MANUFACTURING / JAPAN SOURCING
A printed label stays on at the desk: will it stay on the actual pack?
Specify the surface and the conditions when the label is applied, then the storage and use that follow. Compare the finished printed label on the intended pack rather than the adhesive name alone.
Begin with the pack, not “strong adhesive”
Imagine approving a printed label on a dry bottle in an office, then finding lifted edges on bottles handled through chilled storage. The sample showed one combination of surface and conditions. It did not describe the application and handling used for the delivery.
Send the label printer the pack material, surface finish and shape, along with the label size, artwork and required behaviour. Is it meant to remain permanently or be removed? Include a pack sample or clear reference and identify whether different containers or surface treatments are being compared.
Separate application from later storage and use
LINTEC’s low-temperature catalogue distinguishes the temperature at application from the temperature in later storage.[1] Ask the buyer and printer to describe both, including the pack-surface condition. Applying to a dry surface before chilling and applying to a cold or wet surface are different requests.
Describe the expected sequence: where the label is applied, how long before the next stage, how it is stored and what changes during handling. Ask which wetness, condensation, rubbing or outdoor exposure needs evaluation for the actual use. An unspecified “waterproof” or “cold-resistant” description leaves those conditions open.
- 1Application: identify the pack surface and the finished label
- 2Storage and handling: record the actual sequence and conditions
- 3Evaluation: link observations to that pack, label revision and test period
The route is an enquiry example, not a universal test cycle or a promise that a proposed adhesive will pass.
Keep the test conditions beside the adhesion figure
LINTEC’s published methods give specific test surfaces, waiting times, environments and reporting units.[2] When two data sheets show different adhesion figures, ask which conditions produced them. A result on a stated test plate is useful evidence for that test; ask what further evaluation is needed on your pack.
The printed label is a construction: face material, adhesive, printing and any surface finish belong together in the request. Ask the printer which proposed construction the sample represents. Keep print quality, legibility and the desired removal behaviour with adhesion in the evaluation, so one successful check does not close every question.
Agree what the trial needs to show
Use the fields below to request a suitable proposal. The printer and responsible technical team should agree the relevant evaluation, timing and acceptance criteria for the product; these fields are not a fixed laboratory procedure.
| Describe | Attach or identify | Ask the supplier to propose |
|---|---|---|
| Pack and surface | Attach or identifyMaterial, finish, shape, sample and surface state at application | Ask the supplier to proposeCandidate construction and differences from the evaluated sample |
| Application and use | Attach or identifyApplication conditions, waiting time, storage and handling sequence | Ask the supplier to proposeRelevant evaluation stages and remaining uncertainties |
| Printed label | Attach or identifySize, shape, artwork, face material, adhesive and finish | Ask the supplier to proposeSample revision, print method and included converting work |
| Decision | Attach or identifyRequired adhesion/removal, legibility and observation period | Ask the supplier to proposeWhat to record, who accepts it and changes requiring review |
Carry the accepted construction into the print order
After the trial, identify the accepted pack, label construction, artwork revision and evaluated conditions in the order. Ask the printer to flag changes to adhesive, face material, ink/finish or converting that could need review. Roll or sheet format and application-equipment requirements should also be explicit where relevant.
For a repeat order, confirm whether the container, surface or handling has changed as well as the artwork. Send HAM the pack reference, destination, use conditions and what remains uncertain. Food-contact or other destination requirements need their own product-specific review alongside the proposed printed label.
Questions to send your supplier
Open supplier questions
Pack material, finish, shape and sample/reference: Label size/shape, artwork revision and required removal behaviour: Surface state and temperature at application: Time before storage/handling; subsequent conditions and duration: Proposed face material, adhesive, printing and surface finish: Please identify what the sample and adhesion data represent. Proposed evaluation, observation period and acceptance responsibility: Supply format and application-equipment requirements if relevant: Please identify changes needing review and unresolved destination requirements.
Sources
- LINTEC — Labelstocks for low-temperature environments (2026)
Read PDF pages 2–3: distinguishes application and storage temperatures. No product-specific temperatures, suitability ratings or food-contact claims are adopted as general criteria.
- LINTEC — Test methods for printing labelstocks (2022-04-26)
Read the adhesion section on PDF page 1. Uses the stated substrate, waiting time, environment and reporting units to explain comparison conditions. Not a review of the current full JIS standard.