The short answer
A wraparound label covers the whole container, so design it as panels: the front panel (brand and product name) in the middle of the label, with the back panels (ingredients, directions, barcode) on the left and right ends. The ends meet at the back, so keep text away from them.
A wraparound label gives you room for everything, but only one part faces the customer. Planning the panels first keeps the important part on the front.
Find the front
When you wrap a label around a bottle, the middle of the label ends up opposite the place where the ends meet. So:
- Front panel: the middle third to half of the label. Brand, product name, net contents.
- Back panels: the two ends, which sit side by side at the back. Ingredients, directions, your address, barcode.
- Seam: where the ends meet or overlap. Keep 1/4 in. clear of text on each end.
Tip: wrap a strip of paper the length of the label around your container and mark where the front and seam fall. If the label is longer than the container is around, it overlaps itself at the back.
Lay out the panels in Canva
- Open your template in Canva and zoom in on the first label.
- Add three light guide rectangles to split it into back, front and back. Delete them later.
- Design the front panel first, centered on the label.
- Fill the back panels with the details. Small text is fine there; see fonts that read at small sizes.
- Delete the guide rectangles, group the label and copy it to the rest of the sheet.
Sideways templates
Long labels often sit sideways on the sheet, with the long side running top to bottom. Design as normal and turn your text 90 degrees: select it, click ... > Position, and type 90 or 270 in Rotate. Make sure every piece faces the same way. Print one test label and wrap it before you print the sheet.
Background color
A wraparound label with a solid color all the way round shows the seam clearly. A light background, or a design where the color stops before each end, hides the join. If you do use full color, extend it 1/16 in. past the outline; see bleed and the safe margin.
Applying it
Start at one end, at the seam, and roll the container slowly along the label, smoothing as you go. The full technique is in how to apply labels straight, without bubbles.
Wraparound sizes in stock: 8 x 3.5 in. labels for 16 oz bottles (waterproof white vinyl) and 9 x 0.93 in. bands for 4 oz wide jars and tins.
Still stuck? Email customerservice@dashleigh.com with your template number and a screenshot, and we will help.
