7 Common Problems With Shrink Sleeves (With Examples)
Plastic shrink sleeves are rapidly becoming obsolete due to their chronic issues and the rise of better, more sustainable alternatives like digital printing. Uncover the most common problems plaguing shrink sleeves on aluminum cans:
1) Artwork Distortion
The stretched and warped artwork that frequently occurs with shrink sleeve application can leave a bad impression on consumers. Equally crucial is the need for essential information, such as regulatory details and UPCs, to remain consistently clear and legible.
2) Tactile Vertical Seam
A vertical seam on a can is ugly enough, but with shrink sleeves, the seam is also uncomfortably tactile. This seam not only feels awkward to consumers holding the can, but it also runs the risk of catching in canning lines, causing unnecessary production slowdowns and added costs.
3) Curl Back/ Flowering
Dubbed the "Lip Tickler", shrink sleeves will leave a rough plastic edge precisely where your bottom lip makes contact with the can you’re sipping. While this edge doesn’t always protrude, when it does it’s enough to ruin any beverage experience.
4) Cheap Texture
Plastic just lacks the premium feel that one associates with quality. When drinking from a can, nothing beats the timeless touch of metal. Placing a plastic sleeve onto an aluminum can subtly undermine the positive perception consumers have of your brand.
5) Sellotape Effect
Frequently called the “Wet T-Shirt Effect”, the Sellotape Effect is characterized by when aluminum unintentionally shows through the sleeve, creating a blotchy look. This typically occurs when the plastic sleeve is in too close contact with the aluminum. This is caused by moisture from the canning process or various other reasons.
6) Shifting Lot Code
Lot codes are on every beverage can produced, its unavoidable. If using shrink sleeves, there is no way to ensure where that lot code is going to show in relation to your artwork. Shifting sleeves will allow those codes to partially obscure your artwork or important regulatory information.
7) Non-Sustainable
The most impactful issue with shrink sleeves is that they typically render cans unrecyclable. While aluminum is infinitely recyclable, adding a plastic sleeve to a can complicates the process, and almost always both the can and the plastic sleeve are sent straight to a landfill.
What’s the Solution?
Digital Printing
Digitally printing directly onto aluminum cans removes many of the headaches caused by shrink sleeves. Direct-to-can printing produces a premium can that is beautiful, seamless, and infinitely recyclable. Frequently digital printing is more cost-effective and has very low minimum order requirements.
