SHRINK SLEEVE LABELS, SIMPLIFIED

What Are Shrink Sleeve Labels?

A shrink sleeve label is a type of product label that wraps around and conforms to the product packaging for form-fitting, seamless branding. The shrink sleeve is printed with label content and graphics on the interior of the sleeve. It is then placed over the container and shrunk with heat so that the label conforms to the product packaging. This full-body heat wrap provides 360 degree coverage of enhanced graphics and shelf appeal.

The most common shrink sleeves utilized in the market today are:

• Standard shrink sleeves: These are body-wrapped sleeves that will tightly conform to the body of the product while leaving the cap exposed. This is commonly used when a product cap will be sealed separately.
• Full body shrink sleeves: These are similar to standard shrink sleeves except they are printed to cover the product in its entirety, including the lid or cap. Full body shrink sleeves are a great option for tamper-evident packaging.
• Combination pack shrink sleeves: This type of shrink sleeve is essentially an over-sizes standard shrink sleeve that is meant to wrap around multiple products to create a pack. This provides an easy to bundle or package products together with branding-friendly material, removing the need for an additional packing option.

When Are Shrink Sleeve Labels Used?

Shrink sleeve labels are becoming more common in the industry due to additional marketing space and functional packaging options.

Shrink sleeve labels are used in various markets, such as food and beverage (e.g. soda cans, juices, condiments), nutraceuticals (e.g. supplements, protein shakes, energy drinks), household goods (e.g. cleaners, disinfectants), beauty and healthcare (e.g. cosmetics, pharmaceuticals), automotive products (e.g. window cleaners, motor oil), and many more industries.

Benefits Of Shrink Sleeve Labels

Shrink sleeve labels offer many benefits and are seen as an enhanced solution to pressure sensitive labels. Shrink sleeve labels are versatile and cost effective, allowing custom labels to conform to any product packaging. They allow for tamper-evident packaging in one functional solution without hurting product branding.

Shrink sleeve labels allow for 360 degree art with scuff and moisture resistant graphics and vibrant colors. This increased space allows more room for regulatory information or additional marketing material for your product.

Drawbacks Of Shrink Sleeve Labels

Though not as expensive as extended content labels, shrink sleeve labels do lead to higher costs because application requires the use of specialized equipment. Shrink sleeve labels are applied by using heat, which create a second and separate process for application to product packaging. Different sized packaging also requires a different mandrill in the application equipment which will further drive up the cost if you have varying package sizes.

Some companies will opt to downgauge the shrink sleeve material in an effort to cut costs. But this typically leads to distortion and is generally not recommended.

Shrink Sleeve Label Purchasing

There are several considerations to be made when it comes to purchasing shrink sleeve labels:

• Does my unique product packaging require the use of a shrink sleeve label?
• Are tamper-evident bands necessary for my product?
• How will my product be stored on shelves?
• Does my product require abrasion resistance?
• Will there be multi-pack configurations for my products?