State of the Industry-Tags and Labels

Outlook for labels

The Freedonia Group's recent study, "Labels to 2006", forecasts growth in U.S. label shipments of 4.8 percent per year through 2006, to eight billion square meters valued at $14 billion. The upside comes from technologies such as reduced space and 2D barcoding, plateless digital printing, and advances in label substrates, adhesives, and coatings. Downside pressures will come from maturity in some key label applications and competition from direct labelless printing.