Lamacoid, Traffolyte, Phenolic: Why One Product Has Five Names

If you've been quoted "lamacoid tags" by one supplier, "traffolyte" by another, and "phenolic labels" by a third, you haven't been shopping three products — you've been shopping one. Here's why the same engraved plate answers to so many names, and which term to use.

They're mostly trade names that became generic

Lamicoid and Lamacoid are old trade names for phenolic-type laminated engraving sheet; the spelling drifted over decades. Traffolyte is another legacy trade name for the same stock, common in the UK, Australia, and marine work. Phenolic originally described a specific resin-based laminate. Engraving stock or engraving laminate is the generic industry term for the sheet all of these are cut from. Different words, same category: a rigid, multi-layer plate with a colored cap over a contrasting core, engraved so the core shows through as text.

What the material actually is today

Most plates sold under any of these names are now made from micro-surfaced, impact-modified acrylic engraving laminate rather than true resin-based phenolic. The industry kept the old names even as the material modernized. For panel ID, tags, and nameplates that's the right material — non-conductive, UV- and chemical-resistant, engraved rather than printed.

Which term to use

It rarely matters which name you put on a quote — a supplier who engraves this stock recognizes all of them. What matters is specifying the plate: size, cap and core colors, mounting, and text. If a drawing calls out one of these names by material and a specific standard, confirm whether it truly needs resin-based phenolic (high-heat or specialty) or simply a durable engraved plate, which the modern laminate covers.

Custom Phenolic Labels engraves phenolic, lamacoid, and traffolyte — whatever your drawing calls it — as electrical labels, tags, and nameplates.

Plan the complete identification package

Use these connected guides and services to confirm the material, code reference, mounting method, and order details: Engraved Nameplates, Tags & Lamacoid Labels, and Phenolic vs. Acrylic Labels: Which One.