Label Release Liner: Looking to the Future

A global perspective
Next on the agenda was a label producer’s view of the world of release liners from CCL Label’s Business Development Director, Kari Virtanen, who presented a particularly detailed view of the label release liner market geographically and by end use. In Europe, he confirmed, paper—particularly glassine—dominates, as it does in Canada and in Mexico, but in the United States, PET is much in evidence, with calendered kraft paper also in common use. In Asia and South America, paper remains the preferred release base. Wherever they are used, PET film liners are now thinner than ever, and they present practical challenges for press minders in many areas, including diecutting, web tensioning, ghosting, embossing, and static electricity.