Yes. Most clients have their labels printed by us in-house, but if you'd like full control over colour, material or finish, you can have your labels printed by a commercial label printer and send them to us to apply. We call these free issue labels. This article covers what we need, how to order from our recommended printer, and how it works once your labels arrive.
Is free issue right for you?
Free issue suits brands with a precise brand colour, those who want a particular finish such as matte, foil or a textured stock, and brands ordering larger runs. You no longer pay our in-house label charge of 10p per label, but you pay your printer directly. On small runs that usually works out more expensive than printing with us, so it's worth comparing before you decide. We store your labels free of charge, and you can switch back to in-house printing at any time.
Label specification
Your labels must meet this specification so our team and our labelling machines can apply them. Label sizes are exactly the same as for in-house printing, so your existing artwork fits without changes.
Bottle | Label size (mm, as in our design guide) | Labels per unit | Wind direction |
|---|---|---|---|
150ml flat postal | 60 x 76 | 2 (front and back) | Outside wound, head to lead |
200ml flat postal | 65 x 110 | 2 (front and back) | Outside wound, head to lead |
320ml flat postal | 84 x 140 | 2 (front and back) | Outside wound, head to lead |
150ml round | 140 x 60 | 1 | Outside wound, right edge leading |
200-300ml round | 180 x 66* | 1 | Outside wound, right edge leading |
400-500ml round | 215 x 80 | 1 | Outside wound, right edge leading |
1000ml round (collagen) | 200 x 100 | 1 | Outside wound, right edge leading |
All labels must also be:
- Supplied on rolls with a 76mm core. We can't use sheets or loose labels.
- Printed on a gloss white polypropylene (PP) film with a permanent adhesive, 1.5mm corner radius and a 3mm gap between labels. If you'd like a different material or finish, check with us first so we can confirm it will apply well.
- Carrying your product's barcode (EAN-13 / GTIN), clearly printed and scannable, on every label for that product. For flat bottles it normally sits on the back label. We scan it to make sure the right label goes on the right product, and you'll need it for Amazon and most retailers anyway.
- Wound minimum 100 labels per roll as standard. Larger rolls are fine for bigger orders.
Using our recommended printer: Vale
You can use any label printer that meets the specification, but we recommend Vale. They already hold our specification and cutters for our label sizes, which saves you time and avoids mistakes.
- If you have your artwork designed by Nutribl, ask us for print-ready files. Email design@nutribl.com with the products you want to switch to free issue and we'll send a print-ready PDF of each approved label, at the right size with bleed. If you're changing your artwork, send the new version to design@nutribl.com first so we can check it in the usual way.
- Contact Vale at sales@valelabels.co.uk (www.valelabels.co.uk), quote "Nutribl free issue" and the bottle size, and attach the PDF files. Vale will confirm the price and send a proof.
- Check the proof carefully. Vale prints in CMYK, so colours will be converted from your file. If colour is critical, ask Vale about a printed (wet) proof before approving.
- Ask Vale to deliver to: Nutribl, Unit 22 Brough Park Trading Estate, Brough Park Way, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2YF. Please make sure each box shows your company name, the product SKU and the number of labels.
- Let us know when the labels are on their way.
Vale typically dispatches new work 5 working days after you approve the proof, and repeat orders 5 working days after you order, with next-day delivery. Allow about a week overall.
Guide prices for external printing
To give you an idea of cost, these are typical prices for our standard specification (gloss white PP, CMYK with gloss varnish, 76mm core, on rolls) from a UK label printer in October 2026. They are a guide only. Please get a quote direct from your chosen printer, as prices are confirmed when you order and other materials or finishes are quoted separately.
Bottle | 100 labels | 500 labels | 1,000 labels | Per label at 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
150ml flat postal | £72.40 | £88.51 | £95.23 | about 10p |
200ml flat postal | £73.02 | £91.71 | £101.59 | about 10p |
320ml flat postal | £74.14 | £98.13 | £131.96 | about 13p |
150ml round | £73.44 | £94.11 | £122.66 | about 12p |
200-300ml round | £73.33 | £93.35 | £120.89 | about 12p |
400-500ml round | £75.64 | £122.99 | £159.85 | about 16p |
1000ml round (collagen) | £75.58 | £122.15 | £158.01 | about 16p |
Prices are per design and exclude VAT. Printers usually add a small charge per artwork file and a delivery charge.
The price per label falls quickly as quantities rise, from around 72p a label at 100 to around 10p to 16p at 1,000. You can also print across sorts: if several of your products use the same label size, ask the printer to quote them as one combined order. Front and back labels for a flat bottle count too, as they're the same size. A bigger combined run can bring the price per label down considerably, so it's worth planning your label orders around your whole range rather than one product at a time.
Setting up free issue with us
Before your first free issue order, let us know which products will use your own labels. We'll set them up on our system so your orders take your labels rather than ours. Once your labels have arrived and been booked in, choose free issue labels when you place your order.
Please order around 5% more labels than you need, and at least 10 extra per design, as our labelling machines use a few labels each time they're set up. We'll keep an eye on your label stock, but it's worth checking with us before a large order. If an order doesn't have enough of your labels, we'll contact you before going ahead.
When labels arrive we check the size, core, roll and barcode against this specification. If they don't meet it we'll let you know straight away, as we may not be able to apply them.
If you have any questions about free issue labels, email hello@nutribl.com.