Three questions come before the artwork on any label: where will it stick, what will it endure, and will it need to come off? The answers decide the material, and the material sets the limits of the design. Reversing that order produces a label that looks good and curls up in a fridge.
Where it sticks
A smooth glass jar and a creased kraft pouch will not take the same adhesive. On a narrow bottle a label tends to lift at its short edge, so narrow containers call for a shorter label or a wrap-around design. Rough and dusty surfaces are where adhesive struggles most.
What it endures
A label sitting on a dry shelf and one sweating in a refrigerator need different materials. Coated paper is the most economical option and works without trouble in dry conditions; on contact with moisture it swells and the ink spreads. Vinyl (PP/PE) resists water and grease and can be wiped clean, which makes it the standard choice for cosmetics, food and cleaning products. A sticker that will live outdoors also needs UV-resistant lamination, or the colours fade within a couple of seasons.
Clear labels are used when the edge of the label should not be visible on glass or coloured packaging. One thing to know here: standard printing has no white ink, so light colours on a clear substrate take on the colour beneath. If white is required, ask the printer for a white underprint.
Adhesive: permanent or removable?
Permanent adhesive leaves a residue or tears the surface when removed — which is exactly what product packaging wants. Removable adhesive is made for promotional labels, price updates and window applications; it comes away cleanly but loses grip over time. For anything going into a freezer, ask specifically for a cold-temperature adhesive; standard adhesive will not hold.
Cutting: standard shape or a die?
Square, round and oval cuts use standard tools and add no cost. A cut following the shape of the product or the logo needs a custom die; that is a one-off cost which noticeably raises the price on a short run. Deciding is simple: will the die be used again?
What a product label must carry
On food, cosmetic and cleaning products a label is not only a visual surface but a legal document: product name, ingredients, net quantity, manufacturer details, batch number and expiry date are governed by regulation. Listing those fields before design begins prevents the text that gets shrunk to illegibility because no space was left for it. Variable information such as an expiry date is left to post-print coding rather than the press.
Size and resolution
A label should be sized against the flat area of the packaging rather than the packaging itself. A bottle may measure 20 centimetres around, but if the straight band before the shoulder curve begins is 6 centimetres, the label has to fit that 6. On a curved surface the edges lift and the product looks careless on the shelf.
On resolution, a label is the printed piece people look at most closely — they hold it in their hand. Softness that goes unnoticed in a brochure is obvious on a label. For small type and fine lines, contrast matters more than print resolution: a light grey ingredients list on a light background is unreadable even when it has technically been printed.
Roll or sheet?
Short runs applied by hand are easier to handle as sheets. If a labelling machine is involved, or the quantity is high, rolls are required — and the printer needs to be given the winding direction and core diameter. A roll that arrives wound the wrong way cannot be loaded into the machine and has to be printed again.