One size does not fit all, and you will almost certainly run into size issues if you don’t precisely measure the surface to be labelled. Your label needs to do several things to be successful: Fit on your bottles, stay on your bottles, and of course look good doing it. It all starts with having the correct size. When it’s time to order labels, it’s tempting to take for granted their size. You might assume there is a standard size for your bottle, jar, or container, or fail to notice a gradual taper of the surface to be labelled.
It’s always best to provide your label printer with a sample of your tube or bottle. With your container in hand, Labelservice will know exactly what to look for to engineer a custom label designed specifically for your container. If for some reason it’s not possible to send a sample of your bottle, these tips will help you avoid common pitfalls associated with improperly sized labels.
Labeling up to or over a taper will cause “flagging”, the unsightly wrinkling at the edge of your label. The only way to avoid this is by sizing the label well away from the taper. If your container gets narrower at the top and bottom, that’s a taper. Unless you’re labelling a cylinder (think mailing tube) your container will more than likely have a taper.
It’s obvious on wine, beer, and spirit bottles of course. The neck is clearly skinnier than the rest of the bottle. Jars may have a subtle taper that is harder to detect. Plastic tubes can often taper in more than one direction. One simple way to determine if your container has a taper is to line it up against a straight edge, like a ruler, a book, or a box. You’ll immediately see where the container is flush with the straight edge, and where any taper begins. Do this for all sides of the container. This method will also help you see imperfections and irregularities in your bottles, which are common if you are ordering discount glass from overseas.
There are no standard size bottles. It’s a 12-ounce bottle, just use the standard label for that bottle.” This is something Labelservice hears quite regularly. ” The only problem? There is no standard. There is a myriad of varying 12 ounce bottles, or bottles of any size for that matter. You need a custom label solution for your exact bottle, tube, or jar.
Remember, it’s always best to provide a sample of your container to your label company. Unfortunately, that may not always be possible. If you’re going to measure it yourself, be on the lookout for any tapering or bottle irregularities. And always communicate openly and frequently with your label printer about your containers.
There are many solutions available to you, solutions specific to your product and container that have been fine-tuned over decades of labelling. Call Labelservice today to see how we can help.
