Choosing a label material

The seven materials

All seven roll label materials are white, and we print on them in full colour. The material decides how the label copes with water, oil and handling, and how it looks and feels.

• Gloss BOPP
• Matte BOPP
• Paper

Gloss BOPP

A white plastic film (BOPP) with a gloss laminate on top. It is waterproof and resists oil, and colours look their brightest under the shine. It is the usual choice for supplement bottles, food jars and sauces, and drinks. See BOPP labels for supplements and food.

Matte BOPP

The same waterproof, oil-resistant film with a matte laminate. It cuts glare, so ingredient lists and small print stay readable under shop lights, and it has a soft, quiet look that suits skincare and candles.

Paper

White paper with a semi-gloss finish. It costs less than film and suits products that stay dry, like coffee bags, bakery boxes and dry goods. Water and oil will mark it.

Laminated paper

Paper with a gloss or matte laminate over the print. The laminate handles splashes and scratches, which suits soap, gift jars and retail boxes. For food that gets wet or oily, choose BOPP film.

Writable

Waterproof film with a matte laminate, made for writing lot numbers, dates or names by hand. Use a permanent marker; ballpoint and gel pens smudge on the laminate.

Removable

Waterproof film with a low-tack adhesive. It holds firmly but peels off in one piece without leaving residue, for reusable containers, glassware and retail items where the label has to come off later. It comes with a gloss or matte laminate.

Freezer

Waterproof film with an adhesive made for deep cold and frost, in gloss or matte. Apply it at room temperature, before the container goes in the freezer.

Side by side

Marker means a permanent marker, because ballpoint and gel pens smudge on a laminate. Not rated means we don't have a rating for that use, so test it on your product or ask us before you order.

Which material for which product

These are starting points. The right answer depends on where your product is kept and how it gets handled.

Gloss or matte

Both laminates protect the print equally. The choice comes down to look. Gloss makes colours brighter and catches the light on a shelf. Matte reads as calmer and more premium, and it keeps dense text easy to read under bright lights because it doesn't reflect them.

If your label has a lot of small text, such as an ingredient list or a Product Facts table, matte is the safer choice for readability.

Natural health product labels

Canadian NHP labels must show required text in one colour that reads like black on white, or on a neutral background tinted no more than 5%. All of our label stocks are white and we don't print white ink, so leave the area behind the Product Facts table unprinted or very light and the white stock does the work. Our NHP label guide covers the rest of the rules.