Consumables

The EDGE 850 and APEX 1290 are designed and engineered to operate only with genuine iSys Label consumables and certified media.  iSys Label is not responsible for damage done when using non certified consumables and media. Below is a list of the part numbers and descriptions for the consumables that can be used in iSys Label printers.

iSys Label Media & Consumable Glossary

Adhesive, Acrylic - A transparent adhesive, which is adequately resistant to UV radiation and to relatively high temperatures. This adhesive has relatively low initial tack compared to rubber-based adhesives but their final adhesion is much stronger.

Adhesive, Cold Temperature - An adhesive that enables pressure sensitive labels to adhere or stick well to a cold surface in cold or "chilled" temperature conditions where there is often condensation. Ex. Between +5°C to -5°C (41°F to 23°F)

Adhesive, Permanent - An adhesive designed so labels cannot be removed without damage to the surface of the product it’s applied to.

Adhesive, Pressure Sensitive - An adhesive which was designed so it’s always tacky and will adhere to a wide range of surfaces at a slight touch.

Adhesive, Removable - An adhesive property that allows the label to be removed from a surface and re-applied with no damage to the product itself.

Brightness - A measurement of the light reflectance (brilliance) of a facestock.

Caliper - The distance from one surface of either a tape backing, or adhesive, to the other. This is usually measured under slight pressure with a special gauge and is usually expressed in mils or thousandths of an inch.

Die-cut Labels - Labels that have been cut into a shape as a part of the manufacturing and finishing procedure and have the matrix removed.

Fabric Labels - Labels consisting of printed or woven fabrics - or combinations of both - which are sewn or heat sealed to other fabrics in garment or textiles labeling to provide brand identity, care information, descriptive details, fiber content, country of origin, manufacturer or other information.

Facestock - The top layer surface that can be printed on, of a pressure sensitive label stock.

Glossy - The characteristic of a facestock surface which causes it to reflect light at a given angle. Gloss is measured in accordance with DIN 67530 and indicated as a percentage. Gloss of paper is also measured by using a Gardner gloss meter, which measures reflected light at an angle of 75°, and is expressed in Gardner gloss units - the higher the number, the glossier the surface.

Kiss-cut Labels - A die-cutting operation in where the self-adhesive face material is cut through to the release liner backing, but the liner itself isn’t cut.

Lay-flat - An adhesive material with good non-curling characteristics.

Liner - The backing for a pressure sensitive label. Liners are coated with a release material, allowing them to separate from the label immediately before application.

Matrix - The skeleton or waste that surrounds die-cut labels.

Matt (Matte) - Paper finish with a level, smooth-coated surface with little or no gloss and diffuses the reflection of light to provide a matt, non-glossy surface.

Non Die-cut - Label stock that is made from a continuous roll and is not cut into individual units prior to passing through the printer.

Opacity - That property of a paper or film which prevents "show through" of dark printing. This is opposite of transparency.

PET (Polyethylene Teraphthalate, Polyester) - A clear and tough material with a high dimensional stability, exceptional clarity, high tensile strength, strong tear and abrasion resistance, displays excellent resistance to solvents, oils and many chemicals, and has thermal stability at high and low temperatures. It is unaffected by water and practically impermeable to odors.

PP (Polypropylene) - Films derived from petroleum using cost-effective and high-yield polyolefin resins and have properties similar to those of polyethylene but are stronger, more rigid and have higher temperature resistance. The films are non-toxic, light, strong and odorless with good moisture barrier properties. Depending on the process, PP films may be oriented (or stretched) in either one direction (OPP) as mono-axial film or biaxially-oriented (BOPP) in both the machine and cross direction. Orientation improves the films optical properties, while providing good stiffness and high tensile strength in the machine direction.

Rewinder/Rewinding - The operation of winding the output media from the printer onto a core to produce rolls of the desired width, diameter and tension that are ready for finishing or application.

Piggyback - Pressure-sensitive label constructions that have two release coated liners, two layers of adhesive and a face material which enables the label to be applied - complete with the backing - for further or future application.

Smoothness - The relative flatness of the surface.

Substrate - The material, stock, unsupported film or other material upon which a coating of adhesive is applied and then printed on. Label stock convertors/laminators also refer to this as the face stock or media.

Synthetics - Label materials developed and manufactured through chemical means rather than through the use of natural products. This type of material is typically used in niche markets where moisture, most contaminants and harsh environmental conditions would severely damage paper labels. Synthetics generally resist tearing, water, grease and certain chemicals, can withstand extremes of heat/cold, and have good UV-resistance and weathering characteristics.

Tag stock - Strong grade of paper, board or synthetic material with good bending/folding characteristics, high strength, tearing resistance and selected for printing items where durability is expected.

Texture - The tactile surface characteristic of wine label printing media, including the following:

• Smooth: No noticeable relief pattern or texture.
• Vellum: Rough, porous surface, but with no distinct raised areas.
• Laid: Traditional hand-made feel; horizontal raised lines and vertical watermarked lines.
• Linen: Crisp, tightly patterned horizontal and vertical raised lines.
• Felt: Random, mottled, raised texture.
• Handmade: Natural handmade feel with a raised graphic or texture.

Variable data printing - Variable information printing (VIP) that may be in the form of variable text, bar codes, sequential numbering, batch codes, date codes, images, etc.

Vinyl or PVC - Plasticized Poly-Vinyl Chloride. This is a tough and durable plastic film that has excellent resistance to oils, chemicals and many solvents. It also has excellent abrasion-resistance.

Wet Strength - A product that has chemical and/or physical components added to it to improve moisture resistance and increase its internal bond strength when saturated.