Label sizes for tins, tubes and pouches

Tins, tubes and pouches share a problem: the printable area is smaller than the container suggests, and the edges are where labels fail. The numbers below assume the label stops short of every rim, crimp and seal.

For the general method, see the label size guide.

Tins

A tin is a cylinder with rolled rims at both ends. The rims are not printable, and a label that crosses one will lift.

Tin	Diameter	Side wall	Panel label	Wrap
2 oz tin	55 mm	30 mm	45 × 25 mm	176 × 25 mm
4 oz tin	65 mm	40 mm	55 × 32 mm	208 × 32 mm
8 oz tin	75 mm	50 mm	70 × 45 mm	240 × 45 mm
16 oz tin	95 mm	65 mm	85 × 55 mm	302 × 55 mm

Wrap widths include 4 mm overlap. For a tin, a wrap is often easier than a panel because there is no risk of the label being applied at an angle — the seam becomes the alignment reference, as long as the artwork has a gap there.

Lid labels are common on tins: a circle 3–5 mm smaller than the lid diameter works, so 62–65 mm on a 70 mm lid.

Tubes

A cosmetic tube tapers towards the cap and is crimped at the base. Both ends are unusable.

Tube	Diameter	Printable height	Label
Lip balm, 4 g	16 mm	45 mm	30 × 40 mm
Hand cream, 30 ml	28 mm	80 mm	38 × 70 mm
Face wash, 50 ml	35 mm	100 mm	45 × 90 mm
Body lotion, 200 ml	50 mm	140 mm	60 × 120 mm

Two rules for tubes:

• Keep 8 mm below the cap. The shoulder where the tube meets the cap is curved; a label that reaches it wrinkles when the cap is tightened.
• Keep 5 mm above the crimp. The crimp is uneven by nature, and an adhesive applied over it will not sit flat.

Tubes are usually labelled before filling, on a semi-automatic applicator. If you are filling in-house by hand, allow 3 mm more clearance at both ends.

Pouches

A stand-up pouch has four printable zones, and the heat-seal areas are not among them.

Pouch	Panel width	Panel height	Label
100 g coffee	90 mm	130 mm	70 × 55 mm
250 g snack	100 mm	150 mm	80 × 60 mm
500 g	120 mm	180 mm	95 × 75 mm
Sample sachet	60 mm	90 mm	45 × 45 mm

• Stay 10 mm clear of the top and bottom seals. Adhesive on a seal compromises both the label and the pack.
• Avoid the side gusset. The fold is a moving surface; a label across it creases on the shelf.
• Use a film label. Paper on a flexible pouch will cockle as the pack moves, even indoors.

Sizing for application method

Method	Extra clearance	Why
Hand applied	3–4 mm each end	Human placement drifts
Semi-automatic	2–3 mm	Consistent but not exact
Full wrap on a line	1–2 mm, plus a seam gap	Machine registers against the seam

If a design has no margin, the application method becomes part of the specification. On a 45 mm tube label, 3 mm of drift is 7% of the width and visible.

What this means for buyers

Measure the printable band, not the container. Rim, crimp and seal are not surfaces.

A tin almost always wants a wrap or a lid label, not a small panel that looks lost on a curved side.

Tubes need clearance at both ends, and more if you fill by hand.

Pouches need film, not paper. Flexibility is the whole point of the pack.

Order a sample on the empty container before filling. A label that fits an empty tube can still wrinkle once the tube is pressurised by filling.