Die-cut labels: how they peel off

It is a question that often comes up when an order arrives, especially with labels on sheets: how do you get the label off the paper? If the sheet is not properly prepared, you have to look for the edge with a fingernail or a cutter, and the label bends, gets marked or loses adhesive. Properly prepared, you lift a corner with your finger and the label comes off whole. The die makes the difference.

What a self-adhesive label is made of

Every self-adhesive label has three layers. On top, the face material: paper, polypropylene, polyester or another film, which is the side that gets printed. Underneath, the adhesive. And finally, the silicone-coated backing, also called the liner: a paper or film with a thin layer of silicone on the side that touches the adhesive.

The silicone is what allows the label to peel off. The adhesive cannot bond to it completely, so the label stays in place during transport and printing, but comes off cleanly, with all its adhesive, when it is applied. The backing is not applied: it is discarded.

What the die cuts

The die is the tool that gives the label its shape. In standard die-cutting, the kiss cut, the blade goes through the face material and the adhesive and stops right at the silicone. The backing stays intact.

Diagram seen from above in three steps: the die cuts the outline of three labels without cutting the silicone-coated paper; the leftover material is removed and the labels remain on the paper; a hand lifts a label by its edge and peels it halfway, showing the adhesive side — The die cuts the outline of each label without cutting the silicone-coated paper; once the leftover material is removed, each label has a free edge and comes off easily.

This is how it looks on a real sheet:

Sheet of white adhesive material with the outline of three labels marked by the die and the leftover material still around them — 1 · Die-cutThe cut marks the outline; the leftover material is still in place.

The three labels on the silicone-coated paper after the leftover material has been removed, with a gap between them and a margin around them — 2 · Matrix removedThe labels remain on the paper, each with a free edge.

A hand peels one of the three labels off the sheet by its corner; the label curls and reveals the clean silicone-coated paper — 3 · Peeled offYou take hold of the edge and the label comes off whole, with its adhesive.

Around the label there is leftover face material, called the matrix. On rolls it is removed on the die-cutting machine itself, leaving a clean gap of backing between one label and the next. On sheets it can be removed or left as a frame, depending on the use.

A label that has not been die-cut, or that is die-cut right up to the edge of the backing, offers no point to start from. The die leaves a free edge, and that edge is the one you lift with your finger.

Labels on A4 and A5 sheets

Sheets are used when the label is large, when it is printed on an office printer or when only a few units are applied by hand. To make them peel off easily, two cuts are combined: the die cut on the front and the backslit on the back.

Self-adhesive sheet that has not been die-cut: the material covers the sheet up to the edge and the corner is creased after trying to lift it with a fingernail, next to a cutter — Not die-cutThere is no free edge: you end up using a fingernail or a cutter and the corner gets damaged.

Sheet with the label die-cut inside a margin of silicone-coated paper; a hand lifts the corner easily — Die-cut with a marginThe corner lifts with a finger and the label comes off cleanly.

On the front: label die-cut inside the sheet

The label is die-cut a few millimetres smaller than the sheet, so that there is a margin of backing around it. At the corners are the easy-peel points: when the sheet is bent slightly, the edge of the label comes away from the backing and can be picked up with your fingers. If the sheet carries several labels, each one has its own outline and its own corners.

On the back: backslit in the backing

As well as the die cut, the backing has a cut on the back, along the sheet. This cut goes through the backing only, not the label. When the sheet is bent along that line, the backing opens and exposes another edge of the label to take hold of. With both cuts together, the label always has a starting point within reach, even on large labels and on thin materials that are hard to lift.

Diagram of a label sheet in four steps: label die-cut on the front inside the sheet, with a margin and easy-peel points at the corners, plus a backslit in the backing on the back; the sheet is bent and a hand takes hold of the corner; the hand pulls the label, which comes halfway off the paper with its adhesive — The sheet combines the die cut on the front, with a margin, and the backslit in the backing on the back; you bend it, take hold of the corner and the label comes off whole.

✓ How to peel it off

Bend the sheet slightly along the backslit line or next to a corner. The edge of the label comes away from the backing: hold it with your finger and pull in one continuous movement, without bending the label.

Labels on rolls

On rolls, the matrix is removed during die-cutting and the labels sit in a row on the backing, separated by a gap of about 2 or 3 mm. That gap is what the printer sensor detects to know where each label starts.

Roll of self-adhesive material that has not been die-cut: a continuous web with no separate labels, its end torn after trying to lift it, next to a pair of scissors — Not die-cutA continuous web: it has to be cut, and the end tears when you lift it.

Roll of die-cut labels: the silicone-coated paper bends over a metal edge and the corner of the label lifts between the fingers — Die-cutWhen the paper is bent over an edge, the corner lifts and can be picked up with your fingers.

Peeling relies on a simple principle: the backing is flexible and the label is somewhat stiffer. In a printer with a peeler or in an automatic applicator, the backing passes over a bar or an edge and is bent back at a very sharp angle. The label does not follow that curve: it carries on straight and its leading edge comes away from the paper, so it can be picked up and removed easily.

Diagram seen from above of a roll of labels: the labels move forward on the silicone-coated paper separated by a gap of 2 to 3 mm; at the peel bar the paper turns downwards and a hand takes the corner that sticks out and pulls the label — The labels move forward on the silicone-coated paper; at the bar the paper turns downwards, the corner of the label sticks out already peeled and the label comes off easily.

If the labels are applied by hand, the movement is the same: you bend the backing back just behind the label and its leading edge lifts. The sharper the bend, the easier it comes off.

Why they are sometimes hard to peel

Very small or very thin labels. They have little stiffness and follow the curve of the backing instead of coming away. A slightly thicker film, or a lower application speed, improves this.
Square corners on labels that are dispensed. Rounded corners pass through the peeler better and, once applied, are less likely to lift.
Cold or damp in the warehouse. The adhesive behaves differently with temperature. Rolls and sheets are best stored in a dry, temperate place and left to reach room temperature before use.

Are your labels hard to peel off? Tell us the format and how you apply them.

Ask with no obligation

What to tell us when ordering the labels

With these details we prepare the sheet or the roll so that the label peels off easily in your actual use:

Format: A4 sheet, A5 or another size, or roll, and how many labels go on each sheet or each roll.
Dimensions and shape of the label, and whether the corners are square or rounded.
On sheets: whether the label takes up the whole sheet or has a margin, whether the matrix is removed and whether a backslit is needed in the backing.
How it is applied: by hand, with a dispenser or with an automatic applicator.
Where the label goes and what it has to withstand, to choose the material and the adhesive. The guide to choosing the material and the adhesives guide will help you decide.

Summary

A self-adhesive label has three layers: the face material, the adhesive and the silicone-coated backing. The silicone lets the label peel off cleanly, and the die cuts the face material and the adhesive without cutting the backing, so the label is left with a free edge to lift it by.

On A4 and A5 sheets, that edge is obtained by die-cutting the label inside a margin, with easy-peel points at the corners, and with a backslit in the backing on the back. On rolls, the matrix is removed and the label peels off when the backing is bent over an edge, by hand or on the machine.

If you tell us the format and how you apply the labels, we will prepare the right die so that peeling them off is not a problem.

Frequently asked questions

What is the silicone-coated backing of a self-adhesive label?

It is the paper or film the label comes on, also called the liner. It has a silicone coating on the side that touches the adhesive: the silicone stops the adhesive from bonding fully and lets the label peel off cleanly, with all its adhesive, when it is applied.

What does the die cut on a label?

In standard die-cutting, called kiss cutting, the blade cuts through the face material and the adhesive and stops at the silicone, without cutting the backing. The label keeps its shape, separated from the rest of the material, and the backing stays intact.

How do you peel a label off an A4 or A5 sheet easily?

The label is die-cut inside the sheet leaving a margin, and at the corners there are points where the edge of the label lifts with a finger when the sheet is bent slightly. The backing also has a backslit: when the sheet is bent along that line, the backing opens and leaves another edge of the label free.

What is the matrix of a die-cut label?

It is the leftover face material around the labels after die-cutting. On rolls it is removed on the machine itself, leaving a gap of about 2 or 3 mm between one label and the next. On sheets it can be removed or left as a frame.

Why does a label on a roll peel off easily in the applicator?

Because the backing is bent at a very sharp angle over a bar or an edge, and the label, which is stiffer, does not follow the curve: it carries on straight and its edge comes away from the silicone, so the label can be removed easily. The same effect is achieved by hand by bending the backing back.

Die-cut labels: how they peel off the backing on sheets and on rolls