Labels that stay put when it gets wet
For anything chilled or handled wet, choose white vinyl, or paper with freezer adhesive; clear film gives the no-label look on glass. Most sauce, syrup and coffee designs start at 3" × 2" and several also stand tall for a woozy or a flask. BBQ sauce, olive oil, kombucha, hand soap and the alcohol labels want 3 inches on the short side; the essential oil is a 4" × 1.5" wrap.
What each bottle has to say
- Food: the name, the ingredients in order of weight, any allergens, the maker or distributor with a full address, and the net contents in both units, such as "NET 16 FL OZ (1 PT) 473 mL". Kombucha and cold brew say keep refrigerated.
- Maple syrup: Grade A with its color and taste words, such as golden color and delicate taste. Grade B and Medium Amber are retired names.
- Soap, cream and oils: what it is and the net contents on the front, the ingredients in descending order, the distributor, and a website for reporting a problem; the essential oil adds plain cautions.
- Wine, beer, cider, spirits and mead: fronts with the brand, the name, the class or type, the alcohol content and the net contents as sample lines, and back labels with the GOVERNMENT WARNING word for word, in capitals 2 mm tall. The other required statements are yours to supply, and many alcohol labels need federal approval first.
On a roll, for hand or machine
Labels come wound for hand application or for a labeling machine; say which way they come off the roll when you order. Full color labels start at 25; solid ink labels ship free by ground. Both are ready about 2 to 4 business days after the proof.
From the shop: Label bottles dry and at room temperature, then chill them. A label pressed onto a cold, sweating bottle never grips the way it should.