BOPP is the film most bottles and jars end up wearing, and it is the stock we run most of. We print it on 12-colour flexo presses with inline corona treatment, die-cut it on eight machines, and inspect every roll before it ships — all in one building in Weifang, China.
What is a BOPP label?
BOPP stands for biaxially oriented polypropylene. The film is stretched in two directions during manufacture, which gives it strength, clarity and dimensional stability. A BOPP label is a self-adhesive label with that film as its face instead of paper.
Two points that cause confusion when you are comparing quotes:
- BOPP is a type of PP. If a supplier quotes “PP labels” and “BOPP labels” as different products, ask what they mean — usually it is the same family, occasionally it is an unoriented film that behaves differently.
- BOPP is not PET. They look similar on a sample card and are priced differently for a reason. BOPP softens well below polyester’s limit — if your label sees real heat, see PET.
Three faces we print
| Face | Effect | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| White BOPP | Opaque, hides what is behind it | Household chemicals, personal care, chilled food |
| Clear BOPP | The no-label look — the container shows through | Beverages, glass jars, cosmetics in clear bottles |
| Bright silver BOPP | Metallized, mirror finish | Retail and cosmetics — see metallized labels |
The no-label look, and how it goes wrong
Clear BOPP is chosen so the label disappears into the container. Two things ruin that effect, and both are the printer’s responsibility:
- A visible edge. The adhesive has to be optically clear, not just the film. A cheap clear adhesive shows as a faint haze along the border — visible on a shelf, invisible on a quotation.
- Trapped air. On a curved bottle applied at speed, an air line under the label is far more obvious through clear film than under paper. The fix is the right adhesive and the right coefficient of friction, which we test in our own lab.
Where the design needs white — text that must stay legible against a dark drink, for instance — we lay opaque white ink under those areas only, leaving the rest of the label invisible.
Why film needs a real press room
Film does not accept ink the way paper does. Polypropylene has a low surface energy, so ink beads rather than wetting out, and the print scuffs off in transit. The fix is corona treatment immediately before printing — which means it has to happen on the press, not as a separate pass.
| Printing processes | Flexo · intermittent letterpress · screen · digital UV inkjet |
| Web width | 320–350 mm standard, 450 mm maximum |
| Colours | Flexo up to 12 + 2 · Letterpress up to 7 + 1 · Digital CMYK + white |
| Surface treatment | Inline corona for BOPP, PE and other low-energy films |
| Platemaking | In-house — Esko CDI laser imager, DuPont thermal processing |
| Finishing | 8 die-cutters · hot foil stamping · lamination · varnishing · slitting · variable data coding |
| Inspection | 7 high-speed inspection machines, 2 inline vision systems |
| Minimum order | One piece on the digital line |
White ink on the digital press means clear BOPP can run short without cutting a plate — useful when you want to see the no-label look on the actual bottle before committing to a production run.
Where BOPP beats paper
| Condition | Coated paper | BOPP |
|---|---|---|
| Condensation, ice bucket, fridge | Wrinkles and lifts | Unaffected |
| Oil or detergent contact | Stains and softens | Resists |
| Squeezed or handled repeatedly | Scuffs and tears | Holds |
| Sustained heat above 100 °C | Fails | Softens — use PET |
| Lowest unit cost | Cheaper | Higher |
If your product never meets water, oil or a fridge, we will quote you coated paper and say so. The cheapest construction that survives the job is the right one.
What to send us
- Label size, and which edge runs in the web direction
- Container material and diameter — a tight curve changes the adhesive choice
- Clear, white or metallized face
- Whether the product is chilled, frozen or handled wet
- Applicator type and line speed, if applied by machine
- Quantity, and whether you need roll or sheet
Related: All materials we print on · PET labels · Metallized labels · Factory equipment