An identification label is any physical element that contains identification data and product information, and is placed on a product or its packaging.

The most commonly used materials for labels are paper and plastic film, which most often come with information printed on the front and an adhesive layer on the back (adhesive labels). However, there are numerous different types of labels. Materials vary, as does the type of adhesive, the type of support used (e.g. silicon paper), the printing technology, the level of resistance to atmospheric agents or the type of use. 

Identification labels may be placed on all types of packaging and containers, including cardboard boxes, glass bottles, jars or plastic bags, or directly on the product itself (for example, in the case of clothing or footwear). When assessing implementation options, it is worth considering whether it may be cheaper to incorporate certain solutions into the artwork that is going to be printed directly onto the cardboard, plastics or shrink sleeves, so that no changes need be made to the normal production process. 

Labels can be combined with several other technologies for enhanced security. When they are combined with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags or near-field communication (NFC) devices, they become ‘smart labels’.