Finishing Glossary of Terms
Written October 16, 2019
Abrasion Resistance
The ability of a film to withstand rubbing without showing scuff marks.
Accelerated Aging A means whereby the deterioration of a film encountered in natural aging may be accelerated and reproduced in the laboratory.
Accelerated Weathering A means whereby the deterioration caused by outdoor exposure may be accelerated and reproduced in the laboratory.
Acetate See Base Film
Acrylic Resin A glassy thermoplastic made by combining several acrylic acids used as coatings and adhesives; used in Pressure Sensitive Adhesives.
Adhesion (Verb) Process or interaction that opposes separation (or promotes contact) between layers in a multilayer structure. (Noun) The minimum force required to separate these layers. Also see Finishing Failure.
Adhesive Mass Sometimes used as another name for the adhesive.
Adhesion Build-Up An increase in the peel adhesion value of a pressure-sensitive film after it has been allowed to dwell to the applied surface.
Adhesive (Noun) A substance capable of holding materials together by surface attachment, in this case acting as the mechanism which attaches film to a graphic arts media. (Adjective) Type of bonding interaction between a thermal adhesive and the surface of a graphics media or film to which it is laminated.
Adhesive Transfer The transfer of adhesive from its normal position on the film to the surface to which the film was attached either during unwind or removal.
Backing A relatively thin flexible material to which the adhesive is applied. Theoretically, any material that is reasonably flat, relatively thin, and flexible could be used as a backing. This term is primarily used with PSA Films and is the same as Base Film.
Base Film The type of film describes the base polymer or plastic used to make the overlaminate. It is the base film onto which the adhesive is coated. The innate properties of the base film define many of the key performance characteristics of a laminating film. Belled Edges A raised edge(s) of a slit roll.
Blocking An undesired adhesion between touching layers of material, backing adhering to the adhesive, occurring under storage or use.
Bond Strength Refers to one of three conditions:
Coating The process of applying an emulsion, varnish or lacquer over a printed surface to give it added protection.
COF or Coefficient of Friction: Measurement of the slip or friction of the surface of a film.
Cohesion (Verb) The process or interaction that opposes separation within a layer of a multilayer structure. (Noun) also known as cohesive strength. The ability of a material to resist splitting or separating into layers within itself; or the minimum force required to separate the material.
Cold Flow The tendency of a pressure sensitive adhesive to act like a heavy viscous liquid over long periods of time. Such phenomena as oozing and increases in adhesion are the result of this characteristic.
Color Shift Change in the apparent color of the ink/toner after laminating.
Color Stability The ability of a film to retain its original color, particularly when exposed to light.
Conformability The ability of film to fit snugly or make essentially complete contact with the surface of an irregular surface without creasing or folding.
Contamination Foreign substance on the film, i.e., bugs, wax, fiber, trim, drool.
Copolymer Combination of two or more polymers used to produce special adhesives, such as EVA.
Core Overhang Term used to describe when the core is larger than the roll; opposite of recessed core.
Corona or Corona Treat. Method of treating films to increase dyne levels, promoting adhesion.
Creases A permanent line in the film surface caused by folding.
Cross-Linking The development of a three-dimensional structure in an adhesive which is activated normally by heat. An improvement in shear resistance, temperature resistance, and oil or solvent resistance will normally result.
Cupping A slight U-shaped deformation of the film (at right angles to the length) which usually appears after unwind tension is relaxed.
Cured See
Cross-Linking.
Curl or Edge Curl. Tendency of laminated product to roll up or down at edges after cooling. Curl tends to be magnified by excessive heat and/or tension.
Dead Stretch The net increase in length after a film has been elongated without breaking and allowed to recover.
Delamination The separation of layers.
Dimensional Stability Ability of a film to retain its shape at operating temperatures.
Dishing See Telescoping.
Durometer Measurement of the hardness of a roller. Very hard rollers can cause Orange Peel.
Dwell Time Amount of time that the laminating film is exposed to the heat source in a laminator.
Dyne Measure of surface energy (surface tension) of a surface. Important for adhesion and ink receptivity.
Edge Variation Change in edge registration due to small amount of film protruding beyond the edge of a roll.
Elastic Memory A tendency of some Backings or Base Films to attempt to return to their original length after being elongated.
Elongation or Stretch or Ultimate Elongation. The distance a film will stretch lengthwise before tearing, expressed as a percentage of original length. Elongation is not necessarily an indication of conformability.
Emboss The process of impressing an image onto a product to achieve a raised surface on the product. See also Film Finishes.
Encapsulation A term which refers to the product being totally encased in the laminating film. Generally a border would exist around the product where the top and bottom film layers are bonded together.
EVA or ethyl vinyl acetate. Base resin used as adhesive on some thermal laminating films.
Extrusion Coated Film Manufacturing process used to make laminating film. Film which has had thermoplastic resin applied under force through an opening in a slot die.
Face Film Also known as face stock. See section base film.
Film Finishes Refers to the level of gloss and/or texture of an overlaminate film. Most overlaminate films are available in a range of finishes from matte to gloss, with finishes in between described as satin or semi-gloss. Overlaminate films are also offered in a wide variety of textures, including pebble, embossed, canvas and leather.
Film Gauge Refers to the total thickness of a particular film construction including its individual layers. The gauge is measured with a micrometer. The unit of measure is in thousandths of an inch (mils) or microns.
Film Ratio or film-to-adhesive ratio or thickness ratio. Ratio of the thickness of the base film to the thickness of the adhesive layer in a laminating film.
Flush Cut Refers to the trimming of excess film from the edges of the laminated document. Flush cutting exposes the edges of the material and increases the likelihood of the material splitting.
Fisheyes Relatively small deformations (pock marks) in the adhesive caused by the entrapment of air between layers in the roll. They are not an indication of a quality defect.
Flatback Smooth paper backing.
Flexibility The ability of a film to be bent or flexed freely.
Fluting Distortion of a roll of film so that layers no longer form a circle.
Footballs or Air Bubbles. Microscopic bubbles in the film caused by entrapped air between substrate and adhesive. The laminated film appears streaky and cloudy.
Gauge See also Film Gauge and Film Ratio. Synonym to thickness or caliper: Measured with a micrometer especially designed for films.
Gauge Band An abrupt increase or decrease in film thickness in a small area in the transverse direction. Visible as a hump or valley around the circumference of the slit roll.
Gels A term used to describe lumps or specks in the laminated film caused by hard adhesive resins which did not fully melt during film manufacturing and/or extrusion coating.
Gloss Measurement of light reflectivity of the surface of a film. When used to describe the appearance of a film, see Film Finishes.
Hardcoat See Film Finishes. Haze Measurement of light transmission of a film.
Heat Assist PSA A Pressure Sensitive Adhesive that requires heat to fully activate and maximize its adhesion.
Heat Resistance The ability of a film to withstand exposure to specified temperatures after application to a surface.
Heat Shoe Laminator Laminating machine that applies laminating film to both sides of the document simultaneously. The laminating film adhesive is activated by passing over stationary heaters, called shoes.
Kraft A strong paper made from wood pulp, derived from wood chips boiled in an alkaline solution containing sodium sulfate.
Laminating Temperature Temperature at which adhesive is fully activated.
Lamination A product made by bonding together two or more layers of material and the process of bonding them.
Master Roll or Mill Roll or Mother Roll. Term used to designate the manufactured roll from which the narrower, standard stock roll widths are slit.
Matte See Film Finishes.
Mill Roll See Master Roll.
Mother Roll See Master Roll.
MSI Abbreviation for thousand (M) square inches (SI). A commonly used unit of measure for thermal laminating films.
Nip or Nip Point. Point of contact in a laminator where laminating film(s) and print (or product to be laminated or mounted) are pressed/squeezed together.
Nylon or Polyamide. See Base Film.
Orange Peel Overlaminate takes of look of the dimpled skin of an orange. Often caused by excessive coating thickness or improper drying temperature.
Polyester See Base Film. Polyethylene Base resin used as adhesive on some thermal laminating films. Polypropylene See Base Film.
Polyvinyl Chloride (Vinyl) See Base Film.
Pressure-Sensitive Film Or PSA Film or Self-Adhesive Film.
Film with a PSA and a release liner. Pressure sensitive laminating film does not require heat. Once the protective release liner is removed, exposing the sticky surface, the film is then pressed on the material to be laminated.
PSA Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive (see Pressure Sensitive Film).
PT An abbreviation for Point, a printer's unit of measurement regarding paper thickness. There are approximately 72 points to an inch, and 10 pt paper equates to 10 mil laminating film.
PVC See Polyvinyl Chloride
Resin Another term for Thermal Adhesive. A solid organic material, usually having a melting range and a tendency to flow when subjected to stress.
Satin See Film Finishes.
Semi-Gloss See Film Finishes.
Shrink or Thermal Stability. Tendency of film to contract in the transverse direction when subjected to heat.
Silvering A term used to describe air pockets trapped between the product and the adhesive on the film. The result is unlaminated areas. Three factors contribute to silvering; not enough heat to melt the adhesive, not enough pressure at the nip point to press out entrapped air, and/or not enough adhesive.
Slip Tendency for two laminated surfaces to slide on one another.
Splice How film ends are jointed to make a straight continuous web.
Squeeze Out Also known as Wicking or Oozing. Refers to heat-activated adhesive which has been forced out at the edges of a laminate by excessive pressure or heat.
Stiffness Established by the thickness of the Base Film.
Streaks A term used to describe lines in the film, typically in the machine direction.
Substrate See Base Film.
Taber Abrasion A test method to compare scuff resistance of films.
Texture See Film Finishes.
Thermal Adhesive A solid organic material, usually having a melting range and a tendency to flow when subjected to stress.
UV or Ultraviolet. Wavelength band of light, particularly prevalent in sunlight. UV can be used to cure inks or adhesives. UV can also cause inks and media to degrade.
Web A term used to describe film unreeled from a film supply roll.
Wet Out or Clearing Out. Point at which adhesive becomes clear, and thus, activated.
Writable See Film Finishes.
The ability of a film to withstand rubbing without showing scuff marks.
Accelerated Aging A means whereby the deterioration of a film encountered in natural aging may be accelerated and reproduced in the laboratory.
Accelerated Weathering A means whereby the deterioration caused by outdoor exposure may be accelerated and reproduced in the laboratory.
Acetate See Base Film
Acrylic Resin A glassy thermoplastic made by combining several acrylic acids used as coatings and adhesives; used in Pressure Sensitive Adhesives.
Adhesion (Verb) Process or interaction that opposes separation (or promotes contact) between layers in a multilayer structure. (Noun) The minimum force required to separate these layers. Also see Finishing Failure.
Adhesive Mass Sometimes used as another name for the adhesive.
Adhesion Build-Up An increase in the peel adhesion value of a pressure-sensitive film after it has been allowed to dwell to the applied surface.
Adhesive (Noun) A substance capable of holding materials together by surface attachment, in this case acting as the mechanism which attaches film to a graphic arts media. (Adjective) Type of bonding interaction between a thermal adhesive and the surface of a graphics media or film to which it is laminated.
Adhesive Transfer The transfer of adhesive from its normal position on the film to the surface to which the film was attached either during unwind or removal.
Backing A relatively thin flexible material to which the adhesive is applied. Theoretically, any material that is reasonably flat, relatively thin, and flexible could be used as a backing. This term is primarily used with PSA Films and is the same as Base Film.
Base Film The type of film describes the base polymer or plastic used to make the overlaminate. It is the base film onto which the adhesive is coated. The innate properties of the base film define many of the key performance characteristics of a laminating film. Belled Edges A raised edge(s) of a slit roll.
Blocking An undesired adhesion between touching layers of material, backing adhering to the adhesive, occurring under storage or use.
Bond Strength Refers to one of three conditions:
- anchor strength of adhesive to the substrate in laminating film
- the anchor strength of the laminating film to the product that has been laminated
- the strength of adhesive-to-adhesive bond when two layers of film are laminated together.
Coating The process of applying an emulsion, varnish or lacquer over a printed surface to give it added protection.
COF or Coefficient of Friction: Measurement of the slip or friction of the surface of a film.
Cohesion (Verb) The process or interaction that opposes separation within a layer of a multilayer structure. (Noun) also known as cohesive strength. The ability of a material to resist splitting or separating into layers within itself; or the minimum force required to separate the material.
Cold Flow The tendency of a pressure sensitive adhesive to act like a heavy viscous liquid over long periods of time. Such phenomena as oozing and increases in adhesion are the result of this characteristic.
Color Shift Change in the apparent color of the ink/toner after laminating.
Color Stability The ability of a film to retain its original color, particularly when exposed to light.
Conformability The ability of film to fit snugly or make essentially complete contact with the surface of an irregular surface without creasing or folding.
Contamination Foreign substance on the film, i.e., bugs, wax, fiber, trim, drool.
Copolymer Combination of two or more polymers used to produce special adhesives, such as EVA.
Core Overhang Term used to describe when the core is larger than the roll; opposite of recessed core.
Corona or Corona Treat. Method of treating films to increase dyne levels, promoting adhesion.
Creases A permanent line in the film surface caused by folding.
Cross-Linking The development of a three-dimensional structure in an adhesive which is activated normally by heat. An improvement in shear resistance, temperature resistance, and oil or solvent resistance will normally result.
Cupping A slight U-shaped deformation of the film (at right angles to the length) which usually appears after unwind tension is relaxed.
Cured See
Cross-Linking.
Curl or Edge Curl. Tendency of laminated product to roll up or down at edges after cooling. Curl tends to be magnified by excessive heat and/or tension.
Dead Stretch The net increase in length after a film has been elongated without breaking and allowed to recover.
Delamination The separation of layers.
Dimensional Stability Ability of a film to retain its shape at operating temperatures.
Dishing See Telescoping.
Durometer Measurement of the hardness of a roller. Very hard rollers can cause Orange Peel.
Dwell Time Amount of time that the laminating film is exposed to the heat source in a laminator.
Dyne Measure of surface energy (surface tension) of a surface. Important for adhesion and ink receptivity.
Edge Variation Change in edge registration due to small amount of film protruding beyond the edge of a roll.
Elastic Memory A tendency of some Backings or Base Films to attempt to return to their original length after being elongated.
Elongation or Stretch or Ultimate Elongation. The distance a film will stretch lengthwise before tearing, expressed as a percentage of original length. Elongation is not necessarily an indication of conformability.
Emboss The process of impressing an image onto a product to achieve a raised surface on the product. See also Film Finishes.
Encapsulation A term which refers to the product being totally encased in the laminating film. Generally a border would exist around the product where the top and bottom film layers are bonded together.
EVA or ethyl vinyl acetate. Base resin used as adhesive on some thermal laminating films.
Extrusion Coated Film Manufacturing process used to make laminating film. Film which has had thermoplastic resin applied under force through an opening in a slot die.
Face Film Also known as face stock. See section base film.
Film Finishes Refers to the level of gloss and/or texture of an overlaminate film. Most overlaminate films are available in a range of finishes from matte to gloss, with finishes in between described as satin or semi-gloss. Overlaminate films are also offered in a wide variety of textures, including pebble, embossed, canvas and leather.
Film Gauge Refers to the total thickness of a particular film construction including its individual layers. The gauge is measured with a micrometer. The unit of measure is in thousandths of an inch (mils) or microns.
Film Ratio or film-to-adhesive ratio or thickness ratio. Ratio of the thickness of the base film to the thickness of the adhesive layer in a laminating film.
Flush Cut Refers to the trimming of excess film from the edges of the laminated document. Flush cutting exposes the edges of the material and increases the likelihood of the material splitting.
Fisheyes Relatively small deformations (pock marks) in the adhesive caused by the entrapment of air between layers in the roll. They are not an indication of a quality defect.
Flatback Smooth paper backing.
Flexibility The ability of a film to be bent or flexed freely.
Fluting Distortion of a roll of film so that layers no longer form a circle.
Footballs or Air Bubbles. Microscopic bubbles in the film caused by entrapped air between substrate and adhesive. The laminated film appears streaky and cloudy.
Gauge See also Film Gauge and Film Ratio. Synonym to thickness or caliper: Measured with a micrometer especially designed for films.
Gauge Band An abrupt increase or decrease in film thickness in a small area in the transverse direction. Visible as a hump or valley around the circumference of the slit roll.
Gels A term used to describe lumps or specks in the laminated film caused by hard adhesive resins which did not fully melt during film manufacturing and/or extrusion coating.
Gloss Measurement of light reflectivity of the surface of a film. When used to describe the appearance of a film, see Film Finishes.
Hardcoat See Film Finishes. Haze Measurement of light transmission of a film.
Heat Assist PSA A Pressure Sensitive Adhesive that requires heat to fully activate and maximize its adhesion.
Heat Resistance The ability of a film to withstand exposure to specified temperatures after application to a surface.
Heat Shoe Laminator Laminating machine that applies laminating film to both sides of the document simultaneously. The laminating film adhesive is activated by passing over stationary heaters, called shoes.
Kraft A strong paper made from wood pulp, derived from wood chips boiled in an alkaline solution containing sodium sulfate.
Laminating Temperature Temperature at which adhesive is fully activated.
Lamination A product made by bonding together two or more layers of material and the process of bonding them.
Master Roll or Mill Roll or Mother Roll. Term used to designate the manufactured roll from which the narrower, standard stock roll widths are slit.
Matte See Film Finishes.
Mill Roll See Master Roll.
Mother Roll See Master Roll.
MSI Abbreviation for thousand (M) square inches (SI). A commonly used unit of measure for thermal laminating films.
Nip or Nip Point. Point of contact in a laminator where laminating film(s) and print (or product to be laminated or mounted) are pressed/squeezed together.
Nylon or Polyamide. See Base Film.
Orange Peel Overlaminate takes of look of the dimpled skin of an orange. Often caused by excessive coating thickness or improper drying temperature.
Polyester See Base Film. Polyethylene Base resin used as adhesive on some thermal laminating films. Polypropylene See Base Film.
Polyvinyl Chloride (Vinyl) See Base Film.
Pressure-Sensitive Film Or PSA Film or Self-Adhesive Film.
Film with a PSA and a release liner. Pressure sensitive laminating film does not require heat. Once the protective release liner is removed, exposing the sticky surface, the film is then pressed on the material to be laminated.
PSA Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive (see Pressure Sensitive Film).
PT An abbreviation for Point, a printer's unit of measurement regarding paper thickness. There are approximately 72 points to an inch, and 10 pt paper equates to 10 mil laminating film.
PVC See Polyvinyl Chloride
Resin Another term for Thermal Adhesive. A solid organic material, usually having a melting range and a tendency to flow when subjected to stress.
Satin See Film Finishes.
Semi-Gloss See Film Finishes.
Shrink or Thermal Stability. Tendency of film to contract in the transverse direction when subjected to heat.
Silvering A term used to describe air pockets trapped between the product and the adhesive on the film. The result is unlaminated areas. Three factors contribute to silvering; not enough heat to melt the adhesive, not enough pressure at the nip point to press out entrapped air, and/or not enough adhesive.
Slip Tendency for two laminated surfaces to slide on one another.
Splice How film ends are jointed to make a straight continuous web.
Squeeze Out Also known as Wicking or Oozing. Refers to heat-activated adhesive which has been forced out at the edges of a laminate by excessive pressure or heat.
Stiffness Established by the thickness of the Base Film.
Streaks A term used to describe lines in the film, typically in the machine direction.
Substrate See Base Film.
Taber Abrasion A test method to compare scuff resistance of films.
Texture See Film Finishes.
Thermal Adhesive A solid organic material, usually having a melting range and a tendency to flow when subjected to stress.
UV or Ultraviolet. Wavelength band of light, particularly prevalent in sunlight. UV can be used to cure inks or adhesives. UV can also cause inks and media to degrade.
Web A term used to describe film unreeled from a film supply roll.
Wet Out or Clearing Out. Point at which adhesive becomes clear, and thus, activated.
Writable See Film Finishes.