Custom Label Printing for Bottles

By Sarah Harris

Businesses should put themselves in the shoes of consumers when creating labels, especially in highly competitive markets such as alcoholic beverages. What would entice you about your label if you saw your own product on a store shelf? If you would bypass your own products, won’t customers, too?

This is why label printing for bottles is crucial. Partnering with Print Bind Ship ensures you will get high-quality bottle labels printed for attractive, desirable-looking results. Get a custom quote and let Print Bind Ship become your printing partner.

Benefits of Using Custom Labels for Bottles

Branding is similar to building a relationship. Your customers need to feel as though they know what your business stands for and that they can trust you and your products will fill a need in their lives. Having custom bottle labels printed that reflect your values and accurately represent your products is essential for building brand loyalty.

How to Print Labels for Bottles

Label printing for bottles can be done cheaply and simply, but for professional results, avoid DIY approaches and put resources toward label designs.

Choose the Right Label Printing Company

Partnering with Print Bind Ship means you don’t have to invest in an expensive label printer for bottles, nor do you have to worry about the quality or visual appeal of your labels. 

Our experienced design team knows how to create compelling label designs or at least make sure yours is ready for print. We have everything needed for making thousands of perfect, ready-to-apply labels. 

Consider Types of Labels

The type of label you choose is part of the design. Here are some options:

1. Paper labels: These are the cheapest but can be a great choice thanks to their interesting texture. Additionally, recycled labels can appeal to customers who care about environmental issues. If the labels are for cold beverages, condensation can ruin paper labels unless you take steps to waterproof them. 
2. Vinyl labels: These labels are much hardier than paper ones. They adhere even in adverse conditions and resist tearing or scuffing. They can also be opaque or transparent depending on your design choices. However, unless you take care to source specific types, they probably won’t be easily recyclable.
3. Shrink sleeves: If you’re looking for labels for plastic bottles, shrink sleeves are a fantastic choice. Plastic bottles often come in strange shapes that can make regular adhesive labels difficult to apply. Shrink sleeves use heat to shrink around a container for a permanent bond, meaning they’re perfect for odd shapes. You can also easily remove them for recycling or if you need to make a change to the label for a batch of your beverages. These types of sleeves and the machines that apply them will be expensive.

No matter which type of label you use, remember to design accordingly. Labels can stretch and warp when applied.

Research Printing Techniques

The type of printing matters, too, since it can affect cost, durability and types of labels you can use, including the way the image appears on the label. 

• Flexographic printing: This type of printing uses rollers to feed labels through, then applies the various colors individually on multiple cylinders. This method can take more money and time to set up than digital printing, but once it is set up, it’s fast. 
• Digital printing: This is the most inexpensive and flexible method. With high-resolution label printers, the image will look excellent. Since the printing is controlled digitally, the labels can be changed on the fly.
• Screen printing: Mesh patterns applied to the surface of the label get ink squeezed through to create patterns in screen printing. With multiple screens, the final image appears. While this method doesn’t work well with detailed images and can be expensive, it does create an interesting texture to the label and can be applied directly to bottles with no label at all.

If you’re having trouble deciding which printing type is for you, contact Print Bind Ship to go over your options. We’ll make sure you’re happy with the results.

Consider Design and Branding 

When designing a label, really think about the meaning behind your brand. Who is your target audience? For wine, you might want an old-fashioned paper label with embossing to appear upscale and elegant. Beer can be all over the map since craft breweries love using whimsical designs and unconventional materials. 

Would your audience appreciate bold colors and angular letters? Or would they gravitate to more understated, muted graphics and lettering? Keep in mind that you’ll have to incorporate your logo, the product name, the barcode, nutrition information and contact info for the manufacturer on your bottle label.

Choose the Right Label Paper

If you’re printing your own labels, you may have to pair the right label material with your printer. Check with the printer manual or the manufacturer before printing. Some printers don’t like glossy materials, while others won’t work with matte labels. 

Consider Finishing or Special Effects

Here’s where getting fancy can make the difference. Label finishing options abound! You can apply matte or glossy coatings to give the label depth or make it appear aged. You can use embossing techniques to add texture to the lettering. Foils can add shine to just the letters or graphics. Holographic foils can add 3D effects.

Print and Apply the Labels

Once your labels are ready, Print Bind Ship can apply them. Since we also provide warehousing and shipping, you can send us your bottles and we’ll label and ship them to customers or retailers. We’ll even handle returns!

No More Bottlenecks — Trust Print Bind Ship to Create Your Bottle Labels

Your bottle labels are the “handshake” that makes a lasting first impression. Want that impression to be positive? Make Print Bind Ship your printing partner. We can give your customers incredible unboxing experiences with our Mail Genius service, which can place custom notecards, interesting offers, “handwritten” notes and cool swag into every package.  Contact Print Bind Ship and start winning more customers!

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