Acrylic Adhesive: Pressure sensitive adhesive based on high strength, acrylic polymers. Can be coated as a solvent or emulsion system.
Acrylic Emulsion: Water-based latex made with acrylic polymers used in coatings and adhesives.
Adhesion: The state in which two surfaces are held together by interfacial forces. Measure of the strength with which one material sticks to another.
Adhesive: A substance capable of holding materials together by surface attachment. Each label stock is designed to dispense at a specified temperature. Each stock is also designed for best “tack” to a given product. The adhesive will also “flow” at specific rates to provide even application. Poor release from the liner material can also cause the liner to rip, due to insufficient release agents. A diagonal tear is a good indication of poor label release.
Adhesive (P.S.): A type of adhesive which in dry form is aggressively tacky at room temperature. It has the capability of promoting a bond to dissimilar surfaces on contact with pressure.
Adhesive Bleed: Adhesive ooze or flow from pressure sensitive label stock or labels as result of cold flow, edge ooze, halo.
Adhesive Build-Up: The transfer of adhesive from label material to machinery parts during conversion or application.
Anchorage: The specific adhesion of a pressure sensitive adhesive a face material or an anchor coat.
Anilox Roll: A hard cylinder, usually constructed of a steel or aluminum core which is coated by an industrial ceramic whose surface contains millions of very fine dimples, known as cells. Depending on the design of the printing press, the anilox roll is either semi-submersed in the ink fountain, or comes into contact with a so-called"metering roller" which is semi-submersed in the ink fountain. In either instance, a thick layer of typically viscous ink is deposited on the roll. A razor-sharp 'doctor blade' is used to scrape excess ink from the surface leaving just the measured amount of ink in the cells. The roll then rotates to contact with the flexographic printing plate which receives the ink from the cells for transfer to the printed material.
Anilox rolls are often specified by their"line screen", or, the number of cells per linear inch. These often range from around 250 to upwards of 1500, though the precise numbers vary by manufacturer. Anilox rolls are almost always designed to be removed from the press for cleaning and for swap out with different line screen rolls. Depending on the detail of the images to be printed, the press operator will select an anilox roll with a higher or lower line screen. Low line screen rolls are used where a heavy layer of ink is desired, such as in heavy block lettering. Higher line screens produce finer details and are used in four-color process work such as reproducing photographs. Often a job will require a different line screen for each color to be printed.
Applicator: A device that automatically feeds and applies pressure sensitive labels to a product.
Artwork: The original designs including drawings and text produced by the artist. All elements of the design from which the black and white art and printing plates are made. Also, refers to all elements of the black and white production art.