Custom Water Label Specifications for Bottles & Cans

These custom water label specifications, plus downloadable templates for bottles and cans, make sure your artwork prints exactly the way you intend. Download the correct template below and follow the specs for your product. If you’d rather not design it yourself, our in-house art team can build it for you — just send us your logo or a rough idea.

Requirements for every design

The following custom water label specifications apply to every design we print, whether it’s a bottle or a can.

Color: CMYK process colors only — no spot/Pantone or RGB colors.
Fonts: convert all text to outlines (in Illustrator: Type › Create Outlines) so nothing re-flows.
Images: embed every image; any non-vector artwork should be 300–800 DPI.
Bleed: for edge-to-edge coverage, extend your background art past the artboard/bleed line.
Accepted files: vector .ai or .eps (preferred), a print-ready .pdf, or 300 DPI .psd / .tiff / .jpg. One design per file.
Text size: keep all text at least 6 pt so it stays legible once printed. The FDA distribution block is the only exception, and it must still be at least 5 pt.

Bottle labels

Our standard wrap-around label fits every custom labeled bottle size (8 oz, 12 oz, 16.9 oz and 20 oz).

Actual label size (cut line)	6.25″ × 2.25″
Bleed size	6.38″ × 2.38″ (extend background art to this line)
Safety area	keep logos and important text inside the safety line
Text size	at least 6 pt for all text
FDA distribution info	required on the label, legible, at least 5 pt (you may change placement, color, and font)
Flattened files	do not include the safety, cut, or bleed guides

Download the bottle label template (PDF)

12 oz sleek cans

These specs are for our custom aluminum cans — download the template below.

Artboard size	182.23 mm × 146 mm (12 oz / 355 mL)
Top neck / warping zone	top 6 mm — keep critical art and text out of this band
Bottom edge	no text in the bottom 1.5 mm
Can code area	7 mm × 25 mm flush to the right edge, measured up from the bottom — Hart Print overprints its recycle mark and can code here, so keep art and text out
Text size	body text at least 6 pt; neck-area text at least 7 pt
Barcode	black & white, positioned vertically
Edge-to-edge	extend graphics beyond the artboard
Save as	High-Quality Print PDF (default preset), with no crop marks or bleed marks
Avoid	transparency effects

Download the 12 oz sleek can template (PDF)

16 oz cans

Artboard size	207.35 mm × 145.135 mm (16 oz / 473 mL)
Top neck / warping zone	top 12.5 mm — keep critical art and text out of this band
Bottom edge	no text in the bottom 3 mm
Can code area	7 mm × 25 mm flush to the right edge, measured up from the bottom — Hart Print overprints its recycle mark and can code here, so keep art and text out
Text size	body text at least 6 pt; neck-area text at least 7 pt
Barcode	black & white, positioned vertically
Edge-to-edge	extend graphics beyond the artboard
Save as	High-Quality Print PDF (default preset), with no crop marks or bleed marks
Avoid	transparency effects

Download the 16 oz can template (PDF)

Sending us your artwork

Email your print-ready files to art@dmcwater.com, or attach them when you request a quote. We’ll send a proof for your approval before anything is printed.

Frequently asked questions

What file format should I send?

Vector Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or .eps files are preferred, but we also accept a print-ready .pdf or a 300 DPI .psd, .tiff, or .jpg. Send one design per file.

What color mode do you print in?

CMYK process colors only. Please do not use spot/Pantone or RGB colors, as they will not reproduce accurately.

What size is a custom bottle label?

The label trims to 6.25 by 2.25 inches, with artwork extended to a 6.38 by 2.38 inch bleed. It fits all of our bottle sizes, 8 oz through 20 oz.

What are the can artboard sizes?

The 12 oz sleek can is 182.23 by 146 mm and the 16 oz can is 207.35 by 145.135 mm. Keep critical art out of the top neck/warping zone (6 mm on the 12 oz, 12.5 mm on the 16 oz).

What is the minimum font size?

Keep all text at least 6 pt. On cans, any text in the top neck / warping zone should be at least 7 pt, because that band stretches when the can is formed. The only text that may run smaller is the FDA distribution block, which must still be at least 5 pt.