Shrink Sleeves

A printed shrink sleeve label is a flexible plastic film tube printed with graphics, product information and branding. It slides loosely over a container, then heat shrinks it to follow the container's exact shape, giving 360-degree coverage and a tamper-evident seal. Nexus Australia supplies printed shrink sleeves, also called label sleeves, sleeve labels or heat shrink sleeves, in custom sizes and print designs, delivered Australia-wide from Perth to Darwin and the east coast, together with the shrink sleeve applicator that applies them.

Also known as

• Label sleeves or sleeve labels
• Heat shrink sleeves or heat shrink labels
• Shrink sleeve labels or shrink wrap labels
• Sleeve packaging or packaging sleeves

How a shrink sleeve label works

The sleeve is printed on the inside of a clear film, then seamed into a flat tube and wound onto a roll. On the line, the applicator cuts each sleeve to length and drops it over the container. A steam or hot-air tunnel then shrinks the film so it hugs every contour, from the base to the shoulder and, if required, over the cap. Because the ink is on the inside of the film it is protected from scuffing, moisture and abrasion, which is why sleeved products keep their shelf appearance through transit and handling.

Advantages of printed shrink sleeves

• 360-degree branding: the whole container surface carries graphics, product information and promotional messages, so there is no unprinted back or side.
• Form-fitting: the sleeve conforms to contoured, tapered and irregular containers that a flat pressure-sensitive label would wrinkle on.
• Tamper evidence: a sleeve that extends over the closure has to be broken to open the product, which doubles as a tamper-evident seal without a separate band.
• Protection: the film adds a layer of protection against moisture, scuffing and abrasion.
• High-quality graphics: rotogravure or digital printing gives strong colour and fine detail, including metallic and matt effects.
• Shelf appeal: full-body colour makes the product stand out against labelled competitors.

Sleeve film materials

• PETG: high clarity, wide shrink range and compatible with PET recycling streams when the sleeve is removed. The most common choice for beverage and personal care.
• PVC: the lowest-cost film with good shrink characteristics, used where recyclability is not the priority.
• OPS: a stiff film with low shrink force, used where the container is thin-walled and must not distort.
• 50 percent RPET sleeves: recycled-content PET film with clarity and gloss on par with virgin film, for brands that need recycled content on pack. The industry norm is 30 percent recycled content.

Sleeve formats

• Full-body sleeves: base to shoulder, or base to over the cap for tamper evidence in one piece.
• Tamper-evident neck bands: a short sleeve over the closure only.
• Partial sleeves: decoration on part of the container with the rest left clear.
• Multipack bands: a sleeve that holds two or more products together as one retail unit.

Industries we serve

• Beverage: water, soft drinks, juice, energy drinks, spirits and RTD cans and bottles.
• Food: sauces, condiments, dairy, ready meals and snacks, with tamper evidence built in.
• Personal care and cosmetics: shampoo, lotion, cosmetics and contoured bottles that suit full-body decoration.
• Pharmaceutical and healthcare: medicine bottles, vitamins and medical device packaging where a tamper-evident seal is required.
• Household and chemical: cleaning products, lubricants and paints.

Sleeve labels versus pressure-sensitive labels

A pressure-sensitive label is an adhesive label pressed onto one face of the container by a labelling machine. It is cheaper per label and quick to change artwork on, and it suits simple cylinders. A shrink sleeve costs more per unit but gives full coverage, fits any shape and builds in tamper evidence. Our explainer on shrink sleeve labelling covers the decision in detail.

Supply, delivery and support

Nexus supplies printed shrink sleeves to any manufacturer in Australia, whether or not your machine came from Nexus, provided the film suits your equipment. Rolls are delivered to every state and territory and to New Zealand. Send us a sample or the machine specification and we will confirm compatibility before you order.

Consumables are priced by quotation. Nexus Australia is a member of APPMA, the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association. Nexus also supplies and services the machines the film runs on, with technicians who install and support equipment in Perth, Melbourne, Shepparton, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Ordering printed shrink sleeves

Nexus supplies printed shrink sleeve rolls in custom sizes and specifications to fit your container, with printing for your brand artwork. Send a container sample or drawing and the artwork, and we will specify the lay-flat width, cut length, film and shrink profile, and match the sleeve to your applicator. Sleeves are supplied on rolls ready for an automatic applicator, and the same sleeves run on the Nexus high-speed shrink sleeve applicator. Related films: BOPP film rolls and printed laminated film.

Contact Nexus Australia for a quote on printed shrink sleeves.