Print & finish
Print & finish3 min readUpdated
Labels and stickers
A label is printed on its own and stuck on the pack. It lets a plain box, pouch or jar carry your brand without printing the pack itself. Here is when that makes sense, and how to plan one around your dieline.
A label or a printed pack?
A label usually wins when:
- several flavours or sizes share one plain pack, and only the label changes;
- the runs are small, seasonal or still a test;
- you buy pouches or boxes ready-made, with nothing printed on them.
Printing the pack itself pays off when you order larger runs of one design, when the artwork should cover the whole pack, or when the pack is the brand. Many brands start with labels and switch once sales settle.
What a label is made of
A sticker label has three parts. The face is the paper or film you print on. Under it sits the adhesive, and under that the backing it peels off, which keeps the glue clean until the label goes on. Many labels also get a varnishVarnish A clear coat printed like one more ink, on the same press. Light protection at low cost, in gloss, satin or matte. or a thin laminateLamination A thin plastic film bonded over the print, gloss, matte or soft touch. It protects better than any liquid coat. on top to protect the print.
Paper or film
| Face | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Paper white or kraft | Dry goods kept indoors. Easy to print, the lowest cost. | Damp and cold: it wrinkles and lets go |
| Polypropylene film BOPP | Jars, bottles, food and cosmetics. Shrugs off water and oil. White, clear or silver. | Costs more than paper |
| Polyester PET | The toughest: heat, chemicals, outdoors | Costs more again |
| Vinyl | Curves and uneven surfaces, outdoors | Costs more than paper |
If the pack goes in a fridge or a freezer, or gets wet in use, pick a film label. Paper is fine for a dry box on a shelf.
Glue that stays, or peels off
- Permanent: the usual choice for product labels.
- Removable: comes off cleanly, for prices and short promotions.
- Freezer grade: keeps its grip in the cold.
Tell the label printer what the label goes on (film, board, glass), and whether it will be cold or damp. The same glue grips some surfaces far better than others, so ask for samples to try on your real pack.
Plan the label on your dieline
Our dielines don't draw a label: it is a separate print job. Use the dieline to place it.
- Give the label one flat face. On a pouch, keep it inside the safe areaSafe area Keep text and logos inside it, clear of seals, zippers, folds and the cut. Dashed blue on most of our bags, pouches and paper goods; boxes have none., clear of the seals and the zipper. On a box, keep it on one panel and off the creasesCrease A fold line pressed into board so it bends cleanly, also called a score. Dashed green on our dielines..
- Size it from the face, not from the whole pack. On a box, the front panel runs crease to crease. On a stand up or flat pouch, the width you type includes the side seals, so the flat face is narrower. Leave a margin all round.
- Draw a rectangle of the label's size on your artwork layer and look at it in place before you order.
- If a machine puts the labels on, they come on a roll, and the machine needs them wound a certain way. Ask whoever runs it for the winding position and put it on the label order.
Find room for a label
On a stand up pouch, the blue dashed lines show the seals, the zipper and the safe area. Keep your label inside the safe area on the front.
- Cut
- Seals / safe area