An adhesive label is a small piece of paper or other material that is designed to be affixed to another larger piece of paper or object via a layer of adhesive on its back. Like fabric labels, adhesive labels that are affixed to products bear printed identification codes – generally barcodes – and product information.
Used for
Authentication
Tracking/Tracing
Anti-tampering / Anti-alteration
Suitable for
Small products
Medium-sized products
Large products
Goes on
Product
Packaging
Can be used for
Physical products
Visibility
Visible
Reading device needed
Yes
No
Connection to server
Yes
No
Description
Adhesive labels may be made with a variety of different materials and attached to a variety of different supports. Like fabric labels, they can be combined with other, more advanced security features, such as custom holograms, optical variable ink (OVI), tracer fibres and RFID tags.
The adhesive is usually made of rubber, acrylic or an acrylic blend depending on the type of product and the environment the product is exposed to. Rubber adhesives work well on most kinds of surfaces, but are less resistant to temperature and UV light than other adhesives. Acrylic is less suitable for plastic surfaces, but more resistant to solvents and lasts longer. Acrylic blend adhesives offer the highest resistance, but they are also prone to wearing off under exposure to heat and UV light.
Uses
Adhesive labels can be used on a very wide range of products and can be affixed directly to both product and packaging.
Implementation
Implementing this technology will require changes to be made to the stage in the production process at which labels are attached to the product. As with other types of labels, partly or fully automated solutions are available for those adhesive labels that do not need to be applied manually, depending on the quantity to be applied.
Cost
The costs associated with simple adhesive labels are very low; costs associated with ‘smart labels’ largely depend on the characteristics of the additional technologies involved.