The Armadillo of Package Printing

Get 'in' with it

In-mold labeling, though, is one application that is greatly benefitting from the characteristics of synthetic material. "It is used extensively for the in-mold market," said Hoag. He points to bottles such as Ajax, Tide, and Minute Maid as prime examples of this application.

"Converters are moving away from paper labels, and they are using synthetic labels, which are more efficient and compatible with the bottle," Mitcham said, confirming the trend. In-mold labels are applied when the heat from forming a bottle activates an adhesive on the back of the label and seals it to the bottle. The durability of synthetic materials makes it a prime substrate for converters to offer their customers.