How-to · Nº 15
How to make candle and jar labels
For candle and jar labels, use a heat- and moisture-resistant material — white or clear BOPP, vinyl, or kraft for a rustic look — not plain paper near a flame. Size it to the jar (a 4×6 wraps a straight-sided jar; a 2-inch round suits lids), design it in CMYK with bleed, add the required candle safety warning, and print at home for short runs or professionally for consistency.
A candle label does two jobs most labels never have to. It has to survive an object built to get hot and give off scented oil, and it has to carry a fire-safety warning that buyers and retailers expect as standard. Get the material wrong and the label wrinkles or stains in the wax; leave the warning off and most shops will not stock it.
Step by step
- 01
Choose a durable material
Use white or clear BOPP or vinyl for a heat- and moisture-resistant label; kraft gives a rustic look for dry use. Avoid plain paper near heat or wax.
- 02
Size it to the container
A 4×6 label wraps a straight-sided jar with room for branding and information; a 2-inch round fits lids and mason-jar tops.
- 03
Design in CMYK with bleed
Build the artwork in CMYK with about 3 mm of bleed and a safe area, so nothing important is trimmed (see the label-design guide).
- 04
Add the required warning
Candles need a fire-safety warning — “Burn within sight. Keep away from combustibles. Keep away from children.” — plus your brand and contact details.
- 05
Choose your print method
Print at home for short or seasonal runs and quick changes; go professional for consistency and durability once volumes grow.
Oil and heat, then the words that have to be there
The material has to beat two things at once: heat, and fragrance oil. The oil is the sneakier of the two, because it works from the inside. It wicks through a porous paper facestock and reaches the adhesive from within, so a paper label near scented wax can lift or stain with nothing touching it from outside. A film face (white or clear BOPP, or vinyl) shrugs that off; kraft suits only dry, decorative use away from the wax. Glass makes the adhesive side easy: it is high surface energy, so almost any grade grips, and a wash-off grade lets a refillable jar be reclaimed.
Then there is the warning. Candle fire-safety labelling has its own standard, ASTM F2058, which asks for three messages on the product: burn the candle within sight, keep it away from anything that can catch fire, and keep it out of reach of children and pets. That text is the brand’s responsibility to include, not the printer’s; and while the standard is voluntary, in practice a retailer that expects it will turn away a candle without it.
Good to know
- →Clear BOPP gives the no-label look on a glass jar; a film face resists wax and oil far better than paper.
- →For soap and cosmetic jars, list ingredients in INCI names (see US cosmetic label requirements).
- →Glass is easy to stick to — choose by look, and use a wash-off adhesive if the jar is refillable.
Common questions
What material is best for candle labels?
A heat- and moisture-resistant film — white or clear BOPP or vinyl — or kraft for a rustic, dry-use look. Avoid plain paper near the flame, where heat and wax degrade it.
What size label fits a candle jar?
A 4×6 label wraps a straight-sided jar with room for branding and required information; a 2-inch round suits lids and the flat tops of mason jars and tins.
Not sure it'll hold?
Tell us your surface and job and we’ll spec the right material and adhesive — and ship a free sample to test.