Set up roll labels for the way you apply them

The short answer

For hand application, focus first on size, material, and a manageable roll. For an applicator or dispenser, also confirm its roll requirements. Avery's unwind guidance explains why the way labels feed matters for equipment, even when it is less important for peeling labels by hand.

Use our label batch & roll calculator for one design at a time. It won't tell you whether a roll fits your machine; that's what the specs below are for.

Describe application before choosing the roll

Tell us whether you peel each label by hand, use a countertop dispenser, or run an automatic applicator. Name the equipment and model if there is one. A photo of the loading path plus the relevant manual page is more useful than “standard roll.”

Record the container too: shape, surface, filled or empty during labeling, application temperature, and expected exposure. Include a sample when fit is uncertain. Start with our label size calculator for a size estimate, then test an actual paper mockup on the package. Measure the usable area around seams, corners, and tapers.

Core diameter and outside diameter are different

The core is the tube at the center; core diameter describes its opening. Outside diameter describes the whole loaded roll. Winding also has two parts: the label faces inside or outside, and the top, bottom, left, or right edge feeds first. Avery illustrates these roll terms and directs machine users to their equipment specifications.

Copy the requirements from your machine manual into the quote request. Include the maximum outside diameter and liner width, plus any gap or sensing requirements. If the manual is unclear, ask the equipment manufacturer. Supplier numbering systems can differ, so pair any unwind number with plain words and a sketch showing which edge leaves first.

Worked example: two labels per jar

Suppose a maker plans 600 jars, each needing one front label and one back label. That is 600 usable labels of each design. If the maker expects to lose 5% of the printed labels during application, divide 600 by 0.95 and round up: 632 printed labels per design, or 1,264 across both designs.

The loss rate is a share of the printed quantity, so adding 5% to 600 would be a different calculation. Now suppose a proposed roll quantity is 250 labels. Each design needs two full rolls of 250 plus a final roll of 132: three rolls per design, six overall. A spare front label cannot serve as a back label.

Run the calculator separately for every design, even when sizes match. We confirm the roll setup and quantities with your quote.

Make the artwork list match the batch list

Give each artwork version a clear name: product, flavor, size, and revision. Use those same names on the quantity sheet. If three flavors each need front and back labels, list six lines, even if the designs share a template.

Before requesting the run, compare every line with the proof. Check the product name, ingredients or other supplied copy, barcode or QR destination, and which package it belongs on. Tell us if variable lot information will be added later and how. We can help with layout, but you supply and check the product information itself.

A practical checklist for the quote

• Package and environment

  Container sample or measurements, surface, application method, and exposure. Ask about a material sample when adhesion or fit needs testing.

• Batch and versions

  Finished products by version, labels per product, and the expected application loss based on your process. Keep quantities distinct for separate designs.

• Roll and file setup

  Equipment requirements, labeled feed sketch, artwork files, and needed date. Use the bleed and safe area from your quote, not another printer's template.

The calculator's “Use these specs in my quote” button carries your numbers into the request. Our labels service covers the product conversation, while print-ready files explains file preparation. Save the approved specification with the final artwork so the next batch starts with the correct setup.

Plan a label batch →