Which Label Material Should You Use?

Facestock Description Applications Min. App. Temp. Service Temp. Surface App. Outdoor Durability Tear Resistance
Matte Paper Premium coated, ultra smooth thermal transfer paper label stock featuring an aggressive general purpose acrylic adhesive. General purpose indoor labeling applications under almost any lighting conditions. Packaging Labels, retail applications and high quality barcoding. 25°F -65° to 200°F Corrugate, paper, packaging films, most plastics, stainless steel and glass. None None
Gloss Paper Premium coated, ultra-smooth thermal transfer gloss paper label stock featuring an aggressive general purpose acrylic adhesive. General purpose indoor labeling applications under almost any lighting conditions. Packaging labels, retail applications and high quality barcoding. 25°F -65° to 200°F Corrugate, paper, packaging films, most plastics, stainless steel and glass. None None
Poly-propylene Top-coated, bi-axially oriented, polypropylene with general purpose permanent adhesive. Drum labels, package labels, asset labels, moisture rich environments and item tracking labels. Excellent substitute for polyester when the application requires a glossy finish, but not the durability of polyester 23°F -20° to 176°F Corrugate, paper, packaging films, most plastics, curved surfaces, stainless steel and glass 6 mos - 1 year (depending on exposure conditions) Very slight stretch, does not tear easily unless nicked
Kimdura Coated, bi-axially oriented, multi-layer polypropylene that features chemical and moisture resistance and excellent tear smear and scratch resistance with permanent adhesive. Drum labels, package labels, asset labels, moisture rich environments and item tracking labels. 32°F -75° to 200°F Corrugate, paper, packaging films, most plastics, curved surfaces,  stainless steel and glass. 6 mos - 1 year (depending on exposure conditions) Slight stretch. Tears into layers
White Gloss Polyester UL recognized 2 mil gloss white polyester with permanent industrial grade adhesive. Features excellent tear strength, heat resistance and chemical resistance. Harsh environments, exposure to rain and sun, exposure to oil, grease and alcohol, very high abrasion resistance and high temperature environments. 25°F -40° to 300°F Corrugate, paper, packaging films, most plastics, stainless steel and glass. UL Recognized for indoor/outdoor service. 3+ Years (depending on exposure conditions) Excellent - No stretch. No tear unless nicked
White Matte Polyester UL recognized 2 mil white polyester with permanent industrial grade adhesive. Features excellent tear strength, heat resistance and chemical resistance. Harsh environments, exposure to rain and sun, exposure to oil, grease and alcohol, very high abrasion resistance and high temperature environments. 25°F -40° to 300°F Corrugate, paper, packaging films, most plastics, stainless steel and glass. UL Recognized for indoor/outdoor service. 3+ Years (depending on exposure conditions) Excellent - No stretch. No tear unless nicked
Clear Polyester UL recognized 2 mil clear polyester with permanent adhesive. Features excellent tear strength, heat resistance and chemical resistance. Harsh environments, exposure to rain and sun, exposure to oil, grease and alcohol, very high abrasion resistance and high temperature environments. 25°F -40° to 300°F Corrugate, paper, packaging films, most plastics, stainless steel and glass. UL Recognized for indoor/outdoor service. 3+ Years (depending on exposure conditions) Excellent - No stretch. No tear unless nicked
Silver Polyester UL recognized 2 mil matte silver polyester with permanent industrial grade adhesive. Features excellent tear strength, heat resistance and chemical resistance. Harsh environments, exposure to rain and sun, exposure to oil, grease and alcohol, very high abrasion resistance and high temperature environments. 25°F -40° to 300°F Corrugate, paper, packaging films, most plastics, stainless steel and glass. UL Recognized for indoor/outdoor service. 3+ Years (depending on exposure conditions) Excellent - No stretch. No tear unless nicked
Retro-reflective A 5.5 ml retro-reflective polyester film designed to reflect light back to its source, meets or exceeds L-S-300C, Table IV, reflectivity 3. Featuring a permanent acrylic adhesive with very high shear rating Applications requiring long distance scanning. Typically warehouse rack location and aisle labeling where scanning distances range from 20 ft. - 40 ft. 45°F -40° to 300°F Corrugate, paper, packaging films, most plastics, curved surfaces, stainless steel and glass. 2 Year (depending on exposure conditions) Excellent
Tyvek A tough material constructed of polyetheyne fibers that is strong, lightweight, flexible, smooth, opaque and resistant to water, chemical abrasion and aging. Industrial tags, law tags, product id tags, security tags, seed bad tags, shell fish tags, textile tags, tree/nursery tags. N/A Up to 176°F   6 mos - 1 year (depending on exposure conditions) Excellent