PET — polyester — is what you specify when a paper or BOPP label would not survive. It holds its shape under heat, shrugs off solvents, and stays legible outdoors for years. It is also the most expensive of the common facestocks, so it is worth knowing when you actually need it.
When PET is the right choice
| Condition | Paper | BOPP | PET |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet or humid | Fails | Good | Good |
| Sustained heat above 100 °C | Fails | Softens | Good |
| Solvent or oil contact | Fails | Fair | Good |
| Outdoor, multi-year | Fails | Fair | Good |
| Dimensional stability for fine print | Fair | Fair | Good |
| Squeezed or deformed container | Poor | Fair | Poor — use PE |
| Lowest cost | Best | Good | Poor |
If none of the top five rows apply to your product, PET is probably more material than the job needs and a coated paper or BOPP construction will do the same work for less.
PET stocks we run
| Face | Finish | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Clear PET | Gloss | No-label look where the surface also gets hot or oily |
| White PET | Gloss or matt | Rating plates, asset tags, instruction labels |
| Metallized PET (met-PET) | Bright silver | Electronics, automotive, appliance nameplates |
Metallized polyester has its own page — see metallized labels for the silver and met-PET range.
Printing and finishing
| Web width | 300 mm standard, 450 mm on one press (print length ≤ 380 mm) |
| Colours | Flexo up to 12 · PS Plate up to 7 + 1 · Digital CMYK + white |
| Surface finishes | Gloss lamination · matt lamination · varnish · printable matt varnish |
| Finishing | Rotary and flat die-cutting · hot foil stamping · slitting to roll · variable data and QR coding |
| Adhesion aid | Corona treatment for low-energy film surfaces |
| Minimum order | One piece on the digital line |
White ink on the digital press means clear and metallized polyester can be run in short quantities without cutting a plate — useful for a first order or a variant you are still testing.
What we test before shipping
Polyester is usually specified because something in the environment is hostile. We would rather test that than assume it:
- High temperature resistance — edge lift, adhesive ooze and legibility after the customer’s own heat cycle
- Low temperature resistance — application temperature versus service temperature, tested separately
- Holding power — shear adhesion under sustained load
- RoHS — for labels going onto electrical and electronic equipment
Every roll also passes high-speed inspection before it leaves. We run seven inspection machines and two inline vision systems, and the whole shop is temperature and humidity controlled — which is the physical precondition for holding register on multi-colour work, not a marketing line.
What to send us
- Label size, and which edge runs in the web direction
- What the container is made of, and whether it is smooth, textured or curved
- Peak temperature, how long it is held, and how many cycles
- Any chemical, oil or solvent the label will meet
- Quantity, and whether you need roll or sheet
A sample of the container is worth more than a specification sheet. Send one and we will bond a test label to it rather than guess.
Related: All label materials · BOPP labels · Metallized labels · Label Laboratory