting tension can be measured with dyne solutions.
- Contact angle can be measured with water droplets.
Higher surface energy usually leads to better ink anchorage and adhesive wet-out, which is critical for high-quality film label materials.
5. Shrinkage Rate
Shrinkage is the percentage change in film dimension when exposed to heat. Excessive shrinkage may cause misalignment, wrinkling or visual distortion of the label after application, affecting the final appearance and consumer perception.
6. Tensile Strength & Elongation
Tensile strength refers to the maximum stress a film can withstand before breaking, usually expressed in MPa. Elongation indicates how far the material can stretch before failure. For example, 100% elongation means the film can be stretched to twice its original length without breaking.
A proper combination of tensile strength and elongation helps ensure that the label can withstand mechanical stress during printing, die-cutting, dispensing and end-use.
7. Tear Resistance
Tear resistance describes a film’s ability to resist tearing and is one of the key mechanical indicators for durable label materials. It can be measured in two ways:
- Tear initiation force: the force required to start a tear.
- Tear propagation force: the force required to continue tearing an existing notch.
8. Flexibility and Conformability
Flexibility indicates how easily a film can bend and conform without cracking when subjected to external forces. For highly curved or squeezable containers, choosing a flexible film such as PE is essential to ensure good label lay-flat and long-term performance.
9. Transparency and “No-Label Look”
When designing a no-label look, transparency becomes a key property. Films with low haze and high clarity allow the product or container surface to remain visible, delivering a premium, minimalistic appearance that is popular in cosmetics, beverages and high-end foods.
For premium “no-label look” label designs, prioritize films with low haze, high surface energy and controlled shrinkage, and pair them with high-clarity adhesives optimized for transparent applications.
PART 02 — Mainstream Film Types and Their Characteristics
In the pressure-sensitive label market, PET, PVC, PP and PE are the most widely used film label materials. Each type has specific advantages, cost structures and application scenarios.
1. PET Film — For Durable Goods and Harsh Environments
PET (polyester) film is typically a biaxially oriented film with thickness from about 0.5 mil to 10 mil. It is available in clear, matte clear and white versions.
PET films are dimensionally stable at elevated temperatures and feature excellent initial tear and puncture resistance. They also offer:
- High mechanical strength and durability
- Good heat and chemical resistance
- Smooth surface and uniform thickness across the roll
- Reliable ink, coating and adhesive anchorage
- Excellent optical clarity over a wide temperature range
Typical applications: durable goods and asset tracking labels, regulatory, safety and hazard communication labels, high-end product identification labels, two-way window graphics and overlamination films.
2. PVC Film — For Outdoor Graphics and Signage
PVC film ranges from about 2 mil to 12 mil in thickness and is well-known for its high flexibility and excellent formability on complex curved surfaces. It is easy to emboss to create unique textures and also offers good printability.
In many outdoor applications, PVC provides:
- Good weather resistance and UV stability
- Reliable durability for wall graphics and billboards
- Strong adhesion to a wide variety of surfaces when paired with suitable adhesives
Designers should be aware that PVC can become brittle at very low temperatures and soften at very high temperatures, which may limit its use in extreme climates. Typical applications include outdoor advertising films, promotional decals, wall graphics and signage.
3. PP Film — For Consumer Product Labels
PP (polypropylene) film is commonly offered in clear, matte clear, white and silver (metalized) versions. Similar to PET, PP film is often biaxially oriented and exhibits strong chemical resistance, making it suitable for contact with different contents inside containers.
Key advantages of PP label film include:
- Cost-effective film option with strong economies of scale
- Excellent print quality when pretreated to increase surface energy
- Good chemical resistance for many food, cosmetic and household products
- Ideal for “no-label look” labels on glass and rigid plastic bottles
PP films are widely used in food and beverage labels, personal care and cosmetic packaging, household and chemical products, and pharmaceutical and nutraceutical containers. In general, PP film is best suited for indoor or semi-protected environments and for rigid or semi-squeezable containers.
4. PE Film — For Flexible and Squeezable Containers
PE (polyethylene) films are available in clear, matte clear, white matte and metalized formats, with typical thickness ranging from 1.5 mil to 4 mil. PE exhibits excellent chemical resistance and can withstand exposure to many container contents.
PE films are usually produced via blown or cast extrusion:
- Blown PE: higher stiffness and durability.
- Cast PE: non-oriented and highly flexible, ideal for extreme deformability or high squeezability.
High-density PE (HDPE) provides outstanding stiffness and moderate elongation, making labels easy to dispense. However, HDPE films may contain more gels and imperfections, which can impact print quality. To balance rigidity and printability, many suppliers now offer medium-density / high-density blends.
Typical applications: squeezable bottles for personal care and home care products, flexible chemical containers, and durable barcodes and logistics labels.
5. Specialty Films — For High-Value Applications
Specialty films refer to high-performance substrates designed for specific functional requirements, such as superior optical clarity, mechanical strength, temperature resistance or chemical stability. They are commonly used in electronics, medical devices and new energy applications.
Polycarbonate (PC) films combine excellent optical, mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. Typical uses include graphic overlay layers in membrane switches, backlit signage and control panels where one side of the graphic is exposed to UV radiation and the other side is exposed to elevated temperatures due to internal lighting.
Thicker PC sheets are often used for dashboards and instrument panels. In such applications, surface printing is usually followed by applying transfer tapes to mount the graphics onto the application surface.
Acrylic films feature high transparency, weatherability, flexibility and chemical stability. They are widely used in optics, architectural decoration, electronics and medical devices where both appearance and long-term performance are important.
Film Label Material Comparison at a Glance
| Film Type | Main Strengths | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|
| PET | High strength, heat and chemical resistance, excellent clarity | Durable goods, safety labels, asset tracking, overlaminates |
| PVC | Very flexible, easy to form, good outdoor weatherability | Outdoor graphics, wall graphics, signage, promotional decals |
| PP | Cost-effective, good chemical resistance, ideal for “no-label look” | Food & beverage, personal care, household products, pharma |
| PE | Highly flexible, good chemical resistance, squeezable | Squeezable bottles, flexible chemical containers, logistics labels |
| PC / Acrylic | High performance, excellent optical and mechanical properties | Electronics, medical devices, high-value durable overlays |
Step 2:
How to Choose the Right Film Label Material
Selecting the right film-based pressure-sensitive label material requires a comprehensive evaluation of label usage, environment, printing process and overall cost.
- For high-temperature or demanding environments → prioritize PET film.
- For high shrink performance or overlamination → consider PET-based films.
- For cost-sensitive projects → evaluate PVC or PE solutions.
- For premium consumer labels and “no-label look” → PP film is often ideal.
- For highly flexible and squeezable containers → choose PE film.
- For specialty or high-value applications → consider PC and acrylic films.
By fully understanding key label film properties and matching them with application requirements, converters, brand owners and packaging engineers can design film-based pressure-sensitive labels that deliver both technical performance and strong on-shelf impact.
FAQ on Film-Based Pressure-Sensitive Label Materials
1. When should I choose PET instead of PP film labels?
Choose PET when the label will face high temperatures, aggressive chemicals or long-term outdoor exposure. PP is more suitable for indoor consumer products where cost, print quality and appearance are the main priorities.
2. Which film is best for squeezable bottles?
PE films, especially cast PE or medium-density blends, offer excellent flexibility and conformability, making them ideal for highly squeezable containers in personal care and home care applications.
3. How do I improve ink adhesion on film labels?
Ensure the film has sufficient surface energy (often ≥ 38 dynes/cm) via corona or plasma treatment, match it with inks designed for non-porous films and control curing conditions according to the ink supplier’s recommendations.
4. Are PVC label films still acceptable from an environmental perspective?
PVC offers strong performance in outdoor graphics but may be restricted in certain markets due to environmental and recycling considerations. Many brand owners are shifting toward PET, PP or PE solutions to simplify recycling streams and improve sustainability scores.
