Breaking Down Pressure Sensitive Labels, Shrink Sleeves, & Flexible Packaging

When it comes to product branding, choosing the right packaging solution is essential for successful product packaging. Pressure sensitive labels are a popular option, especially for enterprise businesses, due to their affordability, flexibility, and suitability for various projects. However, other powerful contenders—such as shrink sleeves and flexible packaging—offer unique benefits that may better suit your needs. At OnlineLabels, we provide a comprehensive range of options to support your large-scale production goals. In this guide, we'll explore the key differences between pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, and flexible packaging to help you make the best decision for your business.

What are Pressure Sensitive Labels, Shrink Sleeves, and Flexible Packaging?

Knowing the differences between custom labels, shrink sleeves, and flexible packaging can help you make informed purchasing decisions for your brand.

• Pressure sensitive are printed adhesives attached to a product or its packaging to provide information about the item. Labels often include branding elements, product descriptions, usage instructions, and regulatory information.
• Shrink sleeves are printed in polyester film and offer 360-degree coverage that contours tightly around the product's shape. They are often applied to cans, bottles, and jars.
• Flexible packaging is a printed film bag that stores the product within. Often found on detergents, deodorants, and more.

Pressure Sensitive Labels

Pressure sensitive labels are essential for creating a unique brand identity. Investing in custom roll labels can help create a tight design and portray perfect product information, such as ingredients, instructions, and regulatory details. Some features to consider at the time of selecting pressure sensitive labels include:

Advantages

• Personalization and flexibility: pressure sensitive labels can help set a product apart from competitors, making it easier for customers to recognize and remember the brand. Different label materials and finishes can also help give your design a personalized look.
• Faster printing: we offer digital presses that allow low—and high-volume custom-printed labels. Compared to flexible packaging and shrink sleeves, pressure-sensitive labels are quicker to produce.
• Packaging flexibility: these labels can be tailored to fit the product's specific dimensions, colors, and style. Squeezable film materials, film (BOPP), and vinyl are perfect for fitting particular sizes, colors, and styles, helping the product have a cohesive brand image.

Shrink Sleeves

Shrink sleeves are polyester or plastic packaging applied to products using a heat tunnel to create a tight application around the container. These sleeves start flat, and when heated, they form around the product. This technology offers a unique and attractive appearance and can be used as a security seal.

Advantages

• Enhanced durability: polyester shrink sleeves are highly durable against moisture and humidity. This helps to add images to products that face heavily humid atmospheres. We provide a tamper-evident shrink sleeve for shampoo bottles, detergents, and soap bottles that help with product safety and freshness.
• 360 full-wrap packaging: shrink sleeves offer complete packaging coverage, allowing for vibrant graphics and detailed designs to be fully perceived. This flexibility helps brands create an eye-catching effect and helps distinct objects be fully perceived and not cut from the overall product.
• Adaptability to all containers: these materials can conform to various shapes and sizes, making them ideal for irregularly shaped containers like tapered bottles and wide jars. Adaptability to packages ensures a snug fit, minimizing the risk of package folding or damaging, and helps maintain the product intact.

Flexible Packaging

Flexible packaging is a bag made from flexible film material that can be easily molded or shaped to fit various products. Unlike shrink sleeves or pressure sensitive labels, flexible packaging is made of FDA-approved materials and needs a form-fill machine. This makes the product lighter and customizable to different shapes and sizes.

Advantages

• Custom branding opportunities: this type of packaging doesn't require an actual label, so it can be easily printed with high-quality graphics and branding elements. Our most popular types of flexible packaging include sachets, granola bar packaging, and more.
• Waterproof and durable: flexible packaging is often used for liquids. This requires the material to be durable and waterproof to hold up against spills.
• FDA-approved: we use materials that are approved for food, beauty products, and more.

Understanding Packaging Solutions

Choosing the right packaging solution is essential for improving a product's image and functionality. Pressure sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, and flexible packaging offer unique benefits for each product type and market need. Understanding the differences and advantages of these three product options allows you to make informed decisions that meet your production requirements and elevate your brand's presence in a competitive market. Proper custom label printing will protect your products, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive sales.