Adhesive
The second component of any label is the adhesive. Selection of adhesives is important because they affix the label to the desired surface. Thermal labels usually incorporate pressure sensitive adhesives to satisfy a wide variety of needs. There are three general categories of these pressure sensitive adhesives:
- removable
- repositionable
- permanent
There are a number of adhesive formulations within each category. A removable adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive that offers low ultimate adhesion to a variety of surfaces for easy removal. An example of this would be the tiny labels you see on fruit you buy in the grocery store.
A repositionable adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive that can be removed cleanly and repositioned on a variety of surfaces. Sticky notes use repositionable adhesive.
A permanent adhesive is an adhesive capable of long-lasting bond strength to a wide variety of surfaces. Permanent adhesives can vary in their levels of tenacity.