Method of making composite web of labels

Claim 1

Method of making a composite web of labels, comprising the steps of: providing label material on a web of supporting material, pressure sensitive adhesive releasably securing the label material to the supporting material, severing only the label material transversely to provide a plurality of labels carried by the web of supporting material, simultaneously cutting both the label material and the supporting material to foam spaced apart groups of aligned cuts through both the label material and the supporting material, the cuts in the label material rendering the label more difficult to remove when applied to merchandise and the cuts in the supporting material facilitating advance of the composite web, each group of cuts formed during the cutting step including a cut through the supporting material web defining a feed edge and at least one other cut through the supporting material web spaced from the feed edge to provide a frangible portion, the frangible portion preventing a hole from being formed and preventing accompanying flap portions from being folded out of the plane of the supporting material web upon delamination of the labels but when an advancing tooth of a driver engages the supporting material web at one group of cuts the tooth will cause the frangible portion of the supporting material web to be severed to form a hole in the supporting material web so that the tooth can engage the feed edge to advance the composite web.