Designing a label for your own bottle: sizes, files and tips

Designing a label for a bottle is not the same as making a flyer. The paper wraps around a curve, it has to survive an ice bucket and a few texts are required by law. Here is how to approach it.

Start with the technical drawing

Every bottle has its own label size. That is why you always work from the technical drawing: it shows the dimensions, the bleed and the safe zone that text must stay within. For a 20 ml shot that means two separate labels of 30 by 42 mm, front and back. For beer you design for a 33 cl bottle.

Which files to supply

• A logo in vector format (ai, eps or pdf), not a screenshot.
• The design, preferably as a PDF.
• The texts for the label, including your company name as the responsible seller.

What is required on the label

A drinks bottle needs at least the alcohol content, the volume, the allergens and the responsible seller. We check those with you before anything goes to print.

Five design tips

• Keep it calm: one colour with a single accent reads as more expensive than four colours competing.
• Keep text away from the edge, because on a curved bottle it disappears into the bend.
• Supply your logo as vector artwork: on paper you see every pixel of a file that is too small.
• On a shot the label is small: one image, one word, one colour stays readable at arm's length.
• Think of the ice bucket: choose a finish that can handle a wet label.

Design it yourself or have it designed

In our free design tool you place your logo and text on a 3D model of the bottle, at the real label size. Rather not do it yourself? Supply your own PDF or request a free design proposal from our designers. Not sure about the drink yet? Request the free samples and price list first.

Frequently asked questions

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