Bottle Printing

Bottle printing refers to the process of achieving a direct-to-substrate print on a cylindrical item. This can be accomplished using a pad printing machine or a UV printer. It all depends on the intended outcome. For full-color, 360-degree graphics, a rotary inkjet printer is the best option. Digitally decorating or pad printing on bottles is a surefire way to elevate perceived value over traditional paper labels. For smaller logos that cover around 25% of the product’s circumference, a pad printer would be the option. Print directly onto the following items:

Beer Bottles / Growlers

The Helix® printer makes beer bottle printing easy. These may look like adhesive labels but they are actually custom printed beer bottles printed directly onto the bottle using the Helix®. Each image is a full-wrap, seamless image.

Products used: Helix®, DL UV Ink for glass, MagiCoat glass primer

Learn more about the Helix® Rotary Inkjet Printer for Bottle Printing

Wine Bottles

This stunning wine bottle was printed on the Helix® ONE with the LV Series UV Printer Ink. Custom tooling holds the bottle secured as the bottle is digitally decorated. Elevate your printing by offering haptic prints to your customers through the use of strategically placed varnish.

The Helix® ONE is an excellent choice for UV bottle printing.

Learn more about the LV Series UV Ink

Sports Bottles

Sporting a highly flexible design, bike bottles, sports bottles, and reusable water bottles all possess a key attribute: their adaptability. Frequently nestled into bike or backpack holders, these bottles are easily squeezed to dispense water into the user’s mouth. Consequently, employing a flexible ink becomes essential to guarantee optimal adhesion of digital images, preventing any flaking or peeling, even amidst movement.

Learn more about UV Inkjet Ink for Sports Bottles

Spirits Bottles

Wider round bottles with narrow necks, such as spirits bottles, are ideally suited for digital decoration. Given that distilled spirits often boast a longer shelf life—ranging from 1 to 3 years for opened bottles and decades for unopened ones—it’s crucial to approach the decoration of spirits bottles with meticulous care to enhance branding and label quality. Innovative printing techniques, like contour print, allow for the digital printing of raised images on spirits bottles, replicating the embossed aesthetic with precision.

Read: Custom Liquor Bottle Labels, Digitally Printed

Opaque Wine Bottles

This stunning insulated wine bottle was printed on the Helix® by one of our customers, Proper Goose for their customer Partner in Wine. Holding a full 750ml bottle of wine, consumers can customize these stunning bottles for a more personalized experience.

Read a Case Study within a Case Study

Measuring Cups

These custom printed measuring cups were pad printed using the B100 – 1 color table-top machine. When accuracy in alignment is key to printing, such as the lines of the measurements, the B100 laser alignment tool will guide the part to the right position.

Products used: B100 pad printing machine, CG pad printing ink, 1000 HGL hardener

Learn more about the B100 Pad Printing Machine

While screen printing stands as a prominent method for labeling bottles, digital printing presents unmatched advantages in speed, quality, and versatility. Unlike UV digital printing, which also employs ink, screen printing imposes limitations, such as a restricted color palette—oftentimes capped at five colors—contrasting with the boundless color possibilities achievable through digital printing.

Find a printer that fits your needs