Here are four "Rules for the Road" to make sure your label lasts:

1. Preparation is 9/10 of the Battle. Sticking a label onto a poorly prepared surface is like trying to paint a dirty gutter — the label is just not going to stay stuck for very long. Remember how important all the scrapping was when you repainted your house! Similarly, we recommend using a cleaning solution and a Scotchbrite pad. Remove oils. Rough up the surface slightly. Also, consider using a premask. This is a very easy and inexpensive step that helps you avoid bubbles under the label. The premask allows you to put a great deal of pressure on the label with a hard squeegee and still not mar the surface. The premask is removed once the label has been applied.
   
   
    
     Clean the application surface with Surface Prep and a Scotchbrite Pad.

   
    
   

2. Beware of the Heat. Heat is the primary cause of label failure. The surface of an outdoor metal plate can reach a temperature of 50ºF above the air temperature. This means that labels must often be designed to withstand temperatures of 150ºF. The effects of heat on a label are subtle. The films and adhesives must be able to withstand constant cycling of hot and cold. The adhesive must remain pliable and not transfer the expansion resulting from the heat to the film. If not, the film will crack and deteriorate.
   
   
    
     Fiber-optic Snap-On marker has released. Vinyl Snap-On loses its coil and grip at 150ºF.

   
    
   Avoid vinyl laser labels, they melt at 160ºF and can ruin your drum. Polyester withstands up to 300ºF.

3. Have a Little Patience. Many adhesives take 72 hours for final cure. A label that can be removed cleanly after 30 minutes can become filely impossible to remove after 24 hours. Heating the application surface accelerates the cure time.
   
   
4. Match the Adhesive to the Surface. The dyne level of the application surface is very important. Metal has a very high dyne level and most adhesives stick well to it. Unfortunately, paints commonly found on many metal surfaces are not as attractive to adhesives as the metal itself. Note that the label is sticking to the paint and not to the metal! Certain polyolefins (such as a polypropylene or polyethylene drum) have a very low surface energy (20-35 dynes) and they require a much softer adhesive.
5. Also beware of outgassing

   
    
     Heat can cause outgassing.

Most of the films that we recommend have a heavy coat of adhesive. The minimum thickness of the adhesive is 1 mil. We often see labels having only a 0.9 mil thick coatweight. This is called "shaving" and, although less expensive, it also means that the adhesive will not flow out as well. The label’s contact with the underlying surface is not maximized. Thicker adhesives (1.3 to 3 mils) mean that there is maximum adhesive contact with the irregular surfaces common to most transformers.

Another important issue is the dyne level of the application surface. Metal has a very high dyne level (700 dynes/cm) and most adhesives stick well to metal. Unfortunately, paints commonly found on transformers do not have as high a dyne level. Note that the label is sticking to the paint and not to the metal! Certain polyolefins (such as polypropylene or polyethylene) have a very low surface energy (20-30 dynes) and they require a much softer adhesive. The softer adhesives will stick well, yet give you a much lower ultimate shear strength. Teflon is another plastic with a low surface energy (18 dynes) and, understandably, it is difficult to develop an adhesive to stick to it.

 
 
Take the label and sign IQ test