Decals and Labels, what is the difference?

The term decal is the shortened version of the word decalcomania, which the English pronunciation of the French word decalcomania.  This was a decorative technique where artist images of prints and engraving, could be transferred onto pottery to decorate the stoneware. 

The invention of taking artist rendering from canvas and printing these images onto a medium to decorate ceramic pieces was attributed to Simon Francois Ravenet.  Simon was from France and he was an engraver who immigrated to England and after arriving in England circa 1750 he perfected this transfer process.

This printing process of decorating ceramic pieces was imported to the United States in about 1865.  In the United States this process was popularized during the ceramic decorating craze of the mid-1870s.  In the United States the word decalcomania was shortened to the version we use today decal.

As we can see the decal had it’s genesis in the desire of artist to decorate their ceramic art.  The decal today continues to transfer artist renderings to ceramic  products, such as fine china table setting also vases, coffee mugs, drink ware as well any of a ceramic or glass product for functional use or promotions. 

The decal has evolved from a water slide-off ceramic decal to decorate ceramic pieces to a product that is screen-printed onto environmentally tough material with a pressure-sensitive adhesive.  This product now brands products, warns of dangers, and is used to promote products, and services. 

The label is a more recent invention and usually is printed on paper, cloth, or a plastic substrate that is pressure-sensitive.  The label is printed using a Flexography printing machine, which produces the label from a roll to a roll, and uses water base inks.  The labels usually brands consumer products that have a short shelve life and is not exposed to a harsh environment.   

The above is a thumb nail sketch of the history of the products we want to look at.  Now let’s try and answer the query: what is the difference between a decal and a label?

 The decal is usually a printed on a plastic substrate that can be adhered to a surface of a product and has to with stand harsh environmental conditions. Such as direct sun exposure without much fading of the inks for many years, decals are usually printed using screen printing method.

In the last 10-15 years digital printing can also claim a non-fading resistance to sun exposure. Decals can be manufactured using this method and achieve the same high quality results as with screen printing. It must be said that digital printing is used for smaller quantities whereas screen printing is less expense in higher quantities.

A label is usually on a roll and normally the substrate printed on is a pressure sensitive paper and using the flexography printing method. This type of printing does not last long in direct sun light, and is used mostly the branding of consumer products such as wine bottles, BBQ sauce jars, etc, etc.

The label printing on plastic substrates can be augmented with a plastic lamination to protect the printing against chemicals, water, abrasion, but this added over lamination will not protected the printing or graphics from the fading rays of the sun.  The label also usually manufactured and delivered to the customer on a roll.

What is the difference between a decal and a label? The decal resist fading the label does not.  The decal usually in individual pieces the label usually is on a roll.  There are exceptions and other reasons to use a decal verse a label, or to use a label verses a decal, but that is another question.

A question to the reader: Have you ever purchased a decal when a label would have sufficed and conversely, have you ever purchased a label, but found out you needed a decal?

Doug Bryant

<br><a href=”http://www.decalfactory.com“>The Decal Factory – The best decals, signs, labels, posters, stickers and banners in the industry for business and hobby.</a> <br>Toll Free – (800) 369-5331