Material Recommendations for making phenolic labels with adhesive backing for outdoor use

Newbie at using the laser printer. I’m making phenolic labels for outdoor electrical panels. Can someone help me out with the best material to use with an adhesive backing. I saw trotec has 24"x12"x1/250"(0.1mm thick) | Adhesive-Backed Flexible Laser Engraving sheets is this thick enough? I didn’t see anything that was 1/16th" thick with an adhesive back. Thanks in advance.

If “phenolic” is a requirement, then Trotec acrylic isn’t the right stuff.

Assuming it’s similar to that Trotec Thins material, then it’s not one of the materials they recommend for diode lasers, because a visible-light diode laser will have difficulty removing the white upper layer.

They have a product in 1.5 mm thickness, but a diode laser will have the same problem.

Some color combinations will work better, but the specs for your labels may limit your choices. In general, diode lasers reflect off of light colored materials and anything in the green-to-violet end of the spectrum, so they do not engrave or cut well.

Ednisley thanks for the reply. Their is no requirement just that a label is attached. I have been using the 1/16th" thick 2 ply black on white. It seems to do okay with 3 passes as far as cutting through. I just need something with an adhesive backing and wasn’t sure if 0.1mm would be too thin?

I think the surface layer is thinner on their thinner substrates, so if abrasion will be a problem then thicker is better.

If there’s a risk of a passing person / object snagging the label, then thinner is better.

I’d expect the adhesive to stick like glue to smooth painted metal and fall off plastics similar to polyethylene, so what you’re sticking the labels onto will also matter.

Tradeoffs! Tradeoffs everwhere! :grin:

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Trial and error right? No issues with snagging or abrasion

Thanks for the input.