Should you consider in-mold labels made from film

Fifteen years before this sheet was written, in-mold labeling was uncommon. Cost on long runs drove it. A heat-seal adhesive plus changes in blow molding put labels on detergent and laundry bottles, liquid and solid foods, health and beauty, and motor oil. On a store shelf, no ridge at the label edge is the giveaway.

In-mold labels replaced glued, heat-transfer, and pressure-sensitive labels in many jobs: lower cost on long runs, filling and process benefits, and a cleaner look. Early IML was two-side clay-coated paper: heat-seal on one side, print plus overprint varnish on the other. Paper still held about half the market when this was written; film held the rest.