Label Testing Laboratory
A label that looks right on press can still fail on your line. We test construction before production so failures are found here, not at your filling machine or six months into the field.
Which Test Applies to Your Product
Most buyers do not know which test they need — they know the problem they are trying to avoid. Start from the environment, not the test name:
| Your situation | What we test |
|---|---|
| Bottles in ice buckets or condensation | Water absorption, ice bucket immersion, moisture resistance |
| Frozen or cold-chain products | Low temperature resistance, adhesion at freezer temperature |
| Sterilisation, hot fill, engine bays | High temperature resistance, thermal performance |
| Drums, chemicals, lubricants | Chemical resistance to oil, acid, alkaline and plasticiser |
| Long sea freight, rough handling | Friction resistance, transportation simulation |
| Export to the EU or North America | RoHS heavy metal analysis |
| Automatic labelling equipment | Release from liner, holding tack, slip test |
| Outdoor or long-life applications | UV stability, weather exposure |
Not sure which applies? Describe the container, the environment and how long the label has to last. We will tell you what to test.
Laboratory Equipment
Full Test List
Material and adhesion
- Material identification — confirms face stock and construction
- Adhesion testing — peel strength and initial tack
- Holding tack — resistance to shear under load
- Application performance — release from liner on labelling machines
- Slip test — surface friction for automatic application
Moisture and temperature
- Water spray — surface water absorption
- Cobb test — paper water repellence, used for wine labels
- Ice bucket — labelled bottle immersed in iced water
- Moisture resistance — performance in fridge and cold store
- Thermal performance — direct thermal print durability
Environment and chemicals
- Environmental stability — UV, freezer, steam, heat, weather
- Chemical resistance — oil, plasticiser, acid, alkaline
- Conditioning assessment — extreme conditions and hazardous goods
- RoHS analysis — heavy metal content for export compliance
Production and supply chain
- Quality control — coating levels, laminate adhesion, die strike
- Transportation simulation — road transit impact on a packed carton
- Custom evaluations — testing designed around your specific application
Many of these follow FINAT and ISO methods. Where a standard method does not fit an unusual application, we design a test that does.
When the Laboratory Earns Its Keep
- Before a new product launch — screening material options against the actual container and environment rather than guessing from a datasheet
- When changing material — verifying a substitute performs like the one it replaces, before you commit a production run
- When labels fail in the field — establishing whether the cause was the material, the adhesive, the surface or the application, so the fix addresses the real problem
- For unusual applications — surfaces, temperatures or chemicals outside normal label use
Testing before production costs a few days. Discovering the problem after 200,000 labels have shipped costs considerably more.
Have a Difficult Application?
Tell us the surface, the environment and how long the label has to survive. We will recommend a construction and test it before you commit to a run.