Glossary of Terms, G - M

NS = Refer relevant National Standard.
LM = Refer Labelstock Manufacturers specification sheets.
IM = Refer Ink Manufacturers specification sheets.
O = Other manufacturers specification sheets - Die or cutter, plates, etc.

G

GAP

The space between two (2) objects.

GAPPING

Openings between layers within a roll of self wound laminating tape.

GAUGE

A unit of measure. Usually the thickness or diameter and generally expressed by a number

Refer NS.

GAUGE BANDS

Areas where material or liner is thicker, forming a hard ridge as layer after layer builds up in the same spot.

GEAR CHART

A handy reference compilation of the various printing lengths or repeats obtainable within the different gearing systems of rotary presses

Referred to as ‘teeth per inch = TPI’ or ‘teeth per centimetre = TPM’.

GEAR MARKS

A defect in flexographic printing. Usually appears as uniformly spaced, lateral variations in tone exactly corresponding to the distance between gear teeth.

GEAR SIDE - See DRIVING SIDE

GEAR STREAKS

In printing, parallel streaks appearing across the printed web at the same interval as the gear teeth on a cylinder. Same as gear marks.

GEL

A state or condition in which an ink, varnish or coating has a jelly-like consistency.

GELLING

The thickening of an ink or other liquid, which cannot be reversed by stirring.

GHOSTING

Very faint reproduction of printed design without actual ink transfer. Shadows or indistinct images appearing in solids or reverses typically caused by poor ink distribution and/or poor ink formulation.

GLASSINE

A supercalendered, smooth, dense, transparent or translucent paper manufactured primarily from chemical wood pulps which have been beaten to secure a high degree of hydration of the stock. Commonly used as backing paper (liner)

Refer NS & LM Specification Sheet.

GLOSS

Characteristic of the surface which causes it to reflect light at a given angle

Refer NS & LM Specification Sheet.

GLUE - See ADHESIVE

GRAB - Also called TACK (Initial)

Ability of an adhesive to quickly adhere to a surface with a minimum of pressure (usually touched to the surface with its own weight). Also called instant adhesion or initial tack

Refer NS & LM Specification Sheet.

GRAIN

In paper making, the direction in which most fibres lie corresponding with the alignment of the fibres in the direction of the paper travel through the paper making machine.

GRAIN DIRECTION

In roll or fanfolded labels, the grain direction runs along the web, parallel to the sides. The opposite of ‘cross direction’.

GRAM

Unit of weight in the metric system; the weight of one (1) cubic centimetre of water at standard conditions. A litre of water weighs 1 kilogram, 28.35 grams = 1 ounce, 453.6 grams = 1 pound.

GRAVURE PRINTING

A printing process employing minute engraved wells (cells). Generally, deeply etched wells carry more ink than a raised surface (letterpress and flexographic), hence print darker values. Shallow wells print lighter values. A doctor blade wipes excess ink from the cylindrical printing surface. Rotogravure employs etched cylinders and web-fed stock.

GUARD BARS

The bars which are at both ends and center of a UPC and EAN symbol. They provide reference points for scanning.

GUILLOTINE

An instrument for trimming sheets of paper (with a downward cutting action). Guillotines are usually ‘stand alone’ pieces of equipment, but on some label presses, they are built into the main machine.

GUM - See ADHESIVE.

Referring to a broad class of synthetic and natural adhesive materials which exhibit good tack characteristics

Refer NS & LM Specification Sheet.

H

HAIRLINE REGISTER

Register within +/- 1/2 row of dots in halftone printing.

HALFTONE

The reproduction of continuous-tone subjects such as photographs through a contact halftone screen, which converts the image into dots with equal spacing and different sizes.

HALO

An undesirable, peripheral outline of a printed image. An undesirable, peripheral outline of adhesive around the edge of an applied pressure sensitive label (due to adhesive ooze or substrate shrinkage).

HANG LABEL

A term used to describe a label where part of the liner is peeled away, the exposed adhesive wrapped around an object, then stuck to the back of the liner that remains. These products usually ‘hang’ in the retail market place. Airline suitcase baggage labels are an example.

HANG TAG

A term used to describe fold-over labels (stuck to themselves) generally used for product identification. These products usually ‘hang’ in the retail market place.

HARD DOT

A term that refers to a dot where the fringe or halo is so slight as to be barely noticeable and the dot is very sharp.

HARDNESS

Degree of hardness. Shore and Rockwell being two (2) scales used to measure and compare hardness. Usually ‘Shore’ is used to describe the hardness factor of rubber rollers.

HAZE

A degree of cloudiness in a plastic material.

HDPE

-> 2 PLASTIC

HEAT RESISTANCE

The property of a material which inhibits the occurrence of physical or chemical changes caused by exposure to high temperatures.

HEAT SEAL

To bond two (2) or more surfaces together using heat. Usually for sealing plastic or acetate bags.

HEAT SEAL LABELS

Label paper that has a coating which melts under heat to form the bonding agent. Commonly known to the carpet industry as ‘Iron-on Labels’.

HEAT SEALING

The process of bonding two (2) or more surfaces together by heating the adherent surfaces so that the heat seal coating or film is melted, thereby affecting an adhesion between those surfaces. Pressure is often added along with heat.

HEAT SEALING ADHESIVE

An adhesive film applied to a substrate to be later reactivated by the application of heat.

HELIUM NEON LASER

The type of laser most commonly used in bar code scanners.

HICKEY

A piece of foreign matter in paper or similar defect. A burr or defect on the printing plate or engraving. Spots or any imperfections in the printing due to dirt on the press, dried or lumpy ink, paper dust particles, etc.

HIGH SPEED UNWIND

A device used to accelerate the unwinding of a roll of labels on a high speed automatic label dispenser.

HIGH TEMPERATURE ADHESIVE

An adhesive that will enable a pressure sensitive label to adhere or stick well when applied to a hot substrate. Its characteristic will be such as to have a high degree of resistance to aging or deterioration at the elevated temperatures

Refer NS & LM specification sheets.

HIGHLIGHT

The lightest or whitest parts in a photograph represented in a halftone reproduction by the smallest dots, or the absence of all dots.

HOLDING POWER

The ability to withstand stress, as in holding rigid label materials on small diameter cylindrical objects. Involves both adhesive and cohesive strength and flexibility of the face material

Refer NS & LM specification sheets.

HOLOGRAM

The pattern on a photosensitive material or embossed into a polymeric film structure resulting from an interference pattern created by a laser light striking an object, then merging with a reference beam of the same light. One of the best examples of a hologram is the use of images in the clear part of Australian bank notes.

HOT MELT ADHESIVE

Thermoplastic materials with 100% solids that liquefy when heated and re-solidify on cooling to form a bond with the face sheet. The adhesive was applied to a pressure sensitive lamination which includes a release coated backing sheet

Refer relevant NS & LM specification sheets.

HOT STAMPING

A process that uses heat and pressure to transfer the image from a metal printing plate to a substrate using a coloured or metallic foil to produce the desired result. Most commonly used to create metallic effects on a printed label.

HUE

In colour, the main attribute of a colour which distinguishes it from other colours. Red, orange, green, blue are colour hues.

HYDROSCOPIC

The quality of some materials to absorb atmospheric moisture; exhibiting an infinity for water.

I

I

Roman numeral for 1.

ID

Inside Diameter.

IDLER ROLLERS

Roller mechanisms on converting machines used to support, smooth or direct the web in its course of travel through a machine. Not driven.

IML

In-mould Label. A label which is not pressure sensitive, but is placed inside a plastic mould before the plastic is blown, not extruded. The label has a heat responsive adhesive, and when plastic is blown into the mould, it breaks down momentarily, and the label becomes part of the article.

IMPREGNATE

To saturate or permeate a material with a substance.

IMPRESSION

The image transferred from the printing plate to the substrate or the adjustment required to affect the same.

IMPRESSION CYLINDER

In printing, the cylinder on a printing press over which the material feeds to the impression from the inked plate.

IMPRESSIONS

Imprints generally caused by defect on core or bad splice, etc. Can show up for many meters on certain materials.

IMPRINTING

Technique in which changeable copy is added to blank or previously printed labels, tags, etc., with a secondary printing device such as an imprinter, computer printer, typewriter, etc.

INCH - See JOG

A unit of imperial measurement. 1" = 25.4mm. Often used to refer to computer imprinting as ‘6 lines per inch’, etc.

IN-LINE PRESS

A press coupled to another operation such as sheeting, die cutting, creasing, etc. A multi-colour press in which the colour stations are mounted horizontally in a line.

IN-MOULD LABELS - See IML

INDEX HOLES - See FEED SLOTS

INDEX PUNCH - See FEED SLOTS

INFEED NIP

A mechanism designed to control the forward travel of the web into the press.

INFRARED

Type of heaters used for drying.

INFRARED LIGHT

Refers to infrared rays, the longer wave lengths below the red in the spectrum. Used as a source of heat. Note: Infrared rays are usually visible as light from a infrared heater, but not when drying is used.

INHIBITOR

A compound (usually organic) that retards or stops a chemical reaction such as corrosion, oxidation or polymerisation.

INITIAL RELEASE

A release test run immediately after coating and laminating of pressure sensitive labelstock

Refer NS for test procedure & LM specification sheets.

INITIAL TACK

Degree of stickiness when a pressure sensitive label is first applied to the product

Refer NS for test procedure & LM specification sheets.

INK BLEED

Penetration of one colour of ink into the facestock in such a manner as to cause one colour to run or discolour either the background colour of the facestock, or another colour of ink that is laid down adjacent to the colour that is bleeding

Refer NS.

INK FOUNTAIN

Device which stores and supplies ink to the inking roller in a controlled manner on a printing press.

INK HOLDOUT

Describes the degree to which pigment and binder stay on the surface of a material; a function of the ink, material and solvent (or chemical) interactions.

INK PAN - See INK FOUNTAIN

INK PUMP

Electric or air driven mechanical pump that circulates an ink or coating from a holding tank to the ink fountain.

INTERNAL BOND See COHESIVE STRENGTH

Refer NS & LM specification sheets.

INTERNAL STRESS

Stress created within the adhesive layer by the movement of the adherends at different rates or by contraction or expansion of the adhesive layer

Refer NS for test procedure & LM specification sheets.

ION DEPOSITION

Also known as NON-IMPACT PRINTING. A method of printing using a non-impact electronic image process. Ink or dye is blown onto labels, or transferred as an inkjet, or as a powder.

IR-SCANNABLE

Capable of being read by an infrared scanner.

IRRADIATION

Treated with ultra violet light or another high energy ray.

J

JIG

A device used to assist the correct placement of a semi-automatically applied pressure sensitive label. Usually it is made to fit the shape of the product being labelled.

JOG - INCHING

To intermittently operate a press for very short increments of web travel. Presses are wired so as not to operate at speed while in ‘inching’ mode.

JOIN - See BREAK

JOURNALS

The end shafts on which a roller rotates, usually within the needle bearing or bushing of a die block.

JUMBO ROLL

A full width roll of pressure sensitive laminate (converted or whole) where the outside diameter is larger than standard

Refer NS & LM specification sheets.

K

K

Common letter used in English for 1,000.

KEY-LINE

In artwork, an outline of finished art for labels to indicate the exact shape, position, and size for such elements as half-tones, line sketches, text, etc.

KEY MARK OR TRIGGER

A code bit(s) that provides the scanner with the instruction that the code is in a position to be read. Used in some fixed beam readers.

KICKOUT

The precipitation of the solid part of an ink or coating.

KISS CUT

A die-cutting operation which cuts through the face sheet to a liner, but not through the liner in any way

Refer NS & O.

KISS IMPRESSION

The lightest possible impression which will transfer the film of ink from the transfer roller to the plate and from the plate to the material being printed.

KNIFE CUT LABELS - See BUTT CUT LABELS

KNOCK-OUT

In colour printing, the process of dropping an image out of the colour such as dropping white type out of a colour background. Often called reverse printing.

KROMEKOTE

A trademark of a clay coated paper with a highly polished, mirror-like finish; high gloss.

KROY

A machine that uses foil and a disk with relief lettering to impact letters of the alphabet in a uniform manner to help create artwork. A typesetting machine.

L

L

Roman numeral for 50.

LABEL

A method by which to apply identification to an object. The functional portion of a pressure sensitive construction comprising the face material and adhesive, die cut into the shape desired

Refer NS. See front of Glossary for representative illustration.

LABEL PANEL

Main panel of a container specifically created for the purpose of placing the pressure sensitive label.

LABEL STOCK - LABELSTOCK

Pressure sensitive laminate from which labels are converted; usually refers to roll stock

Refer NS & LM specification sheets.

LABELLING MACHINE

Dispensing apparatus that, by means of driving or pulling the backing (liner), delivers a pressure sensitive label and applies it to a product.

LACQUER

A clear protective coating, usually glossy, applied to a printed web in-line on a label press just prior to die-cutting.

LADDER - See MATRIX

LAMINANT

An adhesive for combining and bonding a combination of films, foils, plastics, papers or other materials. Pressure sensitive constructions are often called laminants.

LAMINATE

A web of material formed by bonding two or more materials together as in a pressure sensitive construction. To apply one layer of material over another

Refer NS & LM specification sheets.

LAMINATION

A plastic film bonded by heat, adhesive, and/or pressure to a printed web for protection or appearance. Two or more materials bonded together functioning as one (1).

LAND - See TIE

LASER PAPER

Paper suitable to accept laser printing. Labelstock used to produce labels in sheets (A4) for laser printers must be able to withstand heat and bending around rollers within the laser printer

Refer LM specification sheets.

LASER PRINTING

A method of printing which utilises a laser beam to put images onto a substrate. Usually the surface of the substrate must have specific characteristics to accept laser printing. Common desk-top laser printers actually transfer the image to a toner roller which then fuses the toner to the paper using heat and/or a laser beam. Check manuals from machines to see if they are true lasers before producing labels. Most machines have paper specifications in their manuals, and also refer to Labelstock.

LASER SCANNER

An optical reading device using a low energy laser light beam as its source of illumination.

LATEX

An emulsion of rubber or resin particles dispersed in an aqueous (water based) medium. A natural or synthetic elastomeric dispersion in an aqueous system.

LATEX PAPER

Paper manufactured by two major processes; one of which is where latex is incorporated with the fibres in the beater prior to formation of the sheet, and the second of which is where a preformed web of absorbent fibre is saturated with properly compounded latex. The papers are characterised by strength, folding endurance, resistance to penetration by water, flexibility, durability and resistance to abrasion

Refer Labelstock manufacturers specification sheet.

LATMA - FEDERAL. LATMA AUSTRALIA LTD

(The) Label & Tag Manufacturers’ Association of Australia Ltd. Membership is made up of each member state with two (2) representatives from each state (usually the President & one other elected person) attending meetings etc. at least twice every year. LATMA Australia deals with issues such as Training, National and International Standards, Imports, Bi-Annual Conferences, Overseas Conferences and any other issue that members are likely to pursue. The National President is elected from the committee and serves for two years. LATMA Australia and the states are affiliated with PIAA in Australia, FINAT in Europe and TLMI in United States of America. LATMA Australia Ltd Secretariat resides in New South Wales at PIAA headquarters.

LATMA - STATE.

Each represented LATMA state has its own constitution and conducts both social and working meetings through the vehicle of its committee. Usually two members of the committee are elected to represent that state’s point of view at the National Committee meetings. The President is elected by ballot. The secretariat of each state LATMA usually resides in the PIAA Office in that state.

LAY FLAT

A label material with good non-curling characteristics making it suitable for automatic over-wrapping, insertion or any other form of further processing requiring a flat sheet (Stay flat)

Refer NS & LM specification sheets.

LAY-UP - See ARTWORK

LAYOUT

The drawing or sketch of a proposed design. Usually precedes formal artwork.

LDPE

->4 PLASTIC

LEGGING

The stringing out of a pressure sensitive adhesive which frequently occurs following die-cutting when the matrix or waste skeleton id being stripped.

LETRASET

The dry transfer of lettering (similar to a transfer) from a carrier sheet by pressure. One letter or symbol at a time, usually performed by rubbing the transfer through a protective sheet.

LETTERPRESS

Printing process which employs a relief or raised inked image which comes into direct contact with the material being printed. Hard relief plates and oil based or Ultra Violet inks are used

Refer NS.

LEUCO DYES

Used in the manufacture of some grades of IR, direct thermal papers.

LEXAN

General Electric Company (USA) trademark for polycarbonate film.

LIFTING

Defect where label exhibits some degree of lifting from the applied surface

Refer NS for test procedure.

LIGHT PEN

A hand-held scanning wand which is used as a contact bar code reader.

LIGHT RESISTANCE - See FADING

The ability of a plastic material to resist fading after exposure to sunlight, ultra violet light or weathering. Nearly all plastics tend to darken under these conditions. This also applies to inks and pressure sensitive labelstock face material. Also called Light Fast when printing inks are referred to

Refer NS, IM & LM specification sheets.

LINE AND SCREEN

Any reproduction of line and single or multiple screenwork not utilising the combination of the three primary colours. Any number of colours can be utilised.

LINE HOLE PUNCHING - See FEED SLOTS

LINE WIDTH REDUCTION

Degree of gain allowed for when making up bar code films.

LINER - See BACKING

LITHOGRAPHIC PAPER

A paper coated on at least one side, suitably prepared for lithographic printing.

LOGO

The abbreviation or trade jargon for logotype. Name, symbol or mark to identify a company (trademark).

LOSS OF TACK

The adhesive loses its adhesion properties; does not grab the product as well as it should

Refer NS for test procedure & LM specification sheets.

LUMINESCENT PIGMENTS

Special pigments available to produce striking effects in the dark. Basically there are two types; one is activated by ultra violet radiation (usually black light), producing very strong luminescence. The second is known as phosphorescent pigments and does not require any separate source of radiation.

M

M

Roman numeral for 1,000. Printers’ measure; 1 em = 12 points; 6 ems = 1 inch.

MACHINE DIRECTION

The direction of any material parallel to its forward movement on (through) the press.

MACHINE GLAZED

The finish produced in glaze on the wire side of a sheet as it is passed in contact over a single, large diameter, steam-heated cylinder on the Yankee Machine. The finish is commonly referred to as M.G.

MAGENTA

A subtractive primary colour which reflects blue and red light and absorbs green light.

MAGNETIC CYLINDER

A cylinder used in die cutting that is magnetised to accept and hold in place, flexible steel dies. Also used for metal backed printing plates.

MAGNETIC DIES

A thin, flexible, steel ‘foil’ bearing the actual die cutting blades that is held on to a base cylinder magnetically. Quite common in EDP label production where identical repeats are frequently used.

MAKE AND HOLD

Material that has been manufactured and is being held for customer release.

MAKEREADY

The ‘making ready to print or cut’ of any printing press. On printing presses, all operations prior to running; such as mounting plates, adjusting in-feed, edge guide, putting ink in the fountain, changing cylinders in flexo, adjusting the impression, setting up the die cutting, colour matching, etc. All preparatory operations preceding production on the press.

MAKING ORDER

Any order which cannot be filled from stock and is to be made according to purchaser’s specifications; custom order.

MANDREL

A shaft upon which cylinders or other devices (numbering boxes, perforation blades, etc.), are mounted or affixed. Also unwind and rewind shaft on to which rolls of materials (or labels) are mounted.

MANILA

Describes the colour of paper/board manufactured from rope stocks. Usually refers to Manilla board.

MARGINAL PUNCHING - See FEED SLOTS; PIN FEED

MASKING

Covering part of a surface to protect it from exposing, etching, etc.

MASTER ROLL

A full width roll that has finished the primary manufacturing process and is usually untrimmed and unslit.

MATERIAL

Usually refers to un-converted stock, pressure sensitive or not.

MATERIAL SPLICE

An area where tape has been used to attach two rolls of material together to form one continuous web.

MATRIX - Also known as WASTE SKELETON

The face material and adhesive surrounding a pressure sensitive label, usually after die cutting.

MATT FINISH - MATTE FINISH

A low gloss or no gloss finish. A UV curable clear coat may be used to produce a matte or textured finish.

MECHANICAL

Term for a camera ready past-up of artwork including type, photos, line art, etc.; all on one piece of artboard.

MEMBRANE SWITCH

Self contained sealed film lamination printed with conductive inks that form trace paths for electrical currents. Primarily composed of pressure sensitive polycarbonate and/or polyester films designed to replace traditional glass-type switches.

MEMORY

The property of a material that attempts to return to its original configuration after being distorted. Can cause great difficulty if correct adhesives are not used for glass or plastic small diameter phials.

METAL FOIL

Thin flexible layer of metal, such as aluminium, used as face materials. Thinner gauges are often laminated to paper for strength.

METALLISED FOIL

A plastic or resinous film that has been coated one side with a very thin layer of metal.

METALLISED PAPER

A label substrate consisting of a lacquered C1S paper on which a very thin film of aluminium has been deposited.

METALLISING

Applying a thin coating of metal to a non-metallic surface. May be done by chemical deposition or be exposing the surface to vaporised metal in a vacuum chamber.

MEYER ROD

A method of coating utilising a wire wrapped stainless steel rod which meters specific amounts of coating as it is applied to a substrate.

MEZZOTINT - See STOCHASTIC.

An irregular, random dot halftone.

MICR

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. The process of machine reading characters by means of magnetic sensing.

MICROMETER

A mechanical device for measuring thickness (usually in thousands of an inch).

MICRON

A unit of measure, One-millionth of a meter, or about .00004" (25 microns = 0.001").

MIGRATION - See ADHESIVE STRIKE-THROUGH

The movement of one or more of the components of a pressure sensitive adhesive to either the labelled surface or the label stock (face material). Also the movement of one or more of the components of either the labelstock and the labelled surface into the adhesive and/or ink

Refer NS & LM specification sheets.

MIGRATION OF PLASTICISER

Loss of plasticiser from an elastomeric plastic compound with the subsequent absorption by an adjacent medium of lower plasticiser concentration, often causes a loss of adhesion.

MIL

Unit of thickness measurement used for thin materials. 1 mil = 0.001"

MILEAGE

The surface area covered by a given quantity of ink or coating. Coverage.

MILL ROLL

Roll of paper, film or foil as received by the converter from the mill.

MILLIPOISE

1/100th of a poise. The unit of viscosity measurement (for inks, etc.).

MINIMUM APPLICATION TEMPERATURE

The lowest temperature at which a pressure sensitive label can be applied to a product and still retain initial tack

Refer Labelstock Manufacturers specification sheets.

MISCIBLE

Capable of being mixed; mutually soluble.

MISREAD

A condition which occurs when the data output of a reader does not agree with the encoded data presented.

MMSI

A million square inches of material.

MMSQ

Millions of square millimetres.

MODULE

The narrowest unit of measure in a bar code. A module may be ‘black’ or ‘white’. Contiguous modules are used to form bars or spaces which are wider than one unit.

MOIRE

In colour process printing, an undesirable screen pattern formed by improper screen angles of overprinting half tones. Often called a Moire Star or Pattern.

MOISTURE CONTENT

The moisture present in a material as determined by specified methods.

MOISTURE RESISTANCE

That property of a material which resists uptake or passage of moisture.

MOISTUREPROOF

That property of a material which makes it substantially impervious to water vapour.

MOULD RELEASE AGENTS

Materials used in the manufacture of moulded objects to facilitate their removal from the mould. ie. Oil. silicone etc. Mould release agents can cause serious adhesion problems in some instances.

MONO WEB

A brand name for a printed pressure sensitive label web that is self wound. A release coating is applied over the print so that the adhesive on the back will not stick to the printed surface. The actual die cutting becomes a function of the label application equipment. The process is covered by patent.

MONOMER

A primary chemical structure which reacts with itself, under the influence of catalytic action to create polymeric forms of much greater molecular weight. A component of Ultra Violet inks.

MOTTLE

A spotty or uneven appearance of printing mainly in solid areas.

MOUNTING

The process of affixing plates to/on a cylinder or base in proper position to allow register, colour to colour to die.

MOUNTING AND PROOFING

Device for accurately positioning plates on the plate cylinder and for obtaining proofs of those plates.

MOUNTING PLATE

Grid used to mount plates accurately.

MSDS

Material Safety Data Sheet. A written or printed text concerning a hazardous chemical with all the pertinent information about the product as well as precaution and protection information.

MSI

A thousand square inches of material.

MULTI-PROCESS - See COMBINATION PRESSES

A combination of any printing processes and other decorating methods. An application of lacquer utilising another printing station other than the main printing process shall not qualify as multi-process.

MVTR

A measure of the rate of water vapour transmission through any material.

MYLAR

DuPont’s trademark for clear, tough polymeric polyester film.