The self-adhesive labels market is expected to witness significant growth in technology as manufacturing techniques and machinery evolve to match the customer requirements. Self-adhesive label manufacturing has witnessed significant evolution with the introduction of facestock labels, release liners, and advanced printers. The printing aspect has witnessed the highest growth as advancements in hardware, software, and materials allowed for higher grades of designs and customisations to be implemented.
Digital printing technologies are touted to be the future of self-adhesive labels as the use of CAD programming and efficient machines enabled companies to offer high degree of customised options to suit customer requirements. Printing technologies have observed radical evolution over the years, and companies offer a wide array of different prints such as flexo printing, thermal transfer printing, screen printing, metal stamping, glue elimination + track turner, and lamination.
All these technologies have different advantages to suit the client requirements. Different sectors use various types of printing technologies depending on the sector requirements, materials used, level of customisation required, and others. Sectors such as pharmaceuticals are focused on the use of release liner self-adhesive labels that can be used in bandages, tablet packaging, serialised labels, shrink labels, and wrap labels.
The development in label technologies has helped companies in developing security countermeasures to prevent instances of counterfeits, thefts, and fraud. Companies have developed security labels including hologram labels that have multiple layers and unique printed numbers to prevent unauthorised sales, and protect customers and companies from liabilities.
The development of these labels, however, has come at the cost of the environment as majority these are made from non-recyclable compounds, especially in the facestock and liner-less segments. The use of plastic-based composites poses an environmental threat that becomes difficult to address in terms of recyclability. Major players have taken steps to address these concerns by manufacturing paper-based labels that are eco-friendly and easily recyclable.
