Shrink Sleeve Labels - Expectations & Tips For a Better Shrink Sleeve Label

Custom printed shrink sleeve labels are a big step up from adhesive labels. Before you switch know that shrink sleeve labels are not a perfect product but can be with proper guidance. When adding a shrink sleeve to a container or bottle you need to take into consideration all of the variables like (Heat Source, Bottle Shape, and Print Quality). Having a strong relationship with your label printer is going to be critical because there are many steps to get to the finished product.
The bottle shape is a big factor in how the shrink sleeve label will look once it's decorated. If a bottle has a simple shape and has straight edges, you will see less distortion of the label images and text after it has been heated or steamed onto the bottle.
Steam tunnels are the best way to apply a shrink sleeve however some people do apply shrink sleeves with radiant heat. I would not suggest using radiant heat unless the bottle/container is small and has a little amount of contour. If you happen to be hot filling a bottle and then applying a sleeve, you will get some drawing in of the sleeve from the bottle's heat. This helps if you're using a radiant heat tunnel because it takes less work for the tunnel to heat the sleeve. When I work with a customer we always provide a 3D scan, art template, and printed shrink grids to test the heat source and print distortion after being shrunk.
Wrinkling - Can happen if areas of high curvature or areas that require extreme shrinking like the neck of a bottle.
Smiley Face - If you look at many bottles with shrink sleeves you'll see the shrink sleeve at the bottle of the bottle looks like an upside-down smiley face. This usually occurs on spray bottles and larger shrink sleeves that require lots of heat/steam which in turn pulls the sleeve up causing the smiley effect.
Distortion - This is the most common problem with sleeves. Distortion occurs around areas on the container that have lots of contour/curvature. Shrink sleeves tend to want to pull, warp, or distort depending on the bottle shape and how the heat or steam is applied. It can also occur if the bottle goes too quickly or too slowly through the tunnel as it's being heated. Testing and documenting multiple setting factors such as temperature, amount of steam, the direction of steam, and conveyor belt speed are important in a consistent shrink appearance.
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[@user-pu8xl8zt3n]

I Need to design a shrink sleeve for a shampoo plastic bottle.

[@MattHamilton]

Please email me [e-mail] we can print full bottle sleeves and custom neckbands. 👍🏻