Mactac has launched Vivid Edge and Optiscan E at LOUPE Americas.
Vivid Edge is a next-generation film labeling solution engineered to overcome film converting challenges while advancing sustainability goals. Combining exceptional strength, converting efficiency, premium appearance, and recyclability, Vivid Edge delivers a compelling advantage for converters and brands seeking higher performance and operational efficiency.
Meanwhile, Optiscan E is a new thermal transfer label construction engineered to help converters and end users improve productivity, reduce material consumption, and lower total operating costs.
Built on a durable yet lightweight 2.0 mil white polypropylene facestock, Vivid Edge delivers approximately 25% greater machine-direction strength than traditional film constructions, providing enhanced rigidity and dimensional stability throughout the converting and application process. Engineered to resist wrinkling, stretching, tunneling, and flagging, Vivid Edge maintains a smooth, premium label appearance while enabling converters to downgauge without compromising high-speed converting efficiency, dispensing performance, or application reliability. The result is a premium quality label that is easier to produce while delivering excellent shelf appeal and a strong brand image.
Vivid Edge has been recognized by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) for meeting the technical requirements for recycling in North America. When paired with Mactac’s proprietary 710VHP and direct food contact 711VHP hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesives, Vivid Edge labels remain affixed to HDPE containers throughout the recycling process, eliminating the need for label removal. The Vivid Edge construction received APR Design for Recyclability Recognition for recyclability on natural and colored HDPE containers, marking the fourth consecutive year that Mactac products have earned APR Design Recognition. In addition to supporting recyclability, Vivid Edge offers sustainability benefits through downgauging, including increased labels per roll, reduced packaging waste, and improved freight efficiency.
“As brand owners continue to pursue sustainability and efficiency goals through lightweighting and material reduction, the industry faces a critical challenge: how to reduce material usage without compromising operational performance,” says Kim Hensley, senior marketing manager, Prime Films, Mactac Roll Label. “Vivid Edge was developed to bridge that gap. By combining enhanced strength, converting efficiency, and APR-Recognized recyclability in a single construction, we are enabling converters and brand owners to advance their sustainability objectives while maintaining the productivity, consistency, and shelf presence required in today’s competitive marketplace.”
Thermal Transfer Portfolio
The latest addition to Mactac’s thermal transfer portfolio, Optiscan E is a downgauged construction specifically developed for high-volume, cost-sensitive thermal transfer label applications.
Launching alongside Optiscan E is SmartTac, Mactac’s new general-purpose permanent acrylic adhesive. Developed to support high-speed converting operations, SmartTac provides dependable adhesion across a wide range of applications, making it an ideal adhesive platform for Optiscan E products.
Optiscan E combines a thinner 36# thermal transfer facestock, SmartTac adhesive, and a downgauged liner available in either 2.1 mil SCK or Mactac’s Bloom hi.mpact 1.6 mil glassine constructions. The result is a high-performance label solution that delivers more labels per roll, while improving converting performance. Optiscan E is ideal for a wide range of high-volume labeling applications, including logistics, shipping, warehousing, inventory management, retail, and general identification applications.
“Today’s converters are under increasing pressure to improve efficiency, control costs, and support sustainability objectives without compromising label performance,” states Donna Lubin, senior product manager for Mactac’s Roll Label Variable Information Products. “Optiscan E was developed to address all of these challenges at once by delivering the material saving and yield benefits of a thinner construction, while avoiding the converting challenges often associated with downgauged products.”
The Optiscan E name reflects the core value it drives: economic benefits, environmental impact, and excellent convertibility. Prior to commercialization, Optiscan E was validated through converter trials conducted with multiple Mactac industry partners. Testing demonstrated strong converting performance at line speeds up to 500 feet per minute, reliable diecutting and matrix stripping, successful flood coating, and high-quality barcode printing results.
Optiscan E is available in two constructions: TTE3532: Optiscan E 36# facestock with SmartTac adhesive and 2.1 mil SCK liner; and TTE3552: Optiscan E 36# facestock with SmartTac adhesive and 1.6 mil Bloom hi.mpact glassine liner.
