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What Size Label Do I Need For My Product?

It’s time to go to label school! Today, we’re sharing a few easy steps to finding the correctly sized label for your product. Don’t worry, the homework isn’t hard! You are a few steps away from finding out what custom label will work the best and look the best on your product. Bring your ‘A’ game ideas to the table; with a custom label, the sky’s the limit!

THE FACTS:

Before getting started, it is good the know the parameters in which you can begin to create. The max label size that we can print for you is 12″ wide by 18.75″ in length. Little labels be not forgotten; we can print down to a 0.5″ x 0.5″ as well. Going smaller is an option, but do call one of our Customer Experience Team members first since a few variables come into play for such tiny labels.

LET’S BEGIN! Below are the 5 easy steps to finding out the best size label for your product:

1.) Gather your tools:

*flexible ruler

*pen or pencil

*graph paper (or regular paper if that is what you have!)

*scissors

*your product (jar, bottle, box, etc.)

Glass bottle, blank graph paper, pencil, scissors, and ruler assembled on a wooden table

 

 2.) Wrap the paper around your product. Mark where the edges will be.

Woman holding graph paper around a glass jar and marking label edges.

 3.) Cut the paper according to the lines you marked.


4.) Continue to wrap your paper around the package, mark and trim until you find the perfect shape and fit.

This step may take a little playing around with, but keep at it until you are satisfied with the results of step four, and your graph paper has been trimmed to shape you are wanting.

Woman holding a label prototype around a glass bottle.

5.) Spread your paper on a flat surface to measure the final label size in inches.

Woman measuring the width of a label prototype with a ruler.
Woman measuring the length of a label prototype with a ruler.

 

A WORD ABOUT SHAPE:

We have almost 2,000 sizes to choose from! These sizes are called “dies”. Basically, a die is the cookie cutter that cuts out the shape of your label.

After you measure your mock-up label, check out our order tool to see if we have your size in our catalog of dies to choose from. Odds are, we will have exactly that sized die or something very close. We carry many special shapes as well if you are looking for something beyond a rectangle, square, circle, and oval.

If you want to make a digital template out of those dimensions, you can do so using our Template Generator!

CUSTOM IS HOW WE ROLL:

If your label shape doesn’t fit within the sizes that we carry, a custom die can be ordered.

Custom dies offer you the freedom to be uniquely creative with your branding. Whether it’s a scalloped edge to match your company’s aesthetic or a label shaped like an ice cream cone, this is all just the beginning of where our custom option can take you.

Custom dies can be used for tapered jar/containers. A tapered container may need a label with a slight curve to look straight when applied. Just ask us if you are unsure!


This is it. The first step. The first step is never glamorous. It is not the finish line, the PR, the red carpet walk, the slow Sunday morning.

 It is the beginning, the wonder, the journey, the work, the process.

 With that, we take a second step.

And guess what? You aren’t alone. We value your journey. We are here to get your dreams and ideas from mind, to label, to reality. Up and alive to share with others.

Let’s do this together.


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This post was originally published in 2017 and has since been updated with new information and resources.

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