Labeling and product decoration are critical to the packaging industry, combining the information to identify a product with the sales properties of branding and on-shelf visibility. The status of this market is documented in a report from Alexander Watson Associates (AWA) titled AWA Labeling and Product Decoration Annual Review 2023. It explores the different facets of the subject across the main labeling formats – pressure-sensitive, glue-applied, sleeving, and in-mold labels.

The study details the different end-use application segments, including primary product labeling, variable information printing, and security labeling, and sets them in the context of in-depth regional market analyses. In 2022, AWA estimates that global label demand was approximately 72,617 million sq m representing a growth of 2.3% over the prior year. While these figures span all label and product decoration technologies, 40% of these volumes were in pressure-sensitive labels, 35% in glue-applied labels, and 19% in the sleeve labeling technologies.