A label of the right size is the perfect finishing touch on product packaging, helping you create a complete branded experience for your customers. When your choice of label sizes matches your items exactly, the end result is a highly professional appearance, one that will impress discerning shoppers and help your goods stand out on store shelves.

Of course, there are a near-infinite variety of product packaging shapes and sizes in the world, so how do you find labels that are the ideal size for your specific needs? This process isn't hard, provided you team up with the right product label printing partner.

Label Sizes: What Are Your Options?

Some product containers are very standardized in their size and shape. This type of packaging — from beer cans and beer bottles to glass jars and some kinds of boxes and bags — makes it easy to match labels with products.

In some cases, product containers will be standardized but still somewhat unusual in size. This applies to items such as lip balm tubes — their small scale means they need specialized label solutions, such as extended content labels, but they are relatively standardized.

Of course, sometimes your items are sold in more esoteric or unusual types of packaging. Asymmetrical containers or ones produced in-house may not conform to familiar dimensions. This doesn't mean you have to settle for ill-fitting labels, however. Custom label providers that offer die-cutting can deliver label sizes that fit even the most unusual containers.

In some cases, you may need to fit a lot of information on a relatively small label. For instance, if you sell jams and preserves stored in mason jars, you'll only have the top of the cap and perhaps the bottom of the jar to work with. A high-quality label printing provider can offer labels and stickers that are the right size for your purposes, while still offering sharp printing, so nutrition facts and other text remain legible.

Items sold in multiple varieties — for example, sauces that come in small, medium and large jars — call for versatile product label size solutions. You'll need to ensure that the smaller versions contain the same amount of information as the larger options, without sacrificing the sharpness of important text.

How Do You Match Label Sizes with Product Packaging?

Finding a good match for your product packaging starts during the ordering process. Early on when generating a price quote for your custom labels, you'll specify the size and shape you require. While some producers may not be able to accommodate any and all needs, advanced label printing partners will be able to meet your specifications.

One of the services you can look for is true custom label die-cutting. A custom label provider that can cut labels to exact specifications will be able to help you with your labeling needs, even if that company has never produced labels in that size or shape before.

Ordering proofs of your labels is an important step — this is when you find out if they're going to fit your product packaging correctly, or if there's some further refinement needed. Working with your label printing provider to get a perfect match for your needs will set your brand up for success in the years ahead.

Your labels will be delivered as either roll labels or sheet labels. The choice between the two may come down to how you want to apply the labels to packages. While sheet labels are easy to peel off for hand application, a label roll can be used on an automated assembly line.

How Do Label Shapes and Materials Affect Products' Appeal?

Label size is one of a series of important creative decisions you'll make when creating new product packaging. You'll also need to choose a shape, material and finishing treatment that suits your needs to create a design that aligns with your overall brand identity.

Label shape is closely aligned size. For instance, you can choose to create a label that is significantly smaller than your product's container, allowing the product itself to show through. In this case, picking a suitable shape for your labels will help you create a compelling, professional-looking result.

The finished label could be a small oval on a glass jar, showing off the color and texture of the product itself. Alternatively, you could employ more advanced die-cutting techniques to create a custom label shape that echoes the shape of your brand logo.

When it comes to selecting a label material and finishing treatment, you can base your decision on how the product will be stored. An item that is kept outdoors, for example, may be best served by white vinyl labels with a UV-protective finish. A product meant to be stored in a moist environment like a bathroom or kitchen may call for lighter but still water-resistant materials like polypropylene.

What Kind of Label Printing Partner Is Right for Your Brand?

Successfully printing labels that are the right size and shape for your products may come down to your choice of label partner. Lightning Labels has helped companies of all kinds execute their label design ideas for over 20 years, and offers a responsive customer care team to ensure all your specific requirements are met as well as all-digital label printer technology to ensure speed and quality.

Lightning Labels offers custom die-cutting, allowing your brand to perfectly match the labels to your packaging. These labels, cut to a level of precision within 1/32", present your brand's logo, artwork and information in the best possible setting. If you need help perfecting that logo or creating a new one, Lightning Labels can also help there, through their offered design services.

Labeling is all about professionalism, and printing labels of the exact right size is a way to display that level of control and polish. Whether you're matching the contours of your product's container or choosing a smaller size that will show off the goods themselves, your label size choice is part of the design process, and one worth focusing on.

Request a free quote to see how custom labels can take your branding to the next level.