How should you store self-adhesive labels so they don't lose their adhesive?
Self-adhesive labels must be stored under conditions that protect the adhesive and the print, because it is storage—not the production process itself—that most often determines whether the label will still be attached to the packaging after several months. A well-printed and properly selected label can lose its adhesive properties or start to curl simply because the rolls were stored near a radiator or in a damp warehouse. Our experience shows that some complaints regarding peeling are not due to a defect in the material, but rather to the customer’s storage methods. Below, we explain what conditions to maintain and what mistakes to avoid so that the labels remain in perfect condition until they are applied.
Why do storage conditions determine the adhesion of labels?
A self-adhesive label consists of three layers: a printed face stock, an adhesive layer, and a protective liner. When at rest, the adhesive is much more sensitive to temperature and humidity than the printed image itself. Changes in these two factors do not damage the graphics, but they do alter the properties of the adhesive itself, which is responsible for the label’s adhesion to the product.
Two types of adhesives are most commonly used. Water-dispersion-based acrylic adhesive is stable under a wide range of conditions, but does not tolerate long-term storage at low temperatures and high humidity well. Rubber-based adhesive, or hot-melt, provides high initial adhesion but loses its properties more quickly when overheated, as it begins to soften and seep out from between the layers. Storage conditions must therefore be selected based on the type of adhesive used on a specific batch of self-adhesive labels.
The face material also reacts to the environment, though differently than the adhesive. Paper absorbs moisture and swells, causing the label to warp and change dimensions, while polypropylene film is more stable in this regard but more sensitive to temperature. The same storage conditions therefore affect paper labels differently than they do film labels, and when selecting a material for long-term storage, we take this into account along with the type of adhesive.
Temperature and Humidity: What Conditions Should Be Maintained for the Adhesive?
For most self-adhesive materials, the safe range is room temperature—roughly 15 to 25 degrees Celsius—with relative humidity between 40 and 60 percent. This is not a purely theoretical value. Many adhesives have a specified minimum application temperature of around 4 degrees; below this, the adhesive does not activate properly, and a label stored for a long time in the cold loses some of its adhesion even before it is applied.
The other extreme is overheating. Rolls kept near a heater, under a warehouse roof in the summer, or in a sunlit window can reach temperatures at which the hot-melt adhesive begins to ooze beyond the edge of the label. The result is adjacent layers sticking together on the roll, sticky edges, and graphics that cannot be unrolled cleanly. Excessive moisture, in turn, softens the paper face stock and backing, causing the label to curl and the dimensions to no longer fit the applicator.
To maintain stable conditions, it’s a good idea to monitor several factors simultaneously in the warehouse:
- A temperature between 15 and 25 degrees, away from radiators, heaters, and exterior walls heated by the sun.
- Relative humidity of 40–60 percent, preferably measured with a simple hygrometer hung near the rack.
- No direct sunlight, which raises the surface temperature of the rolls and accelerates print fading.
- A clean, well-ventilated environment free of strong odors that can permeate the material.
These four conditions are easiest to meet in a separate, shaded area of the warehouse, away from doors and loading zones, where the temperature fluctuates every time a door is opened. Stability is often more important than the temperature itself, because it is sudden fluctuations—not a constant temperature—that take the greatest toll on the adhesive.
A good point of reference is the location where the labels will later be applied. If the production line operates at room temperature, it’s best to store the labels under similar conditions so that the material doesn’t have to rapidly acclimate just before use. The smaller the temperature difference between the storage area and the application area, the lower the risk that the roll will behave differently than specified.
How should rolls and sheets be stored to prevent them from warping?
The way labels are physically arranged is just as important as the temperature itself. Self-adhesive materials should remain in their original packaging until use, as the cardboard and plastic film protect them from dust, light, and fluctuations in humidity. Removing the protective liners “in advance” only accelerates the degradation of the outer layers.
Rolls are best stored vertically, resting on a flat edge, or hung on shelf pins so that they are not weighed down by their own weight. Stacking heavy rolls horizontally, one on top of another, causes the roll to flatten and the cardboard core to deform. The oval core will then not fit evenly onto the unwinder spindle, and the web will flap from side to side during application. Sheets and flat-cut labels, on the other hand, should be stored horizontally, without bending, to prevent permanent creases in the material.
It’s also important to keep the product off the floor. A pallet or the lowest shelf of a rack should separate the rolls from the floor, which can be cold and damp, especially in warehouses with concrete floors. Direct contact between the cardboard and such a floor is the surest way for the bottom layer of labels to become damp.
If the rolls are waiting to be processed while still wrapped in stretch film from the supplier’s pallet, it’s a good idea to remove the film after receiving the goods. Airtight shipping film traps moisture inside and, when temperatures fluctuate, promotes condensation on the surface of the rolls. The original factory cardboard box underneath is sufficient to protect against dust while still allowing the material to breathe. When stacking the rolls, we also ensure a reasonable number of layers, because even vertically stacked rolls in a column that is too tall will put pressure on the bottom rolls and deform them over time.
Label shelf life: how long can they be stored?
Self-adhesive labels have an actual shelf life, although it is rarely printed directly on the packaging. Typically, raw material manufacturers guarantee full performance for approximately 12 months from the date of manufacture, provided that the recommended conditions are maintained. Special materials, such as certain films with acrylic adhesive, can maintain their performance for up to two years, and in exceptional cases even longer, but treating this as a rule is risky.
An analysis of returns in 2025 shows that problems usually begin not when the expiration date is exceeded, but when the age of the material is combined with improper storage conditions. A one-year-old roll stored in an ideal warehouse performs flawlessly, while the same batch stored in a damp warehouse loses its adhesion after just a few months. Therefore, instead of focusing solely on the expiration date, it’s worth implementing a simple inventory rotation system in which older batches are used in production before newer ones.
Clear labeling of incoming shipments with the delivery date and batch number helps with this. When the label on the master carton includes this information, the warehouse worker immediately knows which roll to use first. We also discuss this solution in the context of printer labels, where the freshness of the thermal material is particularly important for print legibility, since old thermal paper darkens and reduces the contrast of the code.
Transport and Acclimatization of Labels Before Application
One thing that almost never appears in competitors’ guides is allowing the rolls to acclimate after transport. Labels transported in winter in an unheated trailer can reach temperatures close to freezing, and when brought into a warm warehouse, moisture from the air condenses on their surface. Applying such a cold, damp roll results in poor adhesion because a thin layer of condensation forms between the adhesive and the product.
The solution is simple and costs nothing. Before use, it’s a good idea to leave the rolls in the destination room for 12 to 24 hours, still in their sealed packaging, so they can slowly acclimate to the temperature without moisture condensing on their surface. The same principle applies to materials being moved from a cold storage facility to a room-temperature application area, except that the temperature difference is in the opposite direction.
Proper label storage essentially involves controlling three factors simultaneously: stable temperature and humidity, proper roll placement, and reasonable rotation combined with acclimatization after transport. If you’re planning a larger order and want to select a material with storage parameters suited to your conditions, describe them in your inquiry, and we’ll recommend the adhesive and label structure that will best withstand your storage conditions.
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