What is the difference between shrink sleeves and self-adhesive labels?

The main difference is coverage and application method: shrink sleeves use heat to shrink a printed film tube around the entire container for full 360-degree coverage and no adhesive, while self-adhesive labels use a pre-coated adhesive to bond a flat, die-cut label to one section of the container.

Shrink sleeves are generally preferable when a brand wants complete, seamless coverage of a contoured container, including the shoulder and neck, or needs built-in tamper evidence at the cap. They apply without surface preparation and leave no adhesive residue, which also makes them well suited to containers with textured or recycled-content surfaces where adhesive bonding can be inconsistent.

Self-adhesive labels are generally preferable for simpler container shapes, shorter production runs, and situations requiring quick changeovers between SKUs or fast turnaround, since they need no heat-tunnel infrastructure and can be applied by hand or standard labelling equipment. They are also typically more cost-effective at lower volumes, since shrink sleeve production and application require specialised tooling and heat-tunnel line integration. The major selection factors are container geometry, desired design coverage, tamper-evidence requirements, production volume, and the labelling equipment already installed on the packaging line.