1. Field
The present invention relates generally to business forms. More specifically, the present invention concerns a linerless duplex label and package labeling method for providing packing and shipping information for a package.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Many types of business forms are designed to be adhesively attached to a substrate, such as a product or a product container. For instance, packing and shipping labels are often adhered directly to a box, envelope, or other packaging for shipping a product. Conventional packing and shipping labels are provided as separate labels for each shipping package, with the packing label normally being held by the shipping label so that the contents indicia printed on the packing label are hidden from view. Some prior art shipping labels have been produced in the form of a duplex printed label with shipping indicia on one side and package contents indicia on the other side, and these labels are printed by a conventional duplex printer. The duplex label is also affixed to the package so that the contents indicia is hidden.
Conventional adhesive business forms, including adhesive packing and shipping labels, suffer from various undesirable limitations. For example, adhesive duplex shipping labels are deficient because they involve the use of a label stock, an adhesive pattern on the label stock, and a liner that covers the adhesive pattern when both sides of the duplex label are printed. When the printed label is ready to be applied to a substrate, a portion of the liner is typically removed from the label stock to expose the adhesive and the removed portion of the liner is typically discarded as waste. Thus, where the liner is discarded, the use of a large number of labels generates an undesirable amount of liner waste, and results in an inefficient label application process. Furthermore, the liner is problematic to remove from the duplex label stock using conventional automated label printing and application equipment. Yet further, traditional duplex labels (with portions of the liner being retained on the label for use) have a fairly complex construction and can present a fairly “thick” label construction that can present printing complications.