Candle Labels

Which labels does a candle need?

Think about where a customer looks. The front of the jar sells the candle: brand, scent name and maybe a line of description. The lid of a tin is the first thing seen in a gift box. The base is where the practical information sits, out of sight but easy to find.

Splitting the information this way keeps the front clean and lets you use one base label across every scent, which keeps reorders simple.

Measure your own vessel; these are only starting points.

What goes on a candle base label?

Most candle makers put their safety wording, the weight, the scent and their name and address on the base. The exact wording and symbols depend on your product and its fragrance, and checking them is the maker's responsibility. Your fragrance supplier and a candle trade body are good places to ask.

We lay out whatever you send at a size that reads. Warning text is often long, so a base circle of 45 to 55 mm with type at about 6 pt is common. We will tell you on the proof if anything is too small to read comfortably.

Which material suits a candle?

White or clear BOPP is the most common choice for jars, because it does not crease or soak up wax if a little spills, and it wipes clean. Clear film on tinted glass looks particularly smart. Kraft gives a rustic feel on tins and boxes, and soft-touch matt suits a quiet, luxury look.

Paper labels work well on candles that stay in a box until they are lit, but they can mark if wax or oil touches them.

Silver film is a fourth option and looks striking on black or white glass, especially with dark lettering. It is a film too, so it shares the easy-clean surface of white BOPP.

• Soft-touch matt for a velvet feel on luxury jars
• Gold foil on the scent name or a border
• Clear film on amber or smoked glass
• Kraft paper with a single dark ink for a hand-made look
• Spot varnish to make a logo shine on a matt label

Will a label survive a lit candle?

The label sits on the outside of the vessel, and how warm the glass gets depends on the jar, the wax, the wick and how long the candle burns. Keep labels away from the top of the jar, where the glass gets warmest, and make sure your wick and vessel are tested together.

We cannot promise a label for every burn, so test a few labelled candles through a full burn before a large order. Film labels generally cope better than paper with warm glass.

Applying candle labels cleanly

1. Label clean, empty jars where possible, before pouring.
2. If you label after pouring, wait until the candle has fully set and the glass is cool.
3. Wipe away any wax film or fragrance oil with a dry cloth.
4. Press the label down from the centre outwards, smoothing out air.
5. Leave labelled candles to settle for a day before packing them.

Fragrance oil on the glass is the most common reason candle labels lift, so a clean wipe is worth the extra minute.

Scent ranges on one order

Each scent can have its own front label, all priced on one quote and proofed together. A common approach keeps the layout identical and changes only the scent name and a colour band, which keeps the range looking like a family.

If you add scents often, consider a front label with the brand and a blank panel, plus small scent stickers. Then a new fragrance needs only a short run of stickers rather than a new front label. Our small printed circle stickers work well for this.

How much do candle labels cost?

Prices start from £0.05 a label. Size, stock, finish and quantity decide the total. A front and base label pair on one quote is usually the best value, and running several scents together brings the price per label down.

Every quote comes back by email within one working day, with a free design proof showing each label at its real size.

Gift and wedding candles

Small runs for favours and gifts are common. A short run of personalised labels with names and a date can go on a batch of travel tins or small jars. Minimums are low and quoted per job, so a single wedding is a normal order.

Allow time for the proof, 3 to 5 working days for printing and 2 to 3 for delivery, so the labels reach you well before the candles need pouring.

Personalised runs work best when the names arrive as a simple list, one per line, in the exact spelling you want printed. We set them on the proof and you check each one before printing.

Do candle boxes need their own label?

If your candles sell in a plain box, a label is a quick way to brand it without printing the box itself. A rectangle across the lid or a circle sealing the flap both work, and the same artwork as the jar front ties the two together.

Keep the box label a few millimetres in from the edges and creases so it does not fold over a corner. Kraft and white matt paper are both good choices for boxes, which stay dry on the shelf.

Rolls or sheets for candles?

If you pour a few dozen candles at a time, sheets are simple and let you mix scents. If you label hundreds a week, a roll on a dispenser saves a lot of time. Tell us the core size if you already own a dispenser.

Sheets are also handy for markets, where you may want to add a scent sticker to a plain jar in front of a customer.

Delivery, reprints and refunds

Candle labels are printed in 3 to 5 working days after you approve the proof, then free tracked UK mainland delivery takes 2 to 3 working days.

If any arrive misprinted or damaged, tell us within 10 days with a photo and we reprint or refund them.