Packaging does two jobs: it holds the product and it tells people what the product is. On a printed box, the box itself does the telling. On a bottle, a jar, a tub or a pouch, a label usually does it. That is the simplest way to think about where labels fit.
The layers of a self-adhesive label
The most common label on small-batch products is the pressure-sensitive, or self-adhesive, label. It is a sandwich of three layers:
- Face stock: the printed top layer, either paper or a plastic film.
- Adhesive: the glue on the back, permanent or removable depending on the job.
- Liner: the coated backing sheet that the label peels off before it is applied.
Labels are die cut through the face stock and adhesive, but not the liner, so they peel off one at a time.
Other label types
- Wet-glue labels are plain paper glued on at the labeling stage, a long-standing method for bottles on high-speed lines.
- Shrink sleeves are printed film tubes that shrink with heat around the whole container, covering curves a flat label cannot.
- In-mold labels are placed in the mold so the label fuses with a plastic container as it is formed.
- Hang tags and wraparound bands do label work without adhesive, common on apparel and gift items.
What goes on a product label
Most labels carry three kinds of content:
- Identity: brand, product name, variant and the main claim you want seen first.
- Information: net quantity, ingredients or materials, directions, warnings and who made or distributed it.
- Codes: a barcode for retail scanning, a batch or lot code for traceability, and often a QR code linking to more detail.
Which statements are mandatory depends on the product category and the market you sell in. Confirming the required wording for your product is your call, and it is worth doing before artwork is final, because legal text needs space that is easy to underestimate.
Label or sticker?
Physically they are often the same thing: printed face stock on a self-adhesive backing. In everyday use, a label is applied to a product to inform, while a sticker is more often a standalone piece for decoration, promotion or sealing a bag or box. Many suppliers sell both under one product, as iBox does.
How labels apply to custom packaging at iBox
- Custom labels and stickers: printed labels in the Labels, Inserts and Accessories category.
- Custom egg carton labels: a label made to sit on a carton rather than be printed into it.
- Custom PET bottles and custom glass jars: containers that are commonly branded with a label.
The wider catalog, from boxes to bottles, is on the all products page. If your product ships in a printed box, you may not need a label at all: the box panels can carry the same information.
Related terms
- What is bleed in packaging: why label artwork extends past the cut.
- What is a spot color: how exact brand colors are printed.
- What is a dieline: the cut shape drawing, used for labels as well as boxes.
FAQ
Should the label or the container be chosen first?
The container. The label size depends on the flat or gently curved area available, so pick the bottle or jar, measure its label panel, then design to fit.
Can a label be any shape?
Yes, because labels are die cut. Circles, ovals and custom outlines are all common, as long as the shape suits the surface it goes on.
Getting labels quoted
Send the container or the surface the label goes on, the label size, the quantity and your artwork. Design support and US shipping are free, and you approve a digital proof before anything prints. Use the quote form and mention any finish you want, such as foil or a matte coating.
