Why BOPP is the King of Film Label Materials

Why BOPP is the King of Film Label Materials

As you delve into labeling options for product containers, you'll see one term pop up again and again: BOPP. It stands for Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene and is a very popular label material.

There are countless benefits to choosing BOPP for your product labels – printability, durability, and customizability, to name a few. Like anything, BOPP has its limitations, but you'll find BOPP specified as a facestock many times in container types, product categories, and label designs.

What exactly is BOPP?
BOPP is a polypropylene film that is stretched in both machine and transverse directions during production. Many of the differences between BOPP and other films can be traced back to this manufacturing method.

BOPP compared to other films
The biaxial orientation of the BOPP material aligns the polymer chains, which increases the modulus and tensile strength of the film. Machine Direction Oriented (MDO) films stretch in only one direction and are less rigid and more comfortable than BOPP. Unoriented films offer more conformability to squeezable containers, but are less easy to print and dispense.

The method of manufacture of the film and the inherent properties of polypropylene film give BOPP labels a range of properties such as:

• Clear to give branding a “no label” look.

• Water, UV and chemical resistance make BOPP suitable for even the most acidic products and humid environments.

• Excellent printability, especially for BOPP which is often supplied with a topcoat to better fix the ink on the film surface.

• Rigidity makes BOPP labels easy to die cut, dispense and apply labels to containers.

Is BOPP the Right Product Labeling Material for Your Product?
Label material selection is about finding a structure that fits your container shape, meets your aesthetic preferences, functions in your product environment (eg shower, outdoor, kitchen cabinet, etc.), and fits within your packaging budget.

You'll start with your label vision - how you want your label to look - and then find those materials that won't wrinkle, degrade or fall off the container throughout the product life cycle (manufacturing, storage, shipping, retail) Comes off, thus bringing the label to life. display and customer use.

Material selection conversations never start with "Should I use BOPP or another material?" BOPP is chosen so frequently simply because it meets all requirements in many cases and is versatile and competitively priced.

When You Shouldn't Use BOPP
During the selection process, your label printer will typically ask the following questions:
• What environment will your product be used in?
• Can you describe your vision for what the label should look like?
• Do you incorporate embossing into your label designs?
• Do you need "tear off" labels?

If you answered yes to the last two questions, you should not choose BOPP. This material is not capable of embossing. It's also too strong to tear apart by hand, but can be cut rather than ripped if desired.

Environmentally, BOPP degrades under extreme conditions. If your product will be used or stored outdoors, you are better off choosing vinyl or polyester label film.

But in almost every other situation, BOPP works just fine—the decision of whether to use it or not comes down to budget and aesthetic preference.

Want a rich, textured feel? Then Heritage Paper is a good choice. Need barcode labels? Cheaper paper labels may suffice. Want your consumers to be able to see directly what's going on inside the container? Then transparent BOPP is perfect.

A Quick Look at BOPP Possibilities
Almost any label vision can be brought to life with BOPP - the only thing you can't do is emboss them. They are easy to die cut, which means you can get BOPP labels in any custom shape. You can choose from two colors: clear BOPP for a "no label" look, or white BOPP to make your label graphics stand out on shelf.

Achieving a "no tab" look

Clear BOPP labels can be designed, printed and applied to give the illusion that graphics are printed directly on the product container. To achieve this look, you need to think carefully about the colors of your graphics, containers and products.

Your label design should feature thick lines, larger text, and high-contrast colors to outline any art (for example, light green to outline dark green leaves). All artwork should contrast with the color of the container or product (if visible). This look is best achieved on smooth, glossy surfaces such as glass, rigid plastic and coated cardboard.

Make Your Labels Pop With Laminate

A protective laminate layer is critical to BOPP labels, preventing ink from scratching and running. But it doesn't have to be a purely functional feature.

Gloss finish creates reflective, eye-catching labels. The matte finish on the BOPP diffuses light, giving labels a soft glow. Either way, your choice of lamination can help customize the look you want for your labels to match the appeal of your target customers.

So why is BOPP the material of choice for film labels?
In short, it's easy to customize, looks good on the shelf, and performs well in almost any context in which the product is used. We are a BOPP film supplier. If you are interested in our products, please contact us now!