What Are the Water Bottle Label Dimensions?

Whether you want to start a bottled water business or want to add customized labels to pre-existing water bottles, you should have a good idea of what label size to get. That way, you’ll have a good idea of much detail you can add to the labels.

So, what are the dimensions of a water bottle?

For a 16.9-ounce bottle, a full-wrap label will usually measure 2 × 8.5 inches. A half-wrap label will measure 2 × 4 inches. However, the exact measurements of the label will vary based on the size and design of the water bottle.

So, what water bottle label dimensions should you print out? In this guide, I’ll cover the most commonly used water bottle label dimensions, the types of labels, and how to choose the most appropriate label for your bottled beverage.

Water Bottle Label Dimensions

The dimensions of a water bottle label refer to its width and length. It should match the design and the sizes of the bottle you use for your bottled drink.

For instance, Gatorade bottles have tall, straight walls that can accommodate wider labels, whereas water bottles can have an hourglass design and minimal room for your label.

The industry standard in terms of water bottle label dimensions is 2 inches wide and 8.5 inches long for 16.9-fluid-ounce bottles. The length allows for overlap of around half an inch, where an adhesive keeps the label intact.

Some companies may opt for a half-wrap label, which covers around half of a water bottle’s circumference. These labels typically measure 2 × 4 inches for the same 16.9-fluid-ounce bottles.

If you also want to check the water bottle cap size, see our article here.

Other Label Dimensions

However, you don’t have to stick with rectangular labels. You can print all sorts of shapes at various dimensions if you want to make your water bottle stick out.

The following chart will describe the possible shapes and dimensions of water bottle labels based on the options provided by 48hourprint, sheetlabels, and uprinting.

Types of Water Bottle Labels

The various types of water bottle labels are generally categorized by materials and finish. Here are some of the most popular water bottle label types you can get.

Matte

A matte label is printed on a thin sheet of plastic. It’s gently grainy to the touch, and it doesn’t allow for very much light penetration. This is important if you plan on keeping your water bottles out in the sunlight for extended periods of time.

Glossy

Glossy labels are printed on a semi-glossy film or paper. It has a completely smooth texture, and it can come with a laminated finish to prevent the label’s ink from running when moistened. You’ll typically find this type of label used for large jugs of water.

Transparent

If you want your clear water bottles to have a clean, no-label appearance, then you should choose transparent labels. They’re harder to tear, and the ink doesn’t bleed easily on the transparent material. However, it can fade when left in the sunlight for too long.

Foil

To make your bottled drink brand stand out on the shelves, you might want to choose foil labels. They can come with a protective coating that prevents UV rays from causing the ink and colors to fade.

How to Make a Water Bottle Label

The following steps will show you how to make a water bottle label from start to finish.

Choose the label’s shape

The standard shape for water bottle labels is rectangular, as described above. However, you can choose any shape you want, and you can even get customized shapes if you want to go with an irregular label. The most important thing is to make sure that the label will fit on the side of your water bottle.

Measuring the label’s length

Using a roll of measuring tape, carefully measure the circumference of the bottle. If you want to use square bottles, simply measure the outside perimeter. For tapered or irregularly shaped bottles, measure the circumference around the portion where you plan on plastering the label.

If you want to use full-wrap labels, add a quarter to half an inch to the final measurement. For half-wrap labels, only measure how wide of a section you want to cover with the label.

Measure the width of the label

The most common width is 2 inches, but you can go with any figure you want. Just make sure that the label doesn’t get caught in the bottle’s grooves when you put them on.

After recording the measurements, you can start planning out how you want to design the label. Don’t forget to leave enough room for the nutrition facts. You can learn all about what the nutrition facts table should include here.

Determine the finish

Not only does the type of label determine how eye-catching it is, but it plays a direct role in how much it will cost to print them. Matte and glossy labels are on the lower end of the price spectrum, whereas transparent is costlier per roll, and foil accents can increase printing costs by a lot.

After determining the dimensions and finish of the water bottle label, you can start looking for quotes from various printers.

Choose an Adhesive

The type of adhesive you use will determine how easily the label comes off the side of your water bottle. This is especially important if you plan on refrigerating the bottle or placing it in a chiller since moisture can cause certain adhesives to fall off. This guide can teach you about the various types of label adhesive and which one you should choose.