package level indicators

Individual items marked with UPC are frequently packaged in standard quantities of intermediate packs and shipping containers. Each different standard package quantity for each standard product is assigned a package level and assigned a unique number.

pallet

a platform onto which product can be leaded for storage or transporting. Most that we use are wood. Some customers refer to pallets as skids.

paper

a material made of cellulose pulp, derived mainly from wood, rags, and certain grasses, processed into flexible sheets or rolls by deposit from an aqueous suspension, and used chiefly for writing, printing, drawing, wrapping, and covering walls.

paper formation

an indication of evenness with which the cellulose fibers are bound together. The more uniform the formation, the better the print quality will be.

paper tube

a spiral wound tube used for mailing or packaging which is usually made with open ends. It varies from a core mainly by wall thickness and end use.

pattern coated

an adhesive coating which does not completely cover the surface. There are several terms that could refer to something that is pattern coated. They are strip coated, strip gummed and zone coated. Technicote is capable of strip coating and strip gumming adhesives.

PCS

Print Contrast Signal

PDF417

a stacked or 2-dimensional bar code with very high data density and a high degree of security.

peel adhesion

the force required to remove a pressure sensitive adhesive label from a standard test panel at a specified angle and speed after it has been applied to the test panel under specified conditions.

Pen Scanner

a pen-like device either connected by wire to a device, or self-contained, used to read bar codes. Requires direct contact with the symbol.

perforated

a series of small incisions made in paper to facilitate tearing along a predetermined line. There are two common uses for perforating. One is in the forms industry when it is desired that a user will separate part of the form. A second is when product is fan folded. Perforations at a right angle to the machine direction of the paper allow the product to fan fold and be pulled apart one sheet at a time. Both label printers and business form manufacturers use perforations for this purpose.

permanent adhesive

an adhesive characterized by having relatively high adhesion to a wide variety of surfaces. They are used in applications in which the user wants the label to stay on the substrate for a prolonged period of time.

pH

the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing with increasing acidity. The pH scale commonly in use ranges from 0 to 14.

photo comp

photo composition - A system to produce very high quality labels by computer/photography.

pick

the tendency of fibers or particles to be pulled away from the sheet surface when removed from tacky surfaces such as printing plates.

pick resistance

a measure of the amount of tack from inks needed to pull fibers out of the paper's printing surface.

picket fence code

see horizontal bar code.

piggyback

a pressure sensitive label stock that has one face stock, and two layers of adhesive and liner. It is used in applications where the label needs to be applied initially to one surface, but later removed and applied to a second surface. The mailing label on the income tax form is an example of this type of label.

pin feed

a method of transporting paper through a computer printer which uses a round wheel of pins. The pins fit into holes punched in the outside 1/2 edge of each side of the paper. Sometimes this type of mechanism is referred to as tractor feed.

pin hole

a very small hold which may permit the passage of light, moisture or electrical content.

pitch

rotation of a bar code symbol about an axis parallel to the direction of the bars.

plasticizer

a substance added to materials to impart softness, flexibility, workability, elongation, and dispensability.

plastic - high se

an abbreviation for plastic - high surface energy. Some examples are high density polyethylene, PET, PETE, Vinyl, Polyproplyene. Some of these plastics provide more difficult adhesion for many adhesives than low se plastics.

plastic - low se

an abbreviation for plastic - low surface energy. Some examples are low density polyethylene, polystyrene, Telfon, rubber (latex.) and styrofoam. Some of these plastics provide easier adhesion to many adhesives than high se plastics.

plasticity

the characteristic or retaining deformation after the deforming stresses are removed.

plasticize

to soften an adhesive or coating by plasticizers

plasticizer

a substance added to materials to impart flexibility, workability and elongation.

plated

a colored water sensitive base paper on which coloration occurs on the clay coating only. Plated grades are white on the back, whereas mediums are the same color on both sides. Since plated colors are clay coated on the print side, they offer higher resolution printing.

Plessey Code

A pulse-width modulated bar code commonly used for shelf marking in grocery stores.

PLU

Price Lookup

point

a term used for an expression of thickness of paper in one-thousands of an inch.

polarity

the relative surface charge of an adhesive resulting from the molecular structure of the substrate.

polycarbonate

a high clarity film having the versatility of acetate, with the durability of polyester.

polyester

a strong film having good resistance to moisture, solvents, oils and many other chemicals.

polyester metallized film

a clear polyester film, vacuum metallized on one side to provide a metallic look.

polyethylene

a tough, stretchy plastic film having very good low temperature characteristics.

polypropylene

similar to polyethylene, but stronger and having a higher temperature resistance. excellent clarity for no label look.

polystyrene

a thermoplastic produced by the polymerization of styrene. the electrical insulating properties are good and moisture resistant.

polyvinyl

a group of resins formed by polymerizing various vinyl monomers.

porosity

a measure of air resistance through a sheet of paper. It is an important factor in determining how much adhesive or ink will soak into a paper. Porosity is measured numerically by indicating how long a standard volume of air will take to pass through the paper. Lower numbers indicate that the paper is more porous or more absorbent. We need to be careful. in paper selection to make sure that that porosity is not too low. Gurley Densometer and Sheffield Porosity tester determine porosity by forcing air through the paper sample and measuring it in time or rate of flow. The Gurley measures the time in seconds for 100 ml of air. The higher the score, the denser the paper. The Sheffield measures rate of flow of a continuous flow of air through the sheet. The higher the score the less dense the sheet.

Postnet Code

The code developed by the U.S. Postal Service to assist in automatic sortation of mail.

Potdevin

a brand of glue label applicators.

preheating

an initial warm up of product before more extensive heat is applied. Many high speed laser printers use a preheat platen to begin warming paper up to fusion temperature.

preprinted symbol

a symbol which is printed in advance of application either on a label or on the article to be identified.

pressure sensitive

an adhesive that is normally tacky at room temperature. They require no activation by water, solvent or heat in order to exert a strong adhesive holding force on a substrate.

pressure sensitive label

a self adhesive label construction composed of face stock, pressure sensitive adhesive and release liner. The official TLMI definition is A pressure sensitive self adhesive label product is a die-cut part that has been converted through roll fed production equipment utilizing the type of pressure sensitive self adhesive material which has a protective backing. The end product is produced in the form of either rolls, sheets, fanfold, or by other techniques that produce like products which have been slit or cut from the converted rolls. Sheet PS product is also made into labels that would be considered pressure sensitive labels.

pressure sensitive label stock

the combination of face stock, pressure sensitive adhesive and release liner from which pressure sensitive labels are manufactured.

prime label

a label used to identify and display a product.

print contrast

see PCS.

print quality

the measure of compliance of a bar code symbol to the requirements of dimensional tolerance, edge roughness, spots, voids, reflectance, PCS, quiet zone, and encodation.

printability

the ability of a surface to accept and hold printing inks; especially to resist offset of the printing when rewound into a roll after printing. surface treatment is often used to increase the degree of printability.

printout

variable information which has been written by automatic printer from a computer.

process printing

printing from a series of two or more halftone plates to produce intermediate colors and shades.

Product ID

In the UPC code, the 5 digit number assigned by a manufacturer to every consumer unit in its product catalog. The Product ID is different for every standard package consumer unit of the same product.

protective coating

a coating that protects the printing and the surface of a pressure sensitive label from either abrasion, sunlight, chemicals, moisture or a combination of these. Top Coating on direct thermal product is an example of this type of coating.

PSI

an abbreviation for pounds per square inch. Some laser equipment literature indicates the PSI pressure which the printer will subject the paper.

PVC

polyvinyl chloride