Synthetic papers and films for in-mold label (IML) applications on packaging bottles and containers

By Tom Polischuk

This label/container “oneness” allows the bottle to flex and be squeezed without peeling as a pressure-sensitive or glue-on label potentially can, adds John Giblin, VP of marketing for Granwell Products.

Besides the durability and potential for higher quality graphics, Ron Schultz, with the consulting firm RBS Technologies and speaking on behalf of the In-Mold Decorating Association (www.imdassociation.com), says that injection molded IML allows all five surfaces of a cube-shaped container to be labeled at the same time. “This is impossible to do with glue applied, heat transfer, or pressure-sensitive labeling,” he states.