Something we at have noticed over the years is the massive rise in vape usage in the US. We love not only that people are sidestepping traditional cigarettes for a cleaner nicotine delivery system, but also that businesses big and small are trusting us to print their labels.
The one thing that all vapers rely heavily on when they are buying a new product from a website or a shop is knowing the flavor instantly by the design of the bottles and vape liquid labels. Telling a story in pictures is likely to invoke a memory of a taste before they even begin to fill up their tank and we want to help you sell YOUR story to the customers.
However, it is imperative that our customers know a few critical guidelines and laws surrounding the labeling of e-liquid products, so we have put together a handy how-to guide as well as a few hints and tips to make sure your label is not only eye-catching but also in line with current laws and regulations.
1.) What regulations should I know?
There are few fundamental design choices that we feel should be pointed out straight off the bat, but the most important one we want to emphasize this: please refrain from making your e-liquid labels appear too much like candy.
In May 2018, regulators put out stern warnings to many retailers, manufacturers, and distributors that labeling a nicotine product with something that appeals to children is dangerous for many reasons. First, the e-liquid inside the bottle is highly toxic when ingested, and these graphics may appear like candy to kids who may swallow it without knowing. Second, the graphics will also appeal to younger adults under 18 who the government does not want to be swayed into trying to purchase your products illegally.
Companies have been warned that their product may be misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, because the labeling or advertising of their products that appear to be ‘kid-friendly’ is ‘misleading’. Vape companies were awarded only 15 days to come up with a response or plan for how they were going to alter their product labels to comply with this Act.
To make sure that your product complies with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, try to steer away from cartoons, packaging or labels reminiscent of candy, or something that would suggest the liquid is a food substance. For example, making your product look like juice boxes or whipped cream cans would be a violation of the regulations. However, remember you can still have fun with your labels. Instead of having these problematic designs, think about the bigger picture of the flavor: you can convey your peppermint flavor liquid in a red and white swirl without looking like candy. Similarly, grape flavor will always be synonymous with the color purple. You have to get creative!
It is also vital that all nicotine-containing products carry the following statement:
“WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.”
2.) What questions should I ask?
Now that the legalities are out of the way, let’s get down to business. What exactly should you be looking at for your custom printed labels outside of design? There many different sizes and materials of bottles used for storing e-liquids in and your custom labels will have to work on any number of these. There are a few key things to bear in mind when you are creating smaller labels for vape liquid bottles and plastic tubes:
- What size of bottles will I be using for the e-liquids?
- What shape are the bottles and how will my logo look on these shapes?
- If my logo is a customized shape, will it still look good wrapped around a cylindrical bottle or will this lessen its appeal?
- Should I be using the same size logo if I am using more than one size of bottle?
3.) What vape liquid bottle capacities should I use?
The industry has established itself in recent years, so the guidelines and standards are becoming more controlled and defined. Due to this, a more standardized bottling capacity is being used currently by other brands and distributors, which can help you decide on the size and shape of your custom e-liquid labels.
- 10 ml – These are used as a sample size and are quite small, so you can use a more basic label.
- 15 ml – These are more rarely used for products and have been largely phased out over the years. However, it still has a common use for PG based e-liquids.
- 30 ml – This is one of the most popular e-liquid sizes as it is good not only for 50/50 blends as well as PG based liquids but it can also be good if you want to experiment on VG based liquid as well.
- 60 ml – Widespread capacity for VG based e-liquids, but also still quite handy for the customer to carry around.
- 120 ml vape juice – This larger bottle is the best e-liquid size if your product boosts value as well as practicality.
- 180 ml – This bottle would be reserved for those customers who buy in bulk. These require a separate, smaller bottle to carry around as a refill.
4.) What vape liquid bottle material should I use?
There are only two types of bottles for e-liquid storage in the world, plastic and glass.
It is important to note that the vape industry does not regularly use glass over a 30ml size due in part to the structural integrity given this extra surface area. It is not as easily carried and certainly much more problematic to ship. Plastic bottles are much more flexible, do not shatter, can be transported and carried much more easily than a glass bottle. Whichever type of container you are using, we can create a custom label that will be perfect for your chosen material.
5.) What vape liquid bottle shape should I use?
While the sizes of bottles have become more standardized, the shapes of bottles have not completely changed. Many prefer to use the tall, squeezy plastic tube-shaped bottles as they are much easier to ship in large amounts, they are much easier to store, and customers tend to value the ease and usability of these bottles over ones with glass droppers. They are virtually indestructible if carried in a bag, they are recyclable, and the customer can reuse them over and over by washing them and refilling from a bulkier bottle.
That said, some of the more premium aspiring brands have decided on square shaped glass bottles that have the look and feel of a miniature cologne bottle. Whichever shape and material you decide on, your label does need to stand out front and center and be entirely accentuated by the form, not distorted or swallowed by it. If you have any doubts about your design and the product shape, you can call us today and be safe in the knowledge that we will be very honest to make sure that it will look it’s best.
6.) What label size should I use?
The capacity and shape of your bottles will also affect your logo’s size, and may even make you need to consider a design that will be just as effective on a smaller sized bottle as it is on a larger sized one. One size could potentially fit them all, but it could also be in your best interests to play around with styles and sizes.
7.) What label material, laminate, and ink should I use?
E-liquid is not a corrosive substance, but it sure is sticky, so make sure you choose the right material for your bottles. For example, paper labels may look good, but if you have a glass bottle with a dropper attachment, your customers may have drips and spills on the label which could affect the label adhesive and cause it to separate from the bottle.
We have a multitude of different materials that you can choose from, including:
Once you have chosen the perfect material for your label, you can choose from our different laminate options. Laminating a label gives it a more heavy-duty staying ability and unbeatable durability that can stand up against sunlight, moisture, oil, fingerprints, solvents, and scuffing. We currently have four finishes:
- Gloss laminate
- Gloss finish – thermal printable
- Gloss finish – UV resistant
- Matte laminate
Finally, choose between full color and white ink print or black only, how you would like your bottle labels cut, and how fast you want your labels processed. It really is that simple!
8.) Design your vape liquid bottle label.
Once you have a design in mind, you can then download one of our shaped templates to see which one is the best fit. These include four shapes, rectangle, circle, square and oval as well as many other unique shapes to fit your particular product. If you don’t see a suitable one online, contact us today to see what we can do for you.
If you have not quite figured out a design yet, do not worry, we would love to help you! We work with a few designers that can help you determine your final label design. We can also answer all your questions regarding the preparation of your files, as well as giving you honest feedback on work you have done yourself. You can call us at (877) 277-4682 to discuss this, or use our handy resources page to help you with any possible questions you may have!
Why choose usl for your label needs?
We believe in helping every single last one of our customers receive the perfect label or sticker. We love talking to you one on one and getting to know what makes you and your businesses tick. There is nothing more interesting than learning about our customers and have them challenge us to come up with smarter, bigger, bolder and sometimes downright genius ideas if we do say so ourselves!
Helping is what we do best, and while there are many label-making companies, there aren’t any as committed as we are to your company and product’s success story. We answer every single call with a real person, not an automated voice answering system, so you can ask the important questions and get real-time answers to your most pressing issues, even if it is asking our opinion between two colors.
If you have a design in mind for your product or would like to order a sample pack to see the materials we use, contact us today!
