Custom product labels for a small brand come down to five choices: shape, size, material, finish, and how many you order. Get those five right and your label does two jobs at once. It tells the customer what is inside, and it makes the product look like it came from a real brand.
This guide walks through each choice the way we talk customers through it at our Knoxville shop, so your first label order is the right one.
What are custom product labels used for?
A product label is the face of whatever you sell. Candles, hot sauce, soap, coffee bags, jerky, bath bombs, merch boxes. It carries your brand name, the product name, the variant (scent, flavor, color), and the basics a customer needs to buy with confidence. A sticker is meant to be seen. A label is meant to be read, and it still has to look good doing it.
Die-cut labels vs roll and sheet labels
Labels come in three common formats, and it helps to know which one you actually need.
- Die-cut labels. Each label is cut to its own shape and peeled one at a time. This is what Beaver Slaps makes, using the same builder as our die-cut stickers. It fits brands that apply labels by hand.
- Roll labels. Labels on a continuous roll, built for label applicators and high-volume packing lines.
- Sheet labels. Several labels on one sheet, often used with desktop printers.
We sell labels only as individual die-cut labels today. If your operation needs rolls for an applicator or sheets for a printer, ask us before you order and we will tell you straight whether we can help.
What material should product labels be made of?
Paper labels are cheap and look fine on a dry shelf, but they scuff, absorb oils, and wrinkle when they get wet. Vinyl holds up better to handling, moisture, and the trip from your table to a customer's kitchen.
Our labels print on 3M IJ40C, a calendered vinyl, and get sealed with a gloss or matte laminate. The laminate protects the print from scratches and water, so a label on a candle or a sauce bottle keeps looking sharp after it has been picked up a few dozen times. If you want a label that shifts color in the light, holographic is a separate specialty material. It is not 3M, and it works best as an accent run rather than your everyday label.
Gloss or matte labels?
Gloss makes colors pop and reads as bright and clean. Matte cuts glare and feels more muted and handmade, which suits a lot of candle, skincare, and coffee brands. Neither one is more durable in a way you will notice. Pick the one that matches your packaging. Our glossy vs matte breakdown goes deeper if you are torn.
What needs to go on a product label?
At minimum, most small brands include:
- Brand name or logo
- Product name and variant
- Size or net quantity
- Website, social handle, or a way to reorder
Food, cosmetics, and some other categories have their own labeling rules for things like ingredients and warnings. Those rules depend on what you sell, so check the requirements for your product category before you finalize the design. We print what you approve. We do not certify labels for any regulatory standard, and we do not make food-contact claims about the material.
How many custom labels should a small brand order first?
Order enough to cover a few months of sales, not a year. Your design will change once you see it on the shelf. At Beaver Slaps, 50 custom 3x3 die-cuts start at $78, and the price per piece drops as quantity goes up. If you sell several scents or flavors, each variant is its own design, so plan quantities per design. Our article on how much custom die-cut stickers cost explains how size and quantity move the number.
How ordering works at Beaver Slaps
Upload your artwork, pick a size, finish, and quantity, and the builder shows your price and a proof with the exact cut line. You approve the proof before anything prints. Then we print and cut it here in Knoxville at our shop on Henson Road. Real people, real press, not a faceless warehouse.
Not ready to commit? Grab a free sample pack and stick one on your actual jar or bottle to see how the material handles.
Ready to label your product line?
Start with your best seller. Measure the flat area on the container, upload your art to the die-cut sticker builder, and approve the proof. You can see all our options on the custom die-cut stickers and labels page.
Shop These Slaps
- InstaProof Die Cut Stickers: the builder for die-cut product labels, with your price and proof on screen before you pay.
- InstaProof Circle Stickers: a clean round label for jar lids, tins, and candle tops.
- Beaver Slaps Sample Pack: test the material on your own packaging before you order a full run.