The Changing World of Label Printing

Late 20th Century: Emergence of Self-adhesive in Europe
Later came narrow-web screen, hot-foil and combination process presses, UV-curing inks and more advanced plate-making technology. By the late 1970s self-adhesive labels had already attained a seven percent share of the European label market—with all printing processes being used. Today, self-adhesive labels make up around 40 percent of label usage, fueled by a whole host of technology and press innovations over the last thirty years that have enabled labels to be printed faster, on wider webs, using rotary and wrap-around tooling, servo-drive presses, and press controls that include web inspection, register control, color management and much more.