Wine label sizes for 750 ml bottles: front, back and neck

Bordeaux, Burgundy and other bottle shapes

Label printers’ size charts agree on a range rather than one size. 4OVER4’s chart puts a 750 ml Bordeaux front at 3.5 to 4 in each way, its back at 3 to 4 in wide by 3.5 to 4.5 in tall, and a neck label at 1.5 to 3 in wide by 0.5 to 1.5 in tall; Bottle Your Brand calls 3.5 × 4 in its wine label, and Sttark lists 4.5 × 3 in for a 750 ml wine bottle. A Bordeaux bottle has straight sides and high shoulders, a body close to 3 in across (about 9.5 in around), so it has the tallest flat band.

A Burgundy bottle is a little wider, about 3.25 in across, with shoulders that slope down into the body, so the flat band is often shorter: 4OVER4 allows a front up to about 4.25 in wide, while Sttark sizes its sloping-shoulder label at 3.25 × 3.25 in. Riesling and Alsace bottles are tall and slim and take narrower labels, about 3 to 3.5 in wide, and sparkling-wine bottles have a short flat band low on the body. A 375 ml half bottle takes about 2.5 to 3 in, and a 1.5 L magnum about 4.5 to 5 in.

Measuring the bottle and setting up the file

Bottles of the same shape differ between glassworks, so measure the one you’ll fill: the height of the straight band between the shoulder and the heel, and the distance around it (or π × the diameter). Keep the label clear of both curves, and keep the front and back labels apart so they don’t meet at the sides; a paper print-out taped to the bottle is the quickest check. The label size calculator works out front and back panels from the diameter, and product label sizes covers measuring any container.

Set each label up at its finished size with 0.125 in (3 mm) of bleed, the cut line on its own layer as a named spot color, and text at least 0.125 in inside the cut. Wine labels often use foil, embossing and textured uncoated stocks: each finish goes on its own layer in register, as in setting up a foil or spot UV layer. Labels for an ice bucket need a stock and adhesive made for wet conditions. In the US, the alcohol health warning on a bottle over 237 ml must be at least 2 mm tall, and the rest of the required wording depends on the wine and the country: check the rules before the layout is final.

Questions

What size is a standard wine label?

For a 750 ml bottle, most front labels are 3.5 to 4 in wide by 3.5 to 4 in tall, and 3.5 × 4 in is the most common single size. Back labels are 3 to 4 in wide by 3.5 to 4.5 in tall. Printers sell other sizes too, such as 4.5 × 3 in, so check the bottle’s flat band first.

What size is a wine label in pixels?

At 300 ppi, a 3.5 × 4 in front label is 1050 × 1200 pixels (1125 × 1275 with 0.125 in of bleed), a 4 × 4 in label is 1200 × 1200 (1275 × 1275) and a 3 × 4 in back label is 900 × 1200 (975 × 1275).

Do Burgundy bottles need a different label?

Often, yes. A Burgundy bottle is a little wider than a Bordeaux, about 3.25 in across, but its sloping shoulders leave a shorter flat band. One printer allows a front up to about 4.25 in wide; another sizes its sloping-shoulder label at 3.25 × 3.25 in. Measure the band before choosing.

How big should the back label be?

Usually 3 to 4 in wide by 3.5 to 4.5 in tall on a 750 ml bottle, and often smaller than the front. It carries the required wording, such as the US health warning (at least 2 mm tall on a bottle over 237 ml), and the barcode: see barcode won’t scan.

If the printer sends the file back

• “The foil (or spot UV) needs its own layer”
• “The artwork doesn’t fit our dieline”
• “There’s no white ink layer”
• “The barcode is too small to scan”
• “The text is too close to the edge”