Roll Labels Glossary

Roll labels glossary

Adhesive ooze

Leakage of the adhesive from under the label can cause the edges of the roll to become tacky.

Artwork direction

This is the direction that the printed artwork should always be facing.

Bearers

The flat surfaces or rings at the ends of cylinders on a press that come in contact with each other during printing.

Bleed

Printed graphics or text that extends to the edge of a printed product.

Butt-cut labels

Continuous rolls of rectangular labels using a single cut to separate the labels.

Butt roll

A very short roll of material.

Butt splice

The end to end joining of two rolls of materials.

Caliper

Paper thickness in thousandths of an inch.

Carrier width

The measurement of the liner from edge to edge of the label/roll.

Continuous label

Labels that are manufactured from a continuous web of label stock, which is not cut into units before execution.

Converter

The type of manufacturer who produces plain or printed rolls and sheets, including pressure-sensitive labels.

Core holder 

The device to mount the core to the shaft.

Core plugs

Metal, wood or compressed paper plugs which are driven into the paper core of the finished roll to prevent the core from being damaged during transport.

Core/core size

The inside diameter of the core in a roll of labels

Corner radius

The arc of the die blades where they meet so that they can create a rounded corner within the die.

Cross-deckle misregister

Shrinking of the web between printing units that can cause the press to misregister.

Cross direction

The direction across the grain.

Cross-web

The opposite direction that the machine is running

Cylinder

See impression cylinder

Cylinder gap

The gap in the cylinders of a press where the mechanism for plate (or blanket), clamps, and grippers is contained.

Engraved die

A specific type of die used on roll presses that combines the die and the cylinder into one piece.

Face material

The top layer of a material that is printed on, sometimes also called the substrate.

Flag

A marker that is placed in rolls materials during printing or converting to designate a change in the material. This is normally done when there is a splice, defect, or a material specification change. Flags can also be used to mark a specific material length.

Flexo

The flexographic printing process.

Flexography

Using flexible plates with raised images to transfer ink to the material being printed.

Flexographic ink

Fast-drying fluid or pasty inks for flexographic printing.

Fluting

When the edge of a roll is malformed and is no longer a circle

Flying splice

This is a splice that is used to connect two rolls of material into one so the machine can run without having to stop for a roll change.

Form rollers

The rollers which directly contact the plate on a printing press.

Gap

The margin, or space between the labels around.

Ghosting

A faint printed image that appears on a printed sheet where it was not intended.

Grain

The orientation of the fibers in the material.

Halo

Faint outline that appears around the edges of a printed image.

High-speed unwind

A device used to accelerate the unwinding of a roll of labels on a high-speed automatic label dispenser.

ID (also known as inner diameter)

Refers to the inside dimension of the roll core.

Idler rolls

The non-driven roller mechanisms on converting machines that are used to support and direct the web as it travels through the machine.

Image repeat

A procedure for placing the same image on the printing plate in multiple places so it prints consistently on a roll.

Impression

Putting an image on paper.

Impression bar

A small diameter bar mounted in place of the impression cylinder for running certain types of materials.

Impression cylinder

The cylinder on a printing press against which the paper picks up the impression from the inked plate or the blanket.

Imprint

Adding copy to a previously printed page.

Infeed

A mechanism that controls the forward travel of the web into the press.

Ink fountain

The area on a printing press that holds ink.

In-line press 

A press coupled to another machine for die-cutting, creasing, folding, etc.

Inside diameter

See id

Jumbo roll

A roll of web material that is larger than the standard diameter.

Knife cut labels

See butt-cut labels

Label length

See labels around

Label width

See labels across

Label repeat

The distance from the top of one label to the top of the next label. (label length around + gap)

Label across

The measurement of a label across the roll.

Label around

The measurement of a label around the roll.

Lead edge

The edge of the roll is fed into the machine.

Long edge first (LEF)

The orientation of the label that comes off the finished roll first.

Mandrel

How tight a curve is on an object.

Margins

Refers to the space between the labels.

Master roll

A full-width roll that has finished the primary manufacturing process and is usually untrimmed and unslit.

Material splice

An area where tape has been used to attach two rolls of material to form one continuous web.

MD

Machine direction of the material

Mil

1/1000 of an inch, the unit of measure that is used for the thickness of paper/film.

Mill roll

Roll of paper, film, or foil as received by the mill or the manufacturer.

Nip

See pull rolls

OD (also known as outer diameter)

The outside diameter of a cylinder, core, roller or roll of labels.

Off-cut

The part of the trim width that is not utilized. Usually, a narrow roll which is left over.

Over-impression

Squeezing the plate during the flexo printing process, this can cause a halo around the printed image.

Pinfeed

Holes on the edges of a liner that are used for transporting labels through the dot matrix and continuous laser printers.

Plate changes

How many times a plate must be changed within a single order.

Pull rolls (or nip)

The point of contact between two rolls. Often referred to as the pull or draw rolls of a web press.

Reel

A finished roll of labels.

Registration

The correct placement of the artwork on a label or other printed material.

Repeat

The dimension around the plate and cylinder used for a specific job.

Roll-to-roll

A method of running materials through a printing machine. A roll of material is fed into a printing unit, printed, and then rewound into a roll as it exits the machine.

Roll OD 

See OD

Roll-to-sheet

A method of running material through a printing machine. A roll of material is fed into a printing unit and converted to sheets as it exits the press.

Rotary press

A press that features a roll-to-roll operation.

Short edge first (SEF)

The orientation of the label that comes off the finished roll first.

Slipped core

When the paper in a roll is not properly glued to the core.

Splice

Joining rolls together with tape to produce a continuous web.

Static eliminator

A device for eliminating static electricity.

Static neutralizer

An attachment designed to remove the static electricity to avoid ink set-off and problem feeding materials.

Stub roll

See butt roll

Substrate

See face material

Telescoping

Slipping of successive winds of a roll of material so that the edge is conical rather than flat.

Teeth per inch

See TPI

Tool (tooling)

Refers to cutting dies, cylinders, sheeters, blades, punches, etc.

TPI 

The number of cuts in a perforation in each linear inch.

Turnaround options

The time it will take to print your labels once you approve your proof. Our three standard turnaround times are:

• 24-hour rush
• 2 business days
• Standard 4 business days

Turn bar

Stationary bars on a flexo press that guide the web so it is turned front to back, and prints on the reverse side with the printing units located near the turn bar.

Web guide

Guides that keep the web in a line through the press to keep the material feeding evenly.

Web press

A press that prints from a web (or rolls) of material.

Web tension

The amount of tension that is applied in the direction of travel of a web of material through a web press.

Web 

The roll of material as it moves through the machine in the process of being converted/printed.

Web width

The measurement of the web that is perpendicular to the machine direction.

Wind direction

Position of the printing as it comes off the finished roll.

With the grain

Feeding paper into the press parallel to the grain of the paper.

Wrap-around label

This type of label extends all the way around the material that it is applied to.

Visit our custom roll labels page