Glossary

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TACK
The property of a pressure sensitive label which causes it to adhere to a surface instantly with a minimum of pressure and contact time. It is the feeling of stickiness obtained when the surface of an adhesive is touched or when a label is applied to a surface and quickly pulled away.

TACK RANGE
The time during which an adhesive remains sticky. Refer NS & LM.

TACKIFIER

An additive used to improve the stickiness or tack of an adhesive.

TACKINESS
The stickiness of the adhesive.

TAG LABEL

Labels on heavy paper or tag stock with die cut holes so labels can be folded over a packaging material as in a header or hanger label.

TAGS

Any identification that is only partially affixed to the product. System tags: converted through roll fed production equipment. Merchandise tags: converted through narrow web roll fed production equipment.

TAMPER-EVIDENT LABEL

A pressure sensitive construction made of material which will partially destruct when tampered with. Used on a variety of items including packages, library books, bottles and important documents.

TAMPERPROOF

Destructible. A pressure sensitive material which can not be removed intact from a substrate thus making reuse of the label impossible.

TAPE

A single faced, self wound, adhesive coated substrate wound on spools for consumer use.

TAPPI

Technical Association of the Paper and Pulp Industry. USA

TARNISHPROOF LABEL

Refers to a pressure sensitive label being free of substances that will discolour or blemish copper or silver.

TEAR STRENGTH

Force required to tear a specimen under standardised conditions, with an instrument designed to measure the force required, by simulating usage conditions under which tearing might be accomplished. Refer NS & LM.

TEAR TAB

An additional area of face stock attached by the release liner to a pressure sensitive label produced in single form to facilitate removal of the release liner.

TEDLAR

Du Pont’s trademark for bi-axially oriented polyvinyl fluoride. One of the most durable, chemical resistant, protective films.

TEETH PER INCH - (TPI)

Denotes the number of cuts per inch in a perforation blade. Refer Die Manufacturers for TPI availability.

TELESCOPING

Transverse slipping of successive winds of a roll of material so that the edge is conical rather than flat.

TENSILE STRENGTH

The force parallel to the plane of the specimen required to break a given width and length of stock under specified conditions. Refer NS & LM.

TENSION

The mechanical control of unwinding or rewinding paper, film, foil and other roll materials. The stress caused by a force operating to extend, stretch or pull apart. Not that paper can, if the machine tension is not controlled correctly, grow in length.

TENSION RELEASE

Loss of tension within a roll of material, usually occurs when there is an actual shrinkage of the adhesive. Once this happens, register control is not possible and the roll must be rewound to re-establish tension.

THERIMAGE

A method of container decoration that utilises pressure and heat to transfer the image from a carrier to the surface of a container.

THERMAL

Refers to the use of heat in any process. Ie. Hot foil stamping. Thermal transfer etc.

THERMAL PROOF

A computer generated colour proof utilising coarse screens, etc., to simulate a finished design. Not useable as artwork. Refer NS.

THERMAL TRANSFER PAPER

A face paper or pressure sensitive paper specifically designed to accept heat activated ink from the ribbon of a thermal transfer printer. A simple test to discover whether paper is thermal transfer or not, is to hold a flame close to the paper surface - if it blackens or discolours - it is thermal paper. Refer LM.

THERMOGRAPHIC

A printing method utilising heat to achieve an image.

THERMOGRAPHIC PAPER - See THERMAL TRANSFER PAPER

THERMOSET

The property of an adhesive normally fluid to set or become rigid and non-meltable when heated.

THICKNESS

The distance from one surface of either tape, label or adhesive to the other, usually expressed in mils, microns or thousandths of an inch. This is normally measured under slight pressure with a special gauge. Refer NS & LM.

THIXOTROPIC

Describes materials which exhibit thixotropy.

THIXOTROPY

The ability of gel like liquids to ‘thin out’ when under shear forces or when agitated.

THREAD

In a press or coating machine, the routing of a web between the various rollers or other parts of the machine - ‘thread up’ or ‘web up’ are two other terms commonly used.

TIE

A term used to denote the uncut portion of the perforation.

TIE COAT

One layer of a coating used to improve the adhesion of ink or other coatings to follow. Also called ‘Primer’ and ‘Barrier Coat’.

TIGHT RELEASE

The level of adhesion between the release liner and the adhesive on a pressure sensitive material, when the liner is difficult to remove. Refer NS & LM.

TINTS

Even tone areas (strengths) of a solid colour.

TLMI

Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute. North American organisation of Label Printers similar to LATMA Australia Ltd.

Secretariat: 1700 1st Avenue South

Iowa City

Iowa USA 52240-6041

TOLERANCE

A specified range that products must fall within. Refer NS & LM & IM & O.

TOOLING

Usually refers to die cutters, butt cutters, etc., used to cut out the labels. Mostly used to refer to all tooling necessary to produce the finished product; blocks and die cutters.

TOOTH COUNT

Refers to the actual number of teeth there are on the gear which is attached to the dies and printing cylinders. Each tooth count refers to a separate and actual repeat length. Ie. 96 teeth at 1/8" = 12" repeat.

TOP LAMINATION - See OVERLAMINATING

TOPCOAT

A surface treatment or coating on a material which enhances ink receptivity. Also refers to protective coating.

TORSION

Stress caused by twisting a material.

TOXICITY

The degree or intensity of virulence of a substrate judged to be injurious to living tissue; poisonous.

TPI - See TEETH PER INCH - See GEAR CHART at back of Glossary.

TRACKING

The manner in which a web travels through rotary equipment.

TRACTOR FEED - See PIN FEED

TRANSFER ADHESIVE SANDWICH

Pressure sensitive adhesive coated between two release liners with a release differential, so that the release liners can be peeled away successively, in order that the adhesive alone can be applied to a substrate. Refer NS & LM.

TRANSFER ROLLER

Plain or engraved roller rotating in contact with another plain roller or doctor blade transferring variable amounts of ink in a flexographic inking system.

TRANSFER TAPE

A pressure sensitive adhesive, unsupported, applied to a two-sided differentially release coated liner. Refer NS & LM.

TRANSLUCENCY

Ability to transmit diffused light without being fully transparent. Refer NS.

TRANSLUCENT

Transmitting light in a diffuse manner so that objects beyond cannot be clearly distinguished; partially transparent. Refer NS & LM.

Special Note: Translucent and transparent are names often confused for similar but different outcomes.

TRANSPARENCY

Colour or monochrome photographic positive on a transparent base (film). Also that property of a material which transmits light rays so that objects can be clearly seen through it. Refer NS & LM.

TRANSPARENT

Transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that objects beyond are clearly distinguishable. Refer NS & LM.

TRANSPARENT LABEL

A pressure sensitive label whose face material, adhesive and protective coatings, transmit light so that objects can be seen through it. Also called ‘No label look’. Refer NS & LM.

TRANSVERSE DIRECTION

The direction of a labelstock from left to right, from side to side, as opposed to the web direction; cross direction. Refer LM.

TRAPPING

The overlapping of various colours in a design to prevent their separating and not touching as a result of registration variables during printing. The condition of printing ink on ink, making sure the first down ink is dry when the next one is printed over it to properly hide the first colour down. This can also be achieved by printing each successive colour after Ultra Violet curing, and in the case of oil based inks, each colour with a decreased viscosity.

TRIM

The normal edge waste from a master roll of labelstock. A term used to describe an action on the press ‘trim’ the paper, ‘trim’ the edge.

TRIM MARKS - See CROP MARKS

In printing, marks placed on the copy, and sometimes printed, to indicate the edge of the label where it will be cut.

TUNNEL - (Drying)

The compartment through which a web passes for drying after printing.

TUNNELLING

A condition caused by incomplete bonding of laminates, characterised by release of longitudinal portions of the substrate and deformation of these portions to form tunnel-like structures.

TURN BAR - See TURNING BARS

TURNING BARS

An arrangement of stationery bars on a press, which guide the web in such a manner that it is turned front to back, and will be printed on the reverse side by the printing units located subsequent to the turn(ing) bars. Often used to produce sheet labels where the liner is printed with instructions or tradenames, then the labelstock is turned right side up so that the labelstock surface can receive the die cut.

TYVEK

Du Pont’s trademark for spun bonded polyolefin material frequently used as a face material where very high tensile strength is required. Often used for snow ski tickets.