Guides for label buyers.
Straight answers on materials, finishes, specifications and EU rules, written by a label manufacturer in Trieste, Italy.
Label roll calculator
How many labels fit on a roll, how big the roll will be, and how many rolls an order needs. For brand owners, buyers and production teams.
Read the guide →Buying
How to choose a label supplier in Europe: a checklist for brands and buyers
A practical checklist for brand owners and procurement teams choosing a self-adhesive label supplier in Europe: materials, finishes, colour control, versions, samples and red flags.
Read the guide →Specification
How to request a label quote: the specification checklist that gets you an exact price
The information a label printer needs for an exact quote: size and shape, quantities and versions, material, container and conditions, finishes, roll data for the applicator, variable data and artwork.
Read the guide →Finishes
Hot foil, screen printing, embossing or tactile varnish: which premium label finish for which effect
Which premium label finish for which effect: hot foil, screen printing, embossing, debossing, tactile varnish, microtextures and die-cutting compared, with what each is best for and what to watch.
Read the guide →Wine & Spirits
Labels for ice buckets and chilled bottles: why they fail and how to specify them
Why wine and spirits labels wrinkle, peel or lose their finish in ice buckets and fridges, and how to specify facestock, adhesive and protection so they survive. Includes a simple test protocol.
Read the guide →Regulation
PPWR and labels: what the EU Packaging Regulation means for self-adhesive labels (2026–2030)
What Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) means for labels: key dates from August 2026 to 2030, harmonised sorting labels, compostable fruit stickers, recyclability, and what brand owners should ask their label printer.
Read the guide →Wine & Spirits
EU wine labels: ingredients, nutrition and the e-label QR code (Regulation (EU) 2021/2117)
What EU wine labelling rules (Regulation (EU) 2021/2117) require on the physical label and what can go in an e-label via QR code, and how to print a QR code that scans on textured paper and foil.
Read the guide →Production line
Why label rolls break or jam on the labelling line, and how to fix it
Liner breaks, labels not dispensing, jams and missed labels on bottling and filling lines: the most common causes on the roll and on the machine, how to diagnose them and what to specify to the label supplier.
Read the guide →Development
How to develop a new product label: the steps from brief to first production
The steps to develop a new self-adhesive label without surprises: brief, container and conditions, regulatory content, die line, material, artwork, proofs, prototypes, line trial, master sample and production.
Read the guide →Application
Labels wrinkling, flagging or bubbling: causes and fixes
Why labels wrinkle on tapered bottles, lift at the edges on small diameters, or show bubbles and blisters on plastic containers, and what to change in material, adhesive, shape and application.
Read the guide →Quality
How to keep label colour consistent across reorders, suppliers and sites
How brand owners and buyers specify label colour so reorders, ranges and different suppliers match: colour references, spectral measurement, ΔE tolerances, measurement conditions, master samples and lighting.
Read the guide →Procurement
Running a label tender for a multi-site group: from RFQ to contract
A procurement guide for large groups sourcing self-adhesive labels across brands and plants: tender scope, specification pack, supplier qualification and line trials, quality agreement, KPIs, pricing structure, inventory models and dual sourcing.
Read the guide →Procurement
How to reduce label costs without losing quality: 9 levers for buyers
Nine practical ways to lower the total cost of self-adhesive labels: harmonise sizes and materials, combine versions, right-size quantities, reduce obsolete stock, optimise rolls, plan artwork changes, use finishes where they matter and choose the right process.
Read the guide →Production line
How to store label rolls so they run well on the line
How to store self-adhesive label rolls so they run well on the line: temperature and humidity, how to stack rolls, first-in first-out, adhesive shelf life and acclimatising rolls before use.
Read the guide →Process
Digital vs flexo label printing: which process for which run
Digital and flexographic label printing compared for buyers: run length, number of versions, variable data, set-up, colour, finishes and lead time, with a decision table.
Read the guide →Procurement
Which certifications should a label supplier have? A guide for buyers
A buyer's guide to label supplier certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, FSC and PEFC chain of custody, BRCGS Packaging Materials, GMP for food contact materials and ISO 15378 for pharma, what each covers and how to verify it.
Read the guide →Regulation
Minimum font size on EU food labels: the 1.2 mm and 0.9 mm x-height rule
What Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires on food labels: 1.2 mm x-height, 0.9 mm on small packs, same field of vision, allergen emphasis, packs under 10 cm², languages, and how to fit everything on the label.
Read the guide →