Shrink Sleeves Labels

Introduction:

Shrink Sleeve Labels?

With more choices available on store shelves, businesses need a way to differentiate their product from competitors, and one way they’re doing that is through shrink sleeve labels. Shrink sleeve labels are a relatively new type of label that has been making a name for itself in the label industry for several reasons:

• Its full body design allows for more creativity with graphics, color, and impact.

• The sleeve film is durable, abrasion-resistant, and waterproof.

• Labels can be removed from bottles and containers allowing the bottle/container to be reused.

Printing Methods:

Rotogravure, flexography, and digital printing processes are used to print on the shrink film. Many times and an excellent idea to protect your investment, the label is reverse printed so that when the custom shrink label is applied to the product, the image will be on the inside of the label, next to the container, so that it is protected from scuffs and scratches on the outside from handling and storage.

When shrink sleeve labels are going to be produced on a roll, it is important to know how the applicator will deliver the label to the container. This will determine the proper unwind direction for the labels to ensure that the printed shrink labels are not applied upside down on your container.

Important factors like whether the applicator will deliver the labels from the top, bottom, or one of the sides, and whether the roll is threaded with the printing on the outside or inside will be necessary to make sure your labels are applied correctly.

The Benefits:

With its full body design and high-quality graphics, shrink sleeves are a great way to attract new and potential customers. With high consumer demand, studies have shown shrink sleeves to boost sales by as much as 20 percent. Below are some key benefits and uses of shrink sleeves.

1)Applicable on plastic, glass, and metal packaging containers.

2)Shrink material is damage resistant.

3)Seamlessly fits onto many uniquely shaped bottles and containers while accenting the shape.

4)Can incorporate a tamper-evident protection seal to ensure a product’s safety.

5)Its 360-degree design can fit contoured areas allowing for more display area for the label design.

6)The design is printed on the inside of the shrink material so the artwork doesn’t easily bleed, fade or smudge.

7)Various marketing and promotional opportunities: multi-packs, cross-merchandising, promotional band, on-pack

Industries Using Shrink Sleeves

Almost every product industry can use shrink sleeves, however, we have found that certain industries benefit the most from shrink sleeves.

Food & Beverage – Shrink sleeves work well with food and beverage products (especially juices, energy drinks, and alcoholic beverages) because the tamper-evident protection seal keeps food and beverage products from being opened intentionally or unintentionally. The aesthetic design also can tempt consumers’ taste buds with vibrant colors and graphics.

Pharmaceutical & Nutraceutical – Product safety is an important factor when making custom labels for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Shrink sleeves’ tamper-evident protection seal, damage-resistant material and structural design decreases the chances of a product being accidentally or purposefully opened. Complying with government regulations is easier with shrink sleeves because the graphics and text can be updated while allowing the containers to be reused for the new shrink sleeve.

Household Cleaning Products – Detergents, soaps, and cleaning agents can benefit from shrink sleeve labels because their material can withstand moisture, friction, and varying temperatures. In most cases, household cleaning products using shrink sleeves will look as new as the day they were bought regardless of how many times the product has or will be used.

Steps of Shrink Sleeve Label Printing

1.The label design is mirrored and printed on the inside of the shrink sleeve material using a flexographic, Gravure, Offset, or digital printing press.

2.The printed material is checked for quality control by machine and human inspection.

3.The printed material is seamed together by a machine using a small amount of solvent to create the sleeves for application.

4.The roll of sleeves goes through an air inspection machine to ensure the integrity of the seam.

5.The sleeves are wound up on a roll or cut into individual sleeves depending on the order.

Types of Shrink Sleeves

A.Full body shrink sleeves form fit to the entire body of the container. They will shrink to fit the contour of the entire container, allowing it to be decorated 360 degrees from top to bottom, maximizing marketing space.

B.Preforms are shrunk film bands manufactured to fit particular shapes of containers, eliminating the need for custom designs.

C.Combination packaging uses shrink sleeves to package multiple containers together for the purpose of offering it as one product. Using form-fitting shrink sleeve material allows you to package different sized and shaped containers together easily.

After printing properly, the custom shrink sleeve labels can be applied by hand or with automatic equipment. Then, the container with the shrink sleeve is sent through a heat tunnel, which will cause the label to shrink and conform to the contours of the container.