The History of Labels: The evolution of the label industry in Europe

The evolution of labels and the story of the early label industry pioneers in Europe can be traced back over several hundred years. However, it was most certainly the period of the Industrial Revolution during the late 1700s and early 1800s that really began to shape the use and production of labels in a way that we would recognize them today.

Charting the label’s development from first being produced in single colors on wooden hand presses, this book explores all aspects of the industry’s history through from the invention of the first presses and papermaking machines to the advent of self-adhesive converting in Europe.

Its rich history and how centuries of innovation has had a profound impact on the modern day branding and use of products including food and medicines is set out-out in ‘The History of Labels’. The result of several years of research by Michael Fairley and Tony White, this new book should be a must-read title for all those who have an interest in how the world of labels and label production has grown from its early origins.

Chapters include:

• Brand demand and technology innovation - how labels evolved
• Evolution of papermaking and label papers in Europe
• Gummed and heat-activated label papers - their rise and decline
• The rise and rise of pressure-sensitive adhesive coated products and labels in Europe
• The printing press and the early label press pioneers
• Getting labels into shape – cutters, punches and dies
• Printing companies founded in the 1800s that became the label industry pioneers
• Label companies formed in the early 1900s and the rise of the early self-adhesive converters in Europe
• From woodcuts and engravings to digitized origination, imaging and platemaking
• Inks, coatings and varnishes – their early history and evolution
• Evolution of metallic look images
• The evolution of barcoding
• The label associations of Europe
• Excellence in label printing – the introduction and growth of label awards
• The creation of a global label industry resource
• The introduction and rapid growth of digital printing
• The demand for multi-page labels

Michael Fairley has been writing and speaking about label and packaging materials, technology and applications since the 1970s, both as the founder of Labels & Labeling and other print industry magazine titles and as an international consultant writing label industry market and technology research reports for the likes of Frost & Sullivan, Economist Intelligence Unit, Pira, InfoTrends and Labels & Labelling Consultancy.

He now works as a consultant to Tarsus Exhibitions & Publishing - which organizes the Labelexpo shows, Label Summits and publishes Labels & Labeling magazine - as well as regularly speaking at industry conferences and seminars.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Packaging / Packaging Society, Fellow of IP3, a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Stationers, an Honorary Life Member of FINAT and a Licentiate of the City & Guilds of London Institute. He was awarded the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

Tony White has been involved with the label industry since the late 1980s. He has a technical background in printing, specializing in flexography since 1980. A senior flexographic consultant for PIRA for nine years, Tony has also held senior management positions within the flexo industry dealing with photopolymer and laser engraving products.

Tony has written numerous articles for well-known trade publications and written several books on the printing industry including as co-author of the FINAT 50th Anniversary book ‘United in Labels’. He became self-employed as an independent consultant in 1994 and since then he has been a consultant editor for NarrowWebTech and Flexo & Gravure Global magazines. He has been on the FINAT label competition judging panel since 1992 and Chairman of judges since 2001 and Chairman of the World Label Awards since 2003. He has also been the Chairman of the judging panel for the Turkish Label Association since 2002.

Tony has given many technical presentations throughout Europe since 1989 and has carried out several in depth marketing intelligence reports for international companies. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Packaging / Packaging Society, Fellow of IP3 and an Honorary Life Member of FINAT.