Use White Plastic BOPP roll labels or vinyl sheet labels on candle jars. Both stand up to fragrance oil far better than paper. A candle label also has to survive the warmth of a burning candle, and most of those problems come down to when and how the label goes on, which you control.
Choosing the material
| Label | Best for |
|---|---|
| Roll labels in White Plastic BOPP | Most jars. Wipes clean of fragrance oil and stands up to handling. |
| Roll labels in White Satin Paper | Boxes, sleeves, and dry packaging. Paper soaks up fragrance oil, so it's a risk on the jar itself. |
| Vinyl sheet labels | Small batches applied by hand. Laminated vinyl, like our stickers. |
| Clear Sheet Labels | A no-label look on glass. |
Our roll labels are white. For a clear label, use Clear Sheet Labels and decide where white ink goes. Without white ink, colors are translucent, and the wax or tinted glass behind them shows through. With white ink, they read solid. See do clear stickers need white ink. Clear labels also show every trapped bubble, so apply them slowly.
Heat and bubbles
A burning candle warms its jar, and the warmest band of glass moves down as the wax burns. At some point the whole label sits on warm glass, and warmth softens adhesive. That's where bubbles and lifting edges usually start. What helps:
- Label cool jars. Wait until the jar has cooled completely after pouring. Labels bond best to glass at room temperature.
- Wipe the glass first. Fragrance oil and wax on the glass sit between the adhesive and the jar. Use isopropyl alcohol on a cloth, then let it dry.
- Press the whole label down. Smooth it from one edge to the other, then run a fingernail around the edges. Air trapped under a label expands as the jar warms.
- Let the adhesive set. It builds strength over the first day or two, so label jars a day before they're packed, shipped, or burned.
- Keep labels on the outside of the jar, below the rim.
Then burn a test candle all the way down, with your label on your actual jar, before you order a large run. Watch for bubbles or a lifting edge. If a few bubbles do appear, how to get bubbles out of a sticker covers the fix.
Tins
Smooth metal is easy to label, as long as it's clean. Tins often carry a film of oil from manufacturing and handling, so wipe them with isopropyl alcohol first. The flat lid is the easiest place for a label. The curved side of a small tin is harder; see labels for tins, tubes, and tight curves.
If labels still lift, High-Tack Stickers have a much stronger adhesive and can be cut to a circle for the lid or a rectangle for the side. They're harder to remove, which on a tin is what you want.
Room for the warning
Most candles carry a safety warning and burning instructions. Plan the space from the start: on the back of the main label, on a second label, or on the base. If it goes on the base, measure the flat area, since many jar bottoms are curved or embossed, and remember the base gets warm too near the end of a burn.
We print the warning text you supply, so check the rules and guidance that apply to your candles and where you sell them. Keep the text at 6 pt or larger, or 8 pt for thin (light or script) fonts, so it stays readable. More in compliance text on small labels.
Sheets or rolls
If you pour in small batches and label by hand, choose sheet labels: the minimum is 25 of a design, and they ship 3 to 5 business days after you approve the proof. If you label hundreds at a time, or use an applicator, choose roll labels: the minimum is 100 of a design, and they ship 5 to 7 business days after approval. A warning or back label is its own design with its own minimum.
To burn-test our vinyl on your jar before a full order, the 15 Custom Sticker Sample is the smallest way in: 15 of your design on white vinyl. For BOPP, a printed label sample is usually cost-prohibitive, but you're welcome to ask us for one. Otherwise, order a first run of 100 and test it before you scale up.