Water bottle label sizes: 16.9 oz (500 ml) and other bottles
A 16.9 oz (500 ml) water bottle usually takes a wrap label 8 to 8.25 in long by 2 in tall: the bottle is about 7.75 in around, and the extra quarter to half inch overlaps at the back. Some bottles have a shorter straight section, and some printers sell 8.25 × 1.75 in. A 12 oz bottle also takes about 8 × 2 in, a 20 oz bottle 8.5 × 3 in and a 1 L bottle 9.5 × 3.5 in. An 8 × 2 in label is 2400 × 600 pixels at 300 ppi, or 2475 × 675 with 0.125 in of bleed.
Water bottle label sizes: dimensions, bleed and pixels
Bleed is 0.125 in on every side for inch sizes and 3 mm for metric ones. Pixels are rounded to the nearest whole pixel.
| Size | Inches | Millimeters | With bleed | Pixels at 300 ppi (with bleed) | Notes and template |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16.9 oz (500 ml), 8 × 2 in | 8 × 2 in | 203.2 × 50.8 mm | 8.25 × 2.25 in | 2,400 × 600 px 2,475 × 675 px | The usual size Free template |
| 16.9 oz (500 ml), 8.25 × 2 in | 8.25 × 2 in | 209.55 × 50.8 mm | 8.5 × 2.25 in | 2,475 × 600 px 2,550 × 675 px | A wider overlap |
| 16.9 oz (500 ml), 8.25 × 1.75 in | 8.25 × 1.75 in | 209.55 × 44.45 mm | 8.5 × 2 in | 2,475 × 525 px 2,550 × 600 px | For a shorter straight section |
| 8 oz (237 ml) mini | 6 × 1.5 in | 152.4 × 38.1 mm | 6.25 × 1.75 in | 1,800 × 450 px 1,875 × 525 px | |
| 12 oz (355 ml) | 8 × 2 in | 203.2 × 50.8 mm | 8.25 × 2.25 in | 2,400 × 600 px 2,475 × 675 px | Free template |
| 20 oz (591 ml) | 8.5 × 3 in | 215.9 × 76.2 mm | 8.75 × 3.25 in | 2,550 × 900 px 2,625 × 975 px | |
| 1 L (33.8 oz) | 9.5 × 3.5 in | 241.3 × 88.9 mm | 9.75 × 3.75 in | 2,850 × 1,050 px 2,925 × 1,125 px |
Where the sizes come from
Water bottles aren’t a fixed size: the same 16.9 oz bottle comes from many makers, with different ridges and straight sections. 4OVER4’s size chart gives 16.9 oz bottles about 7.75 in around and a label 8 to 8.25 in long by 2 in tall, 12 oz bottles 8 × 2 in, 20 oz bottles 8.5 × 3 in and 1 L bottles 9.5 × 3.5 in, and 8 × 2 in is the size many label printers list for 16.9 oz. Other printers offer 8.25 × 1.75 in for bottles whose straight section is under 2 in tall.
The length is the distance around the bottle plus a quarter to half an inch of overlap, so the label sticks to itself at the back; on a narrow bottle, keep it near a quarter inch, as a bigger overlap can wrinkle at the seam. The height is the straight band between the ridges or curves, measured on your bottle, not on the bottle’s spec sheet. Wrap a strip of paper round it and mark where it meets, or use the label size calculator with the diameter: see product label sizes for measuring any container.
Setting up the wrap
Make the document the full label length with 0.125 in (3 mm) of bleed on every side, and keep text and logos 0.125 in inside the cut. The two ends meet at the back, so put the seam there and keep the overlap free of text, barcodes and faces. The front of the bottle is the middle of the label, so center the brand there and check the layout as it wraps, with a print-out round the bottle.
Bottles go into coolers and ice buckets and get wet with condensation, so use a waterproof film label (often a white or clear BOPP) rather than paper, and ask for an adhesive made for cold, wet bottles. On a clear label, anything that should look solid needs a white ink layer under it. Bottled water for sale is regulated as a food in the US and the EU, with its own label rules; event and wedding labels stuck on bottles already labelled are a different case.
Questions
- What size is a 16.9 oz water bottle label?
- Usually 8 × 2 in, or 8.25 × 2 in with a wider overlap: the bottle is about 7.75 in around. If the straight section of your bottle is under 2 in tall, use a shorter label, such as 8.25 × 1.75 in.
- What size is a water bottle label in pixels?
- At 300 ppi, an 8 × 2 in label is 2400 × 600 pixels (2475 × 675 with 0.125 in of bleed), an 8.25 × 2 in label is 2475 × 600 (2550 × 675), and a 20 oz bottle’s 8.5 × 3 in label is 2550 × 900 (2625 × 975).
- How much should a water bottle label overlap?
- About a quarter to half an inch past the distance around the bottle, so the end sticks to the start of the label. On narrow bottles keep it near a quarter inch, and keep the overlap free of text.
- Is 500 ml the same as 16.9 oz?
- Yes: 500 ml is 16.9 US fluid ounces, which is why the standard 500 ml bottle is sold as 16.9 oz. The bottle shape still varies by maker, so measure before ordering labels.
If the printer sends the file back
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