Custom In-Mould Confectionery Labels

Label Material and Print Quality

IML labels are usually printed on thin polypropylene film, matched to the polypropylene of the tub so the two fuse properly. The film can be white for vivid colours, clear for a no-label look where the product shows through, or metallised for a premium shine. Printing is high resolution, so photography of chocolate, fruit and ice cream looks rich and detailed.

Surface finishes are built into the label. Gloss is the most common and gives a smooth, polished look. Matt film gives a softer, more modern feel and is popular with premium ice cream and artisan sweet brands. Textured effects that can be felt with a fingertip are also possible on some moulds, adding a tactile detail to a lid or side panel. Textured and metallic effects are compared in the print and finish options guide.

Designing In-Mould Confectionery Labels

An IML label is designed as a flat shape that matches the outline of the container wall. For a tapered round tub, that is a curved band, sometimes called a fan shape. For a square tub, it might be a single wrap with a join at one corner, or separate panels for each side. Your mould maker or container supplier will have the exact label outline, and we prepare the artwork template from it so the design sits correctly once moulded.

Plan the design around how the tub is seen. On a shelf, the front panel faces outwards and the lid is seen from above in chest freezers. Put your brand and flavour clearly on both. Ingredients, nutrition and allergen information go on the back panel, and you can print a best before area or leave a clear zone for the date coder.

Allow for the curve of the tub when placing logos. Text near the top and bottom of a tapered wrap bends along the fan shape, so straight lines of type can look slightly tilted once moulded. Our template shows the safe zone, and the proof includes a preview of how the flattened artwork reads on the finished container. The same curved-artwork rules apply to the coffee bag labels on curved packs.

Working With Your Moulder

In-mould labels are supplied to the company that moulds your containers. If you buy tubs from a container manufacturer, they will tell us the label outline, the film thickness they need and how the labels should be packed and stacked for their machines. If you are a confectionery or dairy brand ordering for the first time, send us your container supplier's details and we will liaise on the technical points so the labels arrive ready to run.

Labels are cut precisely and supplied in neat stacks, usually in sealed cartons to keep out dust. Static and humidity can affect how labels feed, so the storage advice from your moulder is worth following. Our guide to how custom pricing works explains why IML is priced by version as well as quantity.

Versions, Flavours and Ranges

Confectionery and ice cream ranges often run to many flavours on the same tub. With IML, each flavour is a separate label version, but all can be printed in the same production run if they share the same outline. Using a consistent layout with a colour band and flavour name that changes per version keeps the range looking unified on shelf and makes it easy for shoppers to spot their favourite.

For limited flavours and special editions, short runs of a new version can be printed alongside your main range, so long as the outline is the same as an existing tub. The board and card types guide has a short note on the label films used for moulding.

Get the Label Outline From Your Moulder First

In-mould labels are cut to a tub outline that only the moulder has, so the first step is to ask them for the label drawing and the mould number before any artwork starts. A label that is 1 mm too long overlaps at the seam and a label that is short leaves a bare strip of plastic, and neither can be fixed after moulding. Send that outline with the number of versions and the quantity per version, and the template we return shows the safe zone where type will not distort on the curve.

A custom quote comes by email within one working day with a free design proof on the label template, including a preview of how the flattened artwork reads on the finished container. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and free tracked UK mainland delivery takes 2 to 3 working days, with minimums quoted per job; labels that arrive misprinted or damaged are reprinted or refunded if reported within 10 days. Tubs that are decorated after moulding use the stuck-on pressure-sensitive labels for jars and tubs instead.