Originally Posted by: tmar2020 Hello,
I have a problem with labels not sticking to glass. I thought my labels might be old, but I tried printing to labels that I bought late last year, having the same issues. Do you have a remedy? Thank you!
I was able to locate your account in our system and it looks like you're using the brown kraft label material. This is a pretty rigid paper-based material, so there can be challenges associated with adhesion on curved glass surfaces. There are a few steps you can take to ensure that the labels adhere as well as possible.
- You want to make sure you're labeling a clean surface. Any debris or residue will potentially cause issues, especially if you're labeling a curved container. Some customers choose to wipe down their application surfaces with rubbing alcohol to ensure that the surface is as clean as possible. This isn't always necessary, but can definitely help promote a stronger adhesive bond.
- If you're already working with a clean, dry surface the biggest factor relating to proper adhesion will likely be surface tension. Excess surface tension can cause a label to lift up at the edges. To reduce surface tension, you'll want to apply the center of the label first and then press outwards both ways to distribute pressure evenly/ This will ensure that the label is being applied with as little surface tension as possible and typically goes a long way toward reducing edge lift on labels that wrap around a curved surface.
- Label size can actually have an impact on the adhesive application strength as well. If your application surface allows for it, moving to a larger label size will increase the surface area of the adhesive and will typically result in better adhesion overall. If you're labeling a curved container you may want to consider a full wraparound label as well. Overlapping the edge of the label so that it wraps around and applies to itself can definitely improve the application strength. If you're going to overlap the edge of the labels, the key is to allow for enough length so that the overlap is at least a quarter of an inch. Anything shorter than that may result in some lifting, but if there's enough surface area on the overlap you should see excellent adhesion.
If you've tried all of the suggestions listed above but still need better adhesion you may want to consider one of our label materials with a stronger adhesive. Unfortunately, we don't currently offer a brown kraft option with a stronger adhesive, but our
aggressive white matte and our selection of
weatherproof materials feature adhesives that are typically stronger than a general purpose permanent adhesive.
If you're interested in trying samples of any of these other materials please reach out to our customer service department for assistance. You can submit a support ticket by visiting the link below:
https://secure.onlinelabels.com/support/SupportRequest.aspxI hope this helps. Please just let us know if you need any additional information.