Bottle Labelling Machinery: 3 Questions To Ask Before Investing

Whether you’re expanding your drinks range or upgrading an outdated labelling process, choosing the right bottle labelling machine is essential for maintaining quality, consistency, and production efficiency. From glass wine bottles to plastic juice containers, your labelling equipment must be compatible with the unique demands of your product line.

At Atwell Labellers, we specialise in drink labelling solutions and understand that no two production lines are the same. Before investing in new machinery, it’s important to evaluate your current needs and future goals. Here are three key questions to ask when choosing the right labelling system for beverages.

What Bottle Size And Shape Are You Labelling?

The shape and size of your bottles have a direct impact on the labelling machine you’ll need. Most drink bottles are cylindrical, making them suitable for wraparound labelling systems. However, if your products are tapered, square, or unusually shaped — such as artisan spirits, kombucha bottles, or energy drinks — you’ll need a machine that can apply labels accurately without skewing or bubbling.

It’s also worth considering scalability. If you’re currently labelling standard 750ml wine bottles, could your future product line include miniatures, half bottles, or even larger volume containers? Investing in a flexible labelling machine that can adapt to multiple formats will give you more freedom to grow your drinks range without replacing your equipment.

How Many Labels Do You Need On Each Product?

Some beverages require a single front-facing label, while others demand multiple labels per bottle. For example, many soft drinks and alcoholic beverages require front and back labelling, tamper-evident seals, neck labels, or regulatory information on a side panel.

The right machine will be capable of applying all required labels in one pass — ensuring alignment, speed, and consistent application. For premium drinks, where packaging plays a major role in consumer perception, precise label placement is critical to delivering a polished, high-quality finish.

Do Your Labels Require Printing?

Many drink products must display batch numbers, expiry dates, barcodes, or production codes — and these details often vary from one batch to the next. In this case, you’ll need a labelling machine that integrates printing capabilities as part of the labelling process.

Options such as print and apply labelling systems or thermal transfer printers can add this information automatically during production, reducing errors and saving time. This is especially important for compliance in regulated beverage categories like alcohol, health drinks, or functional beverages.

Whether you’re labelling water bottles, craft beer cans, cold-pressed juices, or spirits, we can help you find a machine that meets your exact needs. Atwell Labellers offers a full range of drink labelling machinery designed for accuracy, flexibility, and speed.

At Atwell Labellers, we offer a huge range of labelling machinery suitable for all types of bottled products. Our team would be happy to answer any questions you may have and discuss your requirements in more detail. Get in touch today.