PACKAGING A
coordinated system for the preparation of goods for shipment, distribution and
storage.
PADDING Binding
sheets of paper-blank, ruled, etc., together by applying flexible glue or
adhesive to one edge of the stack.
PASS One
trip for the material through a production piece of equipment. Certain
constructions require additional passes to complete the production.
PATTERN ADHESIVE See
pattern coated.
PATTERN COATED Refers
to the width and spacing arrangement of strips of adhesive laid down parallel
to machine direction and across the width of pressure sensitive label stock
during its manufacture. Also refers to adhesive coating applied in a pattern
which is not related to web direction.
PATTERN VARNISH Spot
varnish applied to the printed surface in a desired pattern.
PCS Print
Contrast Signal. A measurement of contrast between the bars and spaces of a
symbol. A minimum PCS value is needed for a symbol to be scannable. PCS values
can be calculated and displayed automatically on suitable instruments.
PEARLESCENT PIGMENTS A class
of pigments consisting of particles that are essentially transparent crystals
of a high refractive index. The optical effect is one of partial reflection
from the two sides of each flake. When reflections from parallel plates
reinforce each other, the result is a silvery luster. Effects possible range
from brilliant highlighting to moderate enhancement of the normal surface
gloss.
PEEL ADHESION Peel
adhesion is the force required to remove a pressure sensitive label from a
standard test panel at a specified angle and speed after the label had been
applied to the test panel under specified conditions for a specific time
period.
PEELBACK A
method of separating a bond of two flexible materials or a flexible and a rigid
material that have been bonded with an adhesive. The flexible material is
pulled from the mating surface at a 90 or 180 degree angle to the plane in
which it is adhered. The stress is concentrated only along the adhesive line of
immediate separation.
PEELER PLATE A sharp edged, flat piece of metal around which the
backing or carrier material is threaded, the prime function being a mechanical
device which causes a pressure sensitive label to be dispensed from the backing
material.
PENETRATION Change
of appearance of the face material due to movement of one or more components
from the adhesive or the labeled surface.
Bleed through, migration.
PERFORATED Refers to a series of small incisions made in
laid-on labels and/or their release liner to facilitate tearing along a
predetermined line, or for fan folding.
PERMANENCY A
measure of an adhesive's ultimate holding power or bond strength. A permanent
adhesive will develop a bond that makes label removal difficult or impossible
without distorting the face stock.
PERMANENT ADHESIVE An
adhesive characterized by having relatively high ultimate adhesion to a wide
variety of surfaces.
PERMEABILITY The
property of a material that allows a resists a substance to pass or flow
through it; the rate of such passage.
PHOSPHORESCENT FACE A face
material coated with a phosphorescent ink, that emits light in a visible
spectrum.
PHOTO INITIATOR In
ultraviolet-curing systems, the chemical which, when exposed to UV light,
breaks certain chemical bonds in the system to start the chain reactions which
cause polymer formation. This chemical is commonly referred to as a catalyst.
PHOTOPOLYMER Plate
material that is photosensitive and upon exposure, its compounds polymerize to
form a tough, abrasion resistant surface which becomes the inking media.
PIECEWORK
Describes a payroll system generally used in production environments
where employees are paid according to the actual number of pieces produced in a
given time period.
PIGGYBACK
Pressure sensitive constructions that have two release coated liners,
two layers of adhesive and a face material which allows a label to be applied,
complete with backing, for future or further application.
PIGMENT Finely
ground, solid particles used to give color or opacity to printing inks and
coatings, and usually insoluble in such a mixture.
PIN FEED See feed slots.
PIN REGISTER The use
of accurately positioned holes and special pins or pin bars on copy, film,
plates and presses to insure proper register of colors.
PINCH ROLL See nip
roll or pull roll
PINHOLE A very
small hole which may permit the passage of light, moisture or electrical
current.
PINHOLING Refers
to the failure of a printed ink to form a complete film. This condition will
become visible by the appearance of small holes in the solid print area.
PIPING Also
known as tunneling, a condition occurring in an incompletely bonded laminate
characterized by release of longitudinal portions of the substrate and
delamination of theses portions to form these pipelike structures. The material
fails to adhere to release paper or film tightly enough and a line of air forms
between them. Usually starts at one edge and works across web.
PITCH DIAMETER The
measurement of a gear or cylinder, determined by dividing the circumference by
Pi (3.1416).
PLASTICIZER A
substance added to materials to impart softness, flexibility, workability,
elongation and dispensability.
PLASTICIZER MIGRATION The
migration of liquid plasticizers from some plastics into an adhesive and/or
face material. Often causes excessive softening or degradation of adhesives.
PLASTICIZER RESISTANCE
Plasticizers can migrate into adhesives and/or inks and cause a breakdown,
resulting in loss of adhesion to the substrate. If the adhesive or ink is
formulated to resist the plasticizer, the breakdown may not occur.
PLATE The image carrier in letterpress and flexographic
printing.
PLATE CYLINDER There
are two types of plate cylinders; the integral, with the shaft a permanent part
of the body and the demountable, in which the shaft is removable to receive a
multiplicity of bodies of varying diameters, and in some cases face widths.
These plate rolls are undercut in their diameter so as to accommodate various
thicknesses of mounting tape and plate materials.
PLATE ROLL See
plate cylinder.
PLATEN PRESS
Printing press in which a flat surface bearing the paper is pressed
against a flat surface bearing the inked type.
PLIABILITY See
flexibility.
PLY Each
layer in a multi-layered structure.
POINT
Printer's unit of measurement to designate type size. There are 12
Points to a pica; approximately 72 points to an inch. Also a term used for an expression of thickness of a sheet
of material in one-thousands of an inch increments, i.e. 7 point = .007"
thick.
POISE The
unit of viscosity, expressed as one dyne per second per square centimeter.
POLAR See non-polar
POLAR SOLVENT
Solvents with oxygen in their molecule, i.e. alcohols, water, esters,
etc.
POLARITY Refers
to the relative surface charge of the material, resulting from the molecular
structure of the adherend surface.
POLYCARBONATE A high
clarity film having the versatility of acetate with the durability of
polyester.
POLYESTER A
strong film having good resistance to moisture, solvents, oils, etc. Usually
transparent, although available with opaque and metallized finish. A clear
complex ester formed by polymerization or condensation. Excellent strength,
clarity and dimensionally stable.
POLYESTER LINER A
polyester film that is silicone release coated. It provides an excellent die
cutting surface and is also used on overlaminating films to provide a smooth,
glass-like surface of adhesive.
POLYESTER METALIZED FILM A
clear polyester film, vacuum metallized on one side to provide a metallic look.
POLYESTER OVERLAM A
clear, glossy polyester film coated with clear acrylic adhesive. Can also be
supplied with a matte surface.
POLYETHYLENE A
tough, stretchy plastic film having very good low temperature
characteristics. Also used a great
deal for producing semi-rigid recyclable bottles.
POLYMER A
compound formed by the reaction of simple molecules called monomers, having
functional groups that permit their combination to proceed to high molecular
weights under suitable conditions. A long-chain molecular structure.
POLYMERIZATION A
chemical reaction initiated by a catalyst, heat or light, in which monomers
and/or oligomers combine to form a polymer.
POLYPROPYLENE Similar
to polyethylene but stronger and having a higher temperature resistance.
Various thermoplastic plastics are polymers of propylene; excellent clarity.
Also used in various thicknesses in the printing of labels as well as backing
or liner materials.
POLYSTYRENE A
thermoplastic produced by the polymerization of styrene. The electrical
insulating properties are outstandingly good and the material is relatively
unaffected by moisture.
POLYVINYL Refers
to a group of resins formed by polymerizing various vinyl monomers.
POLYVINYLIDENE CHLORIDE A
usually very thin transparent film with excellent resistance to acids, water
and organic solvents. SARAN.
POOR TRAPPING
Condition in wet printing that results when less ink transfers to
previously printed ink than to unprinted paper. Also called under-trapping.
POP Point
of Purchase. The location at which
a product is sold, the store or retail counter.
POP DISPLAY The
displays or merchandising units used at the point of purchase.
POROSITY The property of paper that governs the degree of
permeability. i.e. the passage of a substance through it.
POST CURE The
continuation of a polymerization (curing) process within a UV ink or coating,
after exposure to UV radiation has
been terminated.
POT LIFE The
time period during which an adhesive or coating remains effective and workable.
PP Polypropylene.
PRE-SEPARATED ART Artwork
in which the basic layout, register marks and major color is prepared on
illustration board and each additional color plate is drawn on a separate sheet
or film overlay.
PRESS, IN-LINE Press
with the printing units in-line.
PRESS PROOFS Printed
sections of substrate material made on a press to allow for approval or final
corrections before the production printing run is made.
PRESS SLIP COATING An
overall emulsion type coating applied in-line on a press to eliminate spray
powder, usually having a good degree of slip additive.
PRESS, STACK
Flexographic press with printing units in horizontal stacks.
PRESS VARNISH A clear
varnish applied in-line on a press. It can be overall or printed in pattern
from a plate to allow for dry laps and other uncoated areas.
PRESS, WEB Press
which prints substrates supplied on rolls.
PRESSURE BELT Applies
pressure by continuous hold-down of a label following application on automatic
label application equipment.
PRESSURE BRIDGE The
steel support, mechanically secured over the die stations, through which the
pressure screws are threaded.
PRESSURE ROLL Holds
product to be labeled in place for more accurate placement of label.
PRESSURE SCREWS Steel
shafts threaded through the pressure bridge which are used to apply pressure
(in rotary die cutting station) to facilitate die cutting.
PRESSURE SENSITIVE LABEL
STOCK The combination of face material, pressure-sensitive
adhesive and release liner from which pressure sensitive labels are
manufactured.
PRESSURE SENSITIVE
LAMINATE See pressure sensitive stock.
PRESSURE SENSITIVE TAPE A
combination of a pressure sensitive adhesive with a carrier. Tapes are either
self-wound or utilize release liners or films.
PRICE MARK Special
pressure sensitive stock for use in pricing guns.
PRIMARY LABEL Label
that acts as the main identification of a product. Often designed to attract
attention and contains information to appeal to a buyer and is usually applied
at the time of its manufacture.
PRIME COAT Base
coat applied first to enhance subsequent printing.
PRIME LABEL A label
used to identify and display a product, i.e. a major product panel.
PRIMER Surface
coating applied between face stock and adhesive to improve bond performance
and/or prevent bleed. See barrier
coat.
PRINTABILITY The
ability of a material to accept and hold a printed legend, and especially to
resist offset of the printing when rewound into a roll after printing. Also a collective term used to describe
the properties required of all components in the printing process.
PROCESS PRINTING
Printing from a series of two or more halftone plates to produce
intermediate colors and shades. In 4-color process, the colors are yellow,
magenta, cyan, and black.
PRODUCTION CONTROL A
system to ensure the efficient use of materials, manpower, facilities and
transportation in order to assure the availability of a specific product, in a
predetermined quantity, within a specified time period.
PRODUCTION RUN The
final printing requested by the customer from the original artwork.
PROGRESSIVE PROOFS Proofs
made from the separate images in color process work showing the sequence of
printing and the result after each additional color has been applied. Also
called progs.
PROOFING PRESS Press
that produces printed progressive proofs.
PROTECTIVE COATING A
coating that protects the printing and the surface of a pressure sensitive
label from either abrasion, sunlight, chemicals (their fumes and dilute
solutions) and moisture or a combination of these.
PSI Pounds
per Square Inch.
PULL ROLL See nip roll
PULL TAB Area on
a face stock that facilitates easy removal of the label, usually a cut area on
a sheeted label. Also called a peel tab and tear tab.
PUNCHED OUT LABELS Anvil
cut or sheeted labels.
PVC Vinyl;
polyvinyl chloride.