Shrink Sleeves
Shrink sleeve is the best way to present your products at 360° angle which hugs every contour of the container or bottle. It is suitable for any packaging material such as glass, PET, Metal, PE, etc…
Make a difference with shrink sleeves…
Most common materials…
PVC – %58, %63 TD – Cheapest solution with perfect shrink curve.
PET – %78 TD – Extremely bright, MD “Machine direction shrink almost %0″ which eliminates “smiley face” effect and environmentally friendly.
OPS – %75 – Best shrink curve due to material. Being a soft material makes it perfect for squeezable bottles.
When you want to label your product from start to finish, sleeve labels offer you a way to create 360-degree coverage of your products.
Shrink sleeve has now gained popularity for cans, bottles and other containers, but there are still many people who need quality product packaging who do not know how these labels work. Here is a brief rundown of what the sleeve label is and what makes it different from other labeling solutions.
What is Shrink Sleeve?
Shrink sleeve labels are full-colour, 360-degree printed labels that use heat during the application process to conform the label to the shape of the container. Labels are typically printed on either Pet-g or PVC film material and are commonly used on plastic and glass bottles or aluminum cans.
Opening shrink sleeve label used for various containers.
Benefits of Shrink Sleeve
One of the biggest advantages of using sleeves is that it allows a 150 percent increase in label real estate compared to pressure sensitive labels. This additional space can be used to help you tell your brand story, add more images, or make room for any regulatory information your tag should include.
Beyond branding, the sleeve can function as more than just a label. As with the safety band, the shrink neck sleeve band can act as a distinctive tamper-evident seal to give your products the extra security they need with a shrink closure. The shrink sleeve label can also be used to package multiple products together to present them as a single product. Because it is form fit, you can easily pack containers of different sizes and shapes together, such as free samples or one-to-one deals.
Another benefit of using sleeve labels is that they are made of very durable materials. This makes them an excellent labeling option for products such as hair care products and beverage products that are often found in wet or humid environments such as showers and refrigerators.
How Does a Shrink Sleeve Work?
Like regular labels, the sleeve label gives you a way to add brand and product information to a container. The application process involves shrinking a film liner with steam or heat to conform to the shape of your container, rather than laying it on the surface with an adhesive. However, there are a few different steps that must take place before applying the shrink job.
Forming the sleeve
One of the main differences between sleeve and self-adhesive labels is that they "shrink to the surface with heat." Like other labels, the sleeve can be printed on flexographic or digital presses. Unlike traditional labels, the ink is printed inside the sleeve, not on the label material. This allows the film to naturally protect the ink as it adheres to the container.
Regardless of who completes the process, the converter will sew the ends of the sheets together to leave openings at the top and bottom of the newly created sleeve label. This is done by taking the ends of the film and combining them with a certain type of glue to form a loose cylinder. These stitches are then checked to make sure the sleeves do not break as they are applied. Once complete, the film is checked and shipped in rolls or single sheets depending on your application needs.
Adjusting the design to the product
One of the biggest advantages of sleeve labels is that they conform to the shape of your container: any angle, curve or unique shape can be covered. However, this means that your label design must also be properly crafted to fit this shape.Due to the shrinking process, your label design bends to fit your container as the sleeve heats up. Therefore, before the sleeve label is printed, it can go through a pre-deforming treatment for special container shapes.