3M Durable Labels: Overcoming Challenges in Information Delivery

ABLE takes pride in custom converting components. As such, we are one of the only high-end die-cutting converters to offer a variety of printing capabilities.

We are partnered with 3M to deliver unmatched quality and performance. We can deliver superb printing performance, even in the automotive, appliance, and medical industries. 

In this article, we’ll look at 3M’s durable label materials to find which converting solution best suits your needs.

Persevering Prints: Durable Labeling Solutions

At 3M, the world-class experts are dedicated to ensuring that labels endure the test of time. This enables them to consistently deliver crucial messages to end users even in the harshest conditions, such as scorching sun, bitter cold, and harsh chemical environments. Working with industry-leading converters, 3M’s experts tackle evolving marketplace challenges from initial design to production. This resulted in innovative solutions that excel across various print methods, substrates, and ink systems. 

Whenever confronted with challenging circumstances, businesses can rely on 3M’s Technical Services Specialists to provide tailored assistance, addressing precise needs and guiding them toward effective solutions.

Labels for the Long Haul: Enduring Label Materials

In order to ensure that essential messages remain visible over extended periods, 3M™ offers Durable Label Material featuring a combination of adhesives, topcoats, liners, and other components. This comprehensive solution works in unison to maintain the vibrancy and legibility of the messaging for years, even when exposed to challenging environmental conditions.

Unveiling the All-Purpose 3M Print Label Material

The creation of durable labels poses a formidable challenge due to the need for numerous facestocks tailored to different presses and inks. The team of expert engineers developed 3M Versatile Print Label Material to address this issue. 

This innovative solution offers a single, durable label material equipped with a novel gloss topcoat formulation capable of accommodating a wide range of inks on various printing presses, including water-based flexographic machines. With 3M Versatile Print Label Material, businesses can effortlessly produce crystal-clear labels that endure, featuring variable data, bar codes, and colors that precisely match their brand’s identity.

3M’s labels have the following state-of-the-art qualities:

Versatile

The remarkable versatility of the 3M Versatile Print Label Material extends to its compatibility with an extensive array of inks and printing methods. Whether water-based flexographic, UV flexographic, UV digital inkjet, thermal transfer, screen print, or toner-based printing, this innovative label material effortlessly adapts to each process. This ensures exceptional performance and enduring results across diverse applications.

Verified

The 3M Versatile Print Label Material delivers reliable and trusted results on various printing presses. Through collaborative efforts with print press OEMs, this label material has been qualified on numerous presses, ensuring seamless integration and excellent performance. The material’s versatility lies in its topcoat, which boasts high gloss and surface energy, setting it apart from competitive offerings and enabling it to deliver robust results. Furthermore, it holds the UL Component Recognition to UL969 Labeling and Marking Standard for compatibility with many ink systems and print technologies. This further cements its reputation as a trustworthy and dependable choice for various labeling applications.

Vibrant

Unleash the potential of your creativity with 3M Versatile Print Label Material, and witness stunning results like never before. Thanks to its exceptional topcoat, this innovative label material offers the freedom and flexibility you need to achieve your desired color outcomes. Experience streak-free and crystal-clear labels with sharp edges, boasting near-zero edge bleed and high image sharpness. With 3M Versatile Print Label Material, you can effortlessly create highly durable gloss labels in digital or flexo printing, elevating your labeling game to new heights.

Value

Experience the unparalleled flexibility of employing a single facestock for multiple print jobs with the 3M Versatile Print Label Material. This innovative solution enhances efficiency by minimizing or eliminating pre-treatment steps such as priming. It also streamlines the estimation process, as its versatile topcoat delivers outstanding performance across various presses. With the 3M Versatile Print Label Material, businesses can optimize their inventory management by consolidating to one go-to label material, simplifying operations and maximizing productivity.

Unwavering Adhesion: Durable Label Material Selection

3M offers a variety of durable label materials. Here are some of them: 

Dot Matrix Label Materials

The label material is specifically designed for computer printing applications, such as dot matrix or impact printing. It also offers durable and conformable facestocks like polyester, polypropylene, and semi-rigid vinyl, making it an excellent choice for variable information and printability.

Overlaminate Label Materials

These labels are designed for protective overlaminate applications, providing UV resistance to prevent color fading, while their facestocks are highly resistant to abrasion, scuffs, and weathering.

Tamper Evident Label Materials

The label material is tailored for tamper-resistant labeling applications, offering both destructible and non-destructible facestocks such as paper, vinyl, acetate, and polyester. They also have a diverse range of acrylic adhesives formulated for strength, tack, and clarity on various surfaces.

Films & Liners Label Materials

These materials are specifically designed for streamlined and effective custom-label assembly, featuring top-coated face stocks like polyester, vinyl, and polyethylene for enhanced strength and conformability. These are also compatible with various printing methods, including flexographic, dot matrix, and thermal transfer.

Removable Label Materials

This label material enables clean label removal without leaving adhesive residue on the substrates. They offer a versatile range of facestocks such as paper, vinyl, polyester, polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene, along with a wide selection of removable acrylic adhesives suitable for indoor and outdoor applications.

Tire Label Materials

This label material is tailored for tire labeling, with facestocks like polyester, polyethylene, and vinyl providing both conformability and durability. Meanwhile, the adhesives are specially formulated for strong bonding to treated rubber surfaces.

Foil Label Materials

Offering an excellent alternative to traditional aluminum nameplates, this label material features a vinyl top-coated aluminum foil facestock that boasts exceptional durability and compatibility with various printing processes. On the other hand, the 3M™ Adhesive 320 ensures strong adhesion to plastics and resists flagging.

Digital Print Label Materials

This durable label stock enables precise and efficient production. It is compatible with desktop laser, high-speed laser, and laser markable digital printers, featuring a choice of 90# Polycoated Kraft or Polycoated Kraft liner options.

Thermal Transfer Label Materials

The label material provides excellent thermal stability and moisture resistance, catering to various applications. Meanwhile, its adhesive offers remarkable clarity and good initial tack, contributing to an enhanced finished label.

As a 3M preferred converter, ABLE can integrate their materials with our production expertise – may it be die cutting or printing. With our partnership, we can assist you in finding the best solutions for your challenges.

What are you waiting for? Get in touch with ABLE today, and we’ll be more than happy to assist you with your converting needs!