Shrink Label Sizes for Every Bottle Shape [Guide]

What Sizes of Shrink Labels Fit Different Bottle Shapes?  

Many brands find it particularly challenging to assign the appropriate size to shrink labels. These labels do more than add a splash of color to the bottles. The labels need to add visual polish to the product. Hence, a properly sized shrink label is very important. If it’s too large, it will peel. If it’s too small, it will only cover a fraction of the area. The most important part is relating the label size to the shape of the bottle because the label size will differ with bottle designs. Be it a simple cylindrical drink bottle or an intricate sauce bottle, a shrink label of proper size makes a world of difference.

Common Bottle Shapes and Their Matching Shrink Label Sizes

Most bottles fall into a few common shapes, each of which has its own guidelines for shrink label sizes. Let’s start with cylindrical bottles—these are the most common and are used for everything from soda to salad dressings. For these, you need to focus on the circumference of the bottle and the height you want the bottle to cover. For example, a small cylindrical bottle with a 5cm diameter has a circumference of 15.7cm. In this case, the shrink label needs to be 15cm in order to heat and shrink to the circumference of the bottle. The height of the label, however, depends on how much of the bottle you want to cover. Small bottles will use 8-12cm tall labels, while larger bottles use 15-20cm tall labels.

Another common form of packaging is square bottles, which is used frequently for juices or other liquids as well as for pourable food products. These bottles have flat sides with rounded corners so shrink labels need to be designed with label corner radii in mind. If an insufficient amount of space is allocated to a corner radius, cracking during the shrink wrap process is likely to occur, as well as label shrinkage that is likely to result in wrinkling. For square bottles, take the measurement of the width of one flat side, multiply by four (one for each side), less a small amount of shrinkage, which for small bottles range from 1 to 2 centimeters. The height for square bottles is similar logic to the height for a cylindrical bottle—they both need to be configured based on the amount of the bottle that the user wants to display.

More uniquely shaped bottles, such a bottles with unusual curvatures or distinctively shaped tops, require a more customized solution. These bottles need to be measured from the bottle’s widest point, which is crucial in order to facilitate shrink label design, as shrink labels shrink uniformly. For instances where the bottle has a neck that is more narrow than the body, the label is adjusted from the body’s circumference, disregarding the neck. One more thing that is worth noting is the arrangement of the label on such labels. If the width of the shrinkable label is small, the label may be unable to effectively cover the dips. Conversely, if the label is too big, it may cover the lumps.

Key Factors That Affect Shrink Label Size Choices

When considering the size of shrinkable labels, one of the most important aspects is the size of the container, but that’s not the only consideration one should take into account. The first is rate of shrinkage of the label material. Various materials like PVC, PETG, or OPS will shrink to different extents—some will shrink by 50%, while others will shrink by 70%. This means, if you choose a material whose shrink rate is 50%, the original label size will have to be twice as large as the area you want it to cover after shrinking. If you do not consider the shrink rate, the labels will not serve the intended purpose: they will be too small if the rate is underestimated, or too large, if the rate is overestimated.

Another consideration is the curvature of the bottle. Bottles that have sharper curves, for example, in the shape of an hourglass, will require labels that are able to conform to the different contour changes. For example, a label placed on a bottle that becomes narrower in the middle, will need to have a middle section that is slightly broader to ensure that the shrinkage takes place uniformly without any gaps. Uniformly sized labels will likely prove problematic, as they may be too loose in the wider section, or too tight in the narrower section.

There are other types of uses too. The type of label material used may alter with temperature variances such as while stored in freezers. Materials peel and wrinkle if too cool and shift too much, while other materials more aggressive, require more careful tailoring. Shrink wrap PPE can peel and wrinkle if stored in a hot environment during repeat processing while heat sensitive labels with aggressive adhesive, require more careful watching.  

Best Practices to Prevent, Avoid, and Eliminate Size Shrink Labeling Issues  

We all still want to spend as little time, energy, and resources as possible on improper, poorly designed and crafted shrink labels, so below are hints to instead, ensure accuracy and precision. First, you want to ensure to always test the labels before the order is made in bulk. Typically, a label manufacturer can create a few labels and test to see if it properly attaches to the size of the bottle. After gauging it, the user can simply apply heat to the label and see if it shifts in the right direction. This is to ensure that the sample properly encompasses the surface area, leaving no gaps between the material and the label surface. It is crucial that these tests are done beforehand to catch any mistakes and errors before a larger supply is made.

Secondly, you can refer to industry benchmarks. For most industries, there are standard ‘go to’ sizes for specific types of bottle shapes. For instance, standard 500ml beverage cylindrical bottles would most likely have shrink labels that are 15 cm (for circumference) and 10 cm in height. These standards come from long-standing professional knowledge, thus are acceptable baselines. Your brand can modify the dimensions to meet certain needs, but it is much more efficient than starting from the very first step.  

Thirdly, describe your needs to your supplier. When it comes to shrink label suppliers, they will most likely understand how to correlate sizes to bottle shapes. These suppliers will assess your bottle dimensions and understand your usage (i.e. cold storage or heat exposure) in order to offer the most suitable label size and material. Some suppliers have the ability to determine the appropriate size of the label based on the bottle shape, shrink rate, and the bottle shape. This is estimating for the process, and helps to more accuracy in the result.

Wrapping Up   

Finding the correct size for shrink labels involves the bottle shape, the materials, and practical aspects. It’s more than just mathematics, you also need to consider the aesthetics and functionality of the label once it’s applied to the bottle. Monitoring everyday bottle silhouettes, accounting for essential elements such as shrink rate, and employing straightforward strategies such as shrink sample testing, you can guarantee that your shrink labels will adhere properly. When they do, your product will leap off the shelf as the first and most consistent impression will impress your target audience at any stage.