What are shrink sleeves?
Shrink sleeves are a very popular packaging format that uses heat-wrapped packaging and sealing around an entire product.
Shrink sleeves Brisbane seamlessly conforms to the shape of any container which also allows for 360-degree graphics for maximum brand visibility. Shrink sleeves are also ideal for making metallic and holographic packaging finishes. Additionally, shrink sleeves are aesthetically pleasing and provide the ideal solution to mask uneven lines around a package providing added protection to a package from breakage and ensuring tamper-proof security.
The common types of shrink sleeves used by brands in product packaging.
Shrink sleeves are one of the most popular types of product packaging material used today. The benefits of shrink sleeves are:
- Full 360-degree product labeling and artwork which maximizes a product’s shelf visibility and embeds a brand’s image into the minds of its target customers.
- Highly flexible and able to closely conform to any glass, plastic, or metal product container.
- Makes it easy for brands to bundle their various products into one item for product promotions or as a bulk packaging tool.
There are generally four common types of shrink-sleeve packaging and knowing how to differentiate between the four common types allows brands to choose the right one for their project goals.
1. The standard shrink-sleeves or partial shrink sleeves.
The standard shrink sleeves partially cover half the product packaging either in the front or at the back and generally do not have any tamper-evident seal that cover’s a package’s cap.
The standard shrink sleeves are ideal for packaging virtually any product type, and any size and shape, packaging container regardless if it is made of metal, glass, or plastic. They can even include a zippered perforation to make it easy to recycle. The standard shrink sleeves are also ideal for labeling different varieties of the same product, even using different labels, which make it convenient to use just one container type for different varieties of product and makes product storage easy.
2. The full-body shrink-sleeves or full-sleeve labels.
The full-body shrink sleeves fully cover the entire front and back of any size product packaging container including its cap to prevent product tampering. The full-body shrink sleeves make it easy for brands to display their unique branding using full-color, eye-catching, and vivid graphics.
The full shrink sleeves also ensure a highly visible tamper-evident seal for consumer safety and can also feature a zippered perforation for easy recycling and easy removal of the shrink sleeves from the packaging.
3. The band-type shrink sleeves or tamper-evident shrink sleeves.
These are the smallest type of shrink sleeves and are generally used to cover container openings and create a tamper-evident seal around to ensure highly visible tampering evidence for end-user safety and guarantee the security of purchase. Additionally, the band-type shrink sleeves may or may not feature a zippered perforation for recycling.
With the band-type shrink sleeves, brands can indicate their logos, user instructions, and other useful graphics for more branding exposure opportunities.
4. The combination of shrink-sleeves or multi-pack shrink sleeves.
The combination shrink sleeves allow a brand to easily bundle several different product types into one bundle for brand or product promotion purposes. The combination-type or multi-pack shrink sleeves are ideal for presenting a product that allows a target buyer to buy in bulk.
Its other uses also include other applications like embedding free samples of a similar product into one container item and bundling products to sell them faster as bulk purchase items. Regardless, no matter which type of shrink sleeves are chosen, brands must always have the correct and specific equipment to apply the shrink sleeves to their product, and compared to the traditional pressure adhesive labels shrink sleeves never utilize any adhesives and are instead heat shrunk onto product containers.
Additionally, it is important to remember when considering shrink sleeves that they can require a significant equipment investment up front, so finding an outsourcing co-packer that specializes in the application of shrink sleeves to save money.
Shrink-sleeves: Their pros and cons.
Finding the appropriate packaging for products is essential for brands with thousands of product packaging materials to choose from including rigid, flexible, and various specialized packaging options in between. There are countless product packaging types to consider.
Here are a few things to think about when considering shrink sleeves for product wrapping.
Its pros:
- Shrink sleeves are more eye-catching and ensure high appeal to consumers.
- Shrink sleeves have more eye-catching glossy surfaces.
- Shrink sleeves have the lowest carbon footprint both in their manufacture and use compared to other packaging materials.
- Shrink sleeves take up less space in garbage bins and landfills compared to other packaging making them easy to properly dispose of.
Its cons:
- Due to shrink sleeves being made out of plastic, they can be hard to recycle
- Shrink sleeves are not appropriate for heated products.
- Shrink sleeves are not suitable for interactive products like wrapping children’s toys as small infants or kids can easily swallow them.
- Shrink sleeves may not be appropriate for luxury packaging applications as they can make them look inexpensive and mass-produced.
- If used as a secondary wrapping material, the addition of shrink sleeves to product packaging can increase the total packaging costs.
The appeal of shrink sleeves to target customers.
One of the best benefits provided by shrink sleeves to brands is eye-catching shelf appeal. Shrink sleeves provide product containers a beautiful glossy look which entices a brand’s target consumers to reach for their products.
Additionally, the very sheen and vivid colors provided by shrink sleeves easily reflect light and shimmer under the glare of store lighting fixtures making it easy for consumers to easily spot a brand’s products and giving it an advantage in gaining consumers’ attention against other similar products.
The printed shrink sleeves: Shelf appeal at a higher level.
Printed shrink sleeves have the same great benefits as the more common transparent shrink wrap but have the added advantage of having vivid printing and branding capabilities. Printed shrink sleeves allow a brand’s products to stand out on store shelves against their competitors.
Its downside is that it can add additional costs due to the added materials required as adding more packaging costs may not be wanted by a very cost-conscious business. However, with so many ways to utilize shrink sleeves, it allows brands to fully eliminate other types of packaging that they are currently using.
Shrink sleeves: Their benefits to brands.
There are benefits to brands that shrink sleeves can provide.
1. Packaging usefulness.
The very shape versatility of shrink sleeves allows it to tightly conform to unusual product shapes which make them the ideal option for product containers that do not do well with other types of standard labels. Regardless of the shapeof a bottle or can and whether they are made of plastic, glass, or metal, shrink sleeves will work for them.
2. High visual appeal and effortless product presentation to target consumers.
Shrink sleeves are great at enhancing brand awareness as they allow products to stand out against competitors on any shelf and enhance the visual appeal of a product to consumers. Shrink sleeves entice a consumer to have an emotional connection to a product that other traditional labels cannot do, encourage an initial sale, and ensure long-term sales.
The other ways that shrink sleeves can effectively reduce product labeling costs include:
- By providing a full front-to-back labeling coverage, shrink sleeves as more cost-effective to use compared to the traditional two separate packaging labels for the front and back.
- Shrink sleeves are ideal for combining both labeling and sealing into one process as tamper-evident seals.
- Shrink sleeves are easily removable since they are heat-shrunk into place instead of using adhesives which makes it easy for brands to reuse their packaging should anything go wrong during its application process.
- Production and labeling are faster using shrink sleeves as they make it easy to switch labeling between product types with very little preparation allowing for more packaged and labeled products in an hour.
Shrink sleeves are durable.
Typically made of the highest quality polyethylene or polyvinyl materials, shrink sleeves as highly flexible and durable which makes labels very resistant to premature fading, abrasion, and damage. Additionally, since shrink sleeves are so durable, they add another layer of protection to a container itself.
Shrink sleeves are ideal for products that are expected to be exposed to moisture like pharmaceutical or cosmetic products and cold temperatures for food and beverage products.
With shrink sleeves, there is no longer the worry of labels easily tearing, smearing, peeling, or fading, and even color bleeding.