Patent ID: 7875142

Claim:
A method of forming, in a single pass, a multi-ply label for application to a container having a known circumference, said label having an upper ply and a base ply with respective overlapping leading and trailing ends defining an end splice on application to said container, said method comprising the steps of: feeding a first composite web comprising a liner and a releasably adhered upper ply to a press; splitting said liner from said film; printing one side of said film; recombining said liner and said film; turning said web 180 degrees; printing another side of said film; feeding a second composite web comprising a base liner and releasably adhered base ply; splitting said base liner and said base ply; printing one side of said base ply; recombining said base liner and base ply; turning said second composite web 180 degrees; printing on another surface of said base ply; introducing said second web to a die cutting station and cutting said base ply on said base liner, thereby forming a series of separate base label plies on said liner each of said base label plies having a trailing end portion with an under surface; stripping away any portions of said base ply that are outside said series of base label plies; splitting said liner and upper ply of said composite web; removing said liner; joining said upper ply to said second composite web; cutting said upper ply to form a series of separate upper label plies on and in operative register with respective ones of said series of separate base label plies each of said upper label plies having a leading end portion with an upper surface, wherein an adhesive is disposed on said under surface of said base ply trailing end such that said adhesive is in a position to engage and adhere to said upper surface of the said leading end portion of said upper ply upon application of such label to a target surface; stripping portions of said upper ply that are outside said upper label plies; and rolling said base liner, carrying said base plies and upper label plies thereon, into a multi-ply label supply.