Craft Beer Shrink Sleeves

Layflat is how wide the shrink sleeve is after it is printed and seamed. It is measured in mm and is the measurement used to determine how big around the shrink sleeve needs to be. Actual layflat will be determined during proofing by our prepress department. Approximate layflat can be determined by taking half of the sum of the circumference of the container + approximately 10mm (to allow for ease of application).

Cut Height is the print height + 2mm of clear space above and below the print.

In order for a shrink sleeve to be automatically applied it needs to be fed through the applicator. Inside the applicator is the bullet, the shrink sleeve is fed over the bullet. This is what opens up the sleeve so that it can be cut to the proper length and shot onto the container passing under the applicator. There are two components to a bullet. 1. The layflat. 2. Cut height. For the applicator to work on a container both elements need to be correct.

Yes! We want you to be happy with the final product so we would in fact recommend and sometimes will require a prototype to be made. Only one SKU typically needs to be prototyped.

Prototypes will be printed, seamed, and applied to the customer containers for customer approval of the final look. Press proofs are printed and sent for approval without die cutting or application.