Ordering product labels looks simple until you actually try it.
Then somebody asks whether you want paper or BOPP, matte or gloss, sheets or rolls, permanent adhesive or removable adhesive, hand application or machine application, and which direction the labels should unwind from the roll.
You were just trying to put your logo on a jar.
For this guide, we looked specifically at the best custom label printing companies for small businesses, rather than treating labels as an afterthought in a general sticker comparison.
Our top overall recommendation is CustomStickers.com. It combines excellent print quality and pricing with laminated waterproof BOPP options, straightforward ordering, good support, and strong overall value.
But there are several excellent alternatives depending on whether you need serious packaging options, rush turnaround, tiny quantities, advanced templates, or unusual materials.
Best Custom Label Printing Companies at a Glance
| Company | Best For |
|---|---|
| CustomStickers.com | Best Overall |
| Sttark | Best for Serious Product Packaging |
| StickerGiant | Best for Established Businesses and Roll Labels |
| MakeStickers | Best for Fast Turnaround |
| OnlineLabels | Best for Low Minimums and DIY Labels |
| Avery WePrint | Best Design Tools and Templates |
| StickerYou | Best for Specialty Label Materials |
| UPrinting | Best for Custom Sizes and Commercial Flexibility |
How We Evaluated Label Printers
Labels and stickers overlap, but they are not exactly the same buying problem.
A great sticker company is not automatically a great label company.
For labels, we put more weight on:
- print quality
- material durability
- BOPP and paper options
- waterproof options
- roll configuration
- sheet availability
- ease of application
- dispenser compatibility
- custom shapes and sizes
- pricing at business quantities
- turnaround
- support
- reordering
- suitability for actual product packaging
For businesses selling candles, cosmetics, beverages, sauces, coffee, supplements, soaps, baked goods, jars, bottles, boxes, and ecommerce products, those details matter more than whether the printer offers a particularly exciting glitter sticker.
Our existing sticker-company research was also useful as a starting point. CustomStickers.com, for example, scored 4.7 out of 5 overall in our broader sticker comparison, including 5.0 scores for quality, price, and customer service.
For this guide, however, we adjusted our recommendations around label-specific capabilities.
1. CustomStickers.com: Best Overall Custom Label Printer
Best for: Small businesses that want high-quality waterproof product labels at a strong price.
CustomStickers.com is our top overall recommendation because it gets the core label product right without making the process unnecessarily complicated.
Its label lineup includes paper, BOPP, and other roll-label options, with matte and gloss choices depending on the product.
For product packaging, the laminated BOPP labels are particularly appealing.
BOPP, or biaxially oriented polypropylene, is a plastic film widely used for commercial labels because it handles moisture, oils, and normal product handling better than ordinary paper.
CustomStickers.com’s laminated BOPP options add another protective layer over the print.
That makes them a sensible fit for products such as:
- cosmetics
- soap
- candles
- beverages
- jars
- food packaging
- bottles
- coffee
- ecommerce products
- products stored in kitchens or bathrooms
Why We Rank CustomStickers.com First
Our broader testing matrix scores CustomStickers.com at:
- Quality: 5.0/5
- Price: 5.0/5
- Options: 4.0/5
- Customer Service: 5.0/5
- Turnaround: 4.5/5
The overall score is 4.7 out of 5, the highest in our existing sticker-printer comparison.
The label products follow the same basic philosophy.
They are not trying to provide every obscure adhesive and industrial substrate known to humanity. Instead, the focus is on materials that cover the bulk of real-world small-business packaging jobs.
That is often preferable.
A candle company probably does not need to choose among 63 adhesive formulations.
It needs a good-looking label that stays on the candle.
Roll Labels and Application
CustomStickers.com offers roll-label formats that work with common label-dispensing workflows.
That becomes increasingly important as order volume grows.
Hand-peeling 30 labels is fine.
Hand-peeling 3,000 labels while reconsidering your career decisions is less fine.
Rolls allow businesses to use manual dispensers and, depending on the job configuration, more automated application systems.
Where CustomStickers.com Falls Short
There are label companies with deeper technical catalogs.
Sttark goes further into packaging-specific materials and label expertise.
OnlineLabels offers a much broader ecosystem for blank labels and businesses that print in-house.
Avery has better consumer-facing design tools.
StickerYou offers more unusual specialty options.
But for a small business that mainly wants good labels, good pricing, durable materials, and an uncomplicated ordering process, CustomStickers.com is our best overall choice.
CustomStickers.com Pros
- Excellent print quality
- Excellent value
- Laminated waterproof BOPP options
- Paper label options
- Matte and gloss finishes
- Roll formats
- Good fit for product packaging
- Strong customer service
- Straightforward ordering
- Strong durability
- Good overall balance of quality, price, and speed
CustomStickers.com Cons
- Not the deepest industrial label-material catalog
- Fewer niche substrates than specialized label houses
- Roll-label orders can require additional processing time compared with simpler sticker products
2. Sttark: Best for Serious Product Packaging
Best for: Brands that need more help choosing materials, adhesives, and packaging-specific configurations.
If CustomStickers.com is our easiest all-around recommendation, Sttark is one of the most interesting choices for businesses that want to get deeper into actual packaging.
Sttark is built around product labels.
That distinction shows.
Its roll labels are available across paper, plastic, vinyl, and clear materials, and the company spends considerably more time explaining which materials make sense for which applications.
For a business owner who has moved beyond “I need 500 logo labels” into questions about container material, condensation, oil exposure, refrigeration, label direction, and product environment, that expertise becomes useful.
Strong Waterproof Options
Sttark offers waterproof label materials including white plastic, clear BOPP, and vinyl.
That makes it particularly relevant for:
- bath products
- cosmetics
- shower products
- refrigerated beverages
- bottles
- outdoor products
- products frequently handled with wet hands
The company also provides packaging-specific products for bags, bottles, food, health and beauty products, and other commercial uses.
Fast Standard Processing
Sttark currently advertises standard custom-product-label processing of roughly three business days for many orders.
That is competitive for a company offering a relatively serious packaging lineup.
Why Sttark Is Not Number One
Complexity cuts both ways.
Sttark is excellent when you need deeper packaging expertise.
But not every small company does.
For straightforward product labels, CustomStickers.com has the advantage in simplicity and overall value based on our comparison.
Sttark becomes more attractive as the packaging problem itself becomes more complicated.
Sttark Pros
- Label-focused company
- Deep product-packaging expertise
- Paper, plastic, vinyl, and clear options
- Strong waterproof materials
- Helpful for material selection
- Good roll-label support
- Roughly three-business-day standard processing on many products
- Good choice for growing consumer-product brands
Sttark Cons
- More complicated than necessary for very basic jobs
- Buyers may need to spend more time comparing materials and specifications
- Not our first value pick for a straightforward BOPP label
3. StickerGiant: Best for Established Businesses and Roll Labels
Best for: Businesses ordering durable labels regularly and wanting a mature roll-label workflow.
StickerGiant has long been one of the stronger sticker and label specialists, but I like the company more for labels than its broader price score might initially suggest.
Its custom label catalog centers heavily on practical product labeling.
StickerGiant offers both BOPP and paper roll labels and explicitly supports both hand and machine application.
That is exactly what we want to see from a company serving businesses rather than just artists ordering promotional stickers.
BOPP Label Choices
StickerGiant’s label lineup includes options such as:
- glossy BOPP
- matte BOPP
- clear BOPP
- laminated labels
- paper labels
- roll formats
The clear labels are particularly useful for transparent bottles and jars where you want a “no label” appearance.
Its laminated BOPP products add protection from water, oils, and scuffing.
Stronger Quality Than Price
In our existing sticker comparison, StickerGiant scored:
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Price: 2.0/5
- Options: 4.0/5
- Customer Service: 4.5/5
- Turnaround: 4.5/5
That tells the story fairly well.
StickerGiant is good.
It is just not especially cheap.
For businesses that care more about reliability, established production, and roll-label infrastructure than chasing the lowest unit cost, that can be a perfectly reasonable trade.
StickerGiant Pros
- Excellent label quality
- BOPP and paper materials
- Matte, gloss, clear, and laminated choices
- Hand and machine application support
- Strong customer service
- Good turnaround
- Mature product-label workflow
- Good fit for recurring business orders
StickerGiant Cons
- More expensive than our top value choices
- Price becomes noticeable at larger quantities
- Not necessarily worth the premium for very basic labels
4. MakeStickers: Best for Fast Custom Labels
Best for: Businesses that suddenly realize they needed labels several days ago.
MakeStickers has one of the clearest speed pitches in the group.
It currently advertises two-day turnaround on custom labels, along with free standard shipping.
For businesses working around launches, events, temporary packaging changes, seasonal products, or the occasional planning failure, that is useful.
Good Material Selection
MakeStickers currently offers label materials including:
- white BOPP
- clear polypropylene
- holographic PET
- semi-gloss paper
Most of its film-based label products are waterproof and protected with lamination.
That gives MakeStickers more range than a basic rush printer.
You can order something practical without being limited to one generic white material.
Why It Is Not Higher
Our broader sticker research puts MakeStickers in the good-but-not-best category for print quality.
It earned 3.0 out of 5 for quality, compared with 5.0 for CustomStickers.com and 4.5 for StickerGiant.
Its 5.0 turnaround score, however, is among the strongest in the category.
That makes the recommendation simple.
If maximum quality is the priority, I would start elsewhere.
If you need perfectly respectable product labels quickly, MakeStickers deserves a serious look.
MakeStickers Pros
- Two-day label turnaround advertised
- Free standard shipping
- White BOPP
- Clear material
- Holographic PET
- Paper labels
- Waterproof film options
- Lamination on non-paper products
- Simple ordering
MakeStickers Cons
- Print quality is not quite at our top tier
- Material catalog is smaller than dedicated packaging specialists
- Best argument is speed rather than maximum premium quality
5. OnlineLabels: Best for Low Minimums and DIY Labels
Best for: Tiny businesses, prototypes, variable products, or anyone who also wants to print labels themselves.
OnlineLabels is a different kind of recommendation.
It is not merely an online company that prints labels for you.
It is an enormous label ecosystem.
You can buy blank labels, custom printed labels, sheets, rolls, waterproof materials, and configurations designed for businesses that own their own inkjet, laser, or thermal equipment.
No Minimums on Many Configurations
One of OnlineLabels’ biggest advantages is quantity flexibility.
The company currently advertises no minimum order quantity on many standard sheet, custom printed sheet, and standard roll-label configurations.
For a microbusiness testing a new product, that is extremely useful.
Maybe you do not need 1,000 labels yet.
Maybe you need 27.
OnlineLabels is much less likely to judge your tiny candle empire.
Great for Hybrid Printing
OnlineLabels also makes sense if you sometimes order professionally printed labels but sometimes print in-house.
A business might professionally print its permanent front product label while using an office printer for:
- batch information
- dates
- flavors
- temporary promotions
- inventory
- barcodes
- shipping
- limited editions
OnlineLabels serves both sides of that workflow unusually well.
OnlineLabels Pros
- Extremely low minimums
- Sheet and roll labels
- Blank and professionally printed products
- Waterproof and weatherproof choices
- Huge range of sizes
- Good for DIY printing
- Strong fit for variable information
- Useful for prototypes and new products
OnlineLabels Cons
- Catalog can be overwhelming
- Less straightforward than a simple upload-and-order specialist
- Not our first choice if you merely want a standard run of premium laminated product labels
6. Avery WePrint: Best Design Tools and Templates
Best for: Non-designers and businesses that want an easy template-based label workflow.
Avery is probably the most familiar name in this guide.
That familiarity comes with one major advantage: the company has spent a very long time helping normal people put text inside rectangles.
Avery WePrint offers professionally printed labels on both sheets and rolls, along with a substantial design and template system.
Excellent for Beginners
Avery provides:
- free templates
- online customization
- upload-your-own artwork
- custom sizes
- custom shapes on eligible roll products
- sheet labels
- roll labels
- professionally printed products
- blank labels for in-house printing
For someone without a designer, this can be considerably easier than a print-industry interface full of technical options.
No-Minimum Flexibility
Avery currently advertises no minimum orders for a number of label configurations and lets customers order very small quantities of sheets while also supporting large roll orders.
That makes it useful for businesses that expect their label needs to grow.
Start tiny.
Order more later.
No need to build a warehouse around your first batch of hot sauce.
Avery WePrint Pros
- Excellent templates
- Easy online design tools
- Custom printing and DIY products
- Roll and sheet formats
- Custom sizes
- Low or no minimums on many products
- Strong choice for non-designers
- Easy reordering through an account
Avery WePrint Cons
- Not as specialized as Sttark for complex packaging
- Not our top choice for maximum print quality
- Large catalog can make product selection less direct
7. StickerYou: Best for Specialty Label Materials
Best for: Brands that want unusual materials or more playful packaging.
StickerYou is worth considering when ordinary white labels feel a little too ordinary.
Its roll-label range includes options such as:
- clear labels
- matte labels
- paper labels
- writable labels
- custom shapes
- recycled-content paper
- specialty materials
The ability to combine custom shapes and unusual materials makes StickerYou especially useful for beauty products, craft products, gifts, specialty foods, and brands whose packaging is supposed to be part of the visual experience.
Clear Labels Are a Particular Strength
Clear BOPP labels work well on bottles, jars, glass, and transparent containers because much of the package remains visible.
StickerYou also offers writable roll labels, which can be useful for products where batch, scent, flavor, date, or other information changes.
Where StickerYou Falls Short
StickerYou’s enormous product catalog is both its strength and weakness.
Our broader sticker comparison gives the company strong marks for options but more middling scores for price, service, and turnaround.
It is a company I would choose because it has the specific label I want, rather than as our universal default.
StickerYou Pros
- Strong specialty selection
- Clear roll labels
- Paper roll labels
- Matte labels
- Writable labels
- Custom shapes
- Good for distinctive packaging
- Useful for variable product information
StickerYou Cons
- Less consistent overall value than our top choices
- Service feedback is mixed
- Turnaround is not category-leading
- Large product catalog can make ordering less simple
8. UPrinting: Best for Custom Sizes and Commercial Flexibility
Best for: Businesses that need unusual dimensions, multiple label formats, or a broader commercial printer.
UPrinting is the utilitarian choice on this list.
It offers labels as part of a much larger commercial-printing catalog, and that can be useful if your company also orders boxes, postcards, signage, brochures, menus, and other printed materials.
For labels specifically, UPrinting offers:
- roll labels
- cut-to-size labels
- custom sizes
- custom shapes
- product labels
- label sets
- multiple standard shapes
Roll labels are positioned for higher-volume manual or dispenser application, while cut-to-size labels make sense for smaller quantities and individual handling.
Strong Customization
UPrinting is particularly useful when your label does not fit neatly into a standard circle, square, oval, or rectangle.
Custom sizing and custom shapes are available across relevant products.
The company also offers label sets that can help with front-and-back bottle or package labeling.
Why It Ranks Eighth
Our broader sticker testing has UPrinting around the middle of the pack.
Pricing is attractive, but print quality and customer-service consistency do not match our top specialists.
That does not make UPrinting bad.
It simply means I would choose it primarily when its commercial flexibility solves a specific problem.
UPrinting Pros
- Custom sizes
- Custom shapes
- Roll labels
- Cut-to-size labels
- Front and back label sets
- Competitive pricing
- Huge broader commercial-printing catalog
- Good option for businesses consolidating print vendors
UPrinting Cons
- Label quality is not at our top specialist tier
- Customer service feedback is mixed
- Ordering experience is geared more toward print-savvy buyers
Roll Labels vs Sheet Labels: Which Should a Small Business Choose?
This is one of the first decisions to make.
Choose Roll Labels If:
- you order hundreds or thousands at a time
- you label products regularly
- you use a manual label dispenser
- you may move toward machine application
- you want labels stored compactly
- you need an efficient packing workflow
Rolls are generally the better long-term choice for product businesses.
Choose Sheet Labels If:
- quantities are very small
- employees apply labels occasionally
- you need many different versions
- you want to print information yourself
- you are testing a new product
- you need easy flat storage
A candle maker launching three experimental scents does not necessarily need three industrial rolls.
Sheets can be much more practical.
BOPP vs Paper Labels
Material selection matters almost as much as the printer.
BOPP Labels
BOPP is a plastic film.
It is a strong choice for products exposed to:
- water
- oils
- humidity
- condensation
- frequent handling
That is why you see BOPP so often on beverage, cosmetic, food, and personal-care packaging.
A laminated BOPP label adds another layer of protection.
For many small product businesses, laminated BOPP is our default recommendation.
Paper Labels
Paper is usually cheaper and can provide a more natural or handcrafted look.
It makes sense for:
- boxes
- bags
- bakery packaging
- dry goods
- candles
- temporary packaging
- indoor products that will remain dry
Paper can look excellent.
It simply is not my first choice for a shampoo bottle that is going to live in somebody’s shower.
Matte vs Gloss Labels
Neither is inherently better.
Matte
Matte labels reduce glare and tend to feel more restrained.
They work well for:
- cosmetics
- premium food
- candles
- minimalist packaging
- natural products
Gloss
Gloss labels increase shine and can make saturated colors look more vivid.
They work particularly well for:
- beverages
- colorful food packaging
- bold logos
- products displayed under normal retail lighting
The right finish depends on the design.
Putting gloss on something does not automatically make it premium any more than putting chrome trim on a car makes it a Bentley.
Clear Labels
Clear labels are worth considering when the container itself is attractive.
Think:
- glass bottles
- clear jars
- cosmetic containers
- beverage bottles
- transparent packaging
A well-designed clear label can make the artwork appear to be printed directly on the product.
But clear labels require more thought about color and opacity.
Light colors can disappear against the product behind them, and designs may require white ink or other production considerations to remain opaque.
Always proof clear-label artwork carefully.
What Is the Best Custom Label Printer?
For most small businesses, our choice is CustomStickers.com.
Its combination of print quality, price, laminated BOPP options, customer support, and practical roll-label production makes it the strongest overall value in this group.
But I would not use the same company automatically for every job.
Our recommendations break down like this:
Best overall: CustomStickers.com
Best for advanced product packaging: Sttark
Best for established businesses and roll-label workflows: StickerGiant
Best for fast turnaround: MakeStickers
Best for tiny quantities and DIY printing: OnlineLabels
Best for templates and beginners: Avery WePrint
Best for unusual label materials: StickerYou
Best for custom dimensions and commercial-print flexibility: UPrinting
Final Verdict
The best custom label printing companies are not necessarily the companies with the longest material menus.
The right printer is the one that matches your actual packaging workflow.
For most small businesses, that means durable print, sensible pricing, roll-label availability, reliable adhesive, good color, and a company that can get the order out without turning it into a minor administrative crisis.
That is why CustomStickers.com is our top overall pick.
Its 5.0 scores for quality, price, and customer service in our broader comparison give it an unusually strong foundation, and its laminated BOPP roll-label products are well suited to the kinds of packaging most small businesses actually use.
Sttark is the company I would investigate when packaging gets more technically complicated.
StickerGiant is excellent for established roll-label workflows.
MakeStickers is especially attractive when speed matters.
OnlineLabels and Avery are standouts for tiny quantities, templates, and businesses that also print labels in-house.
There is no universal winner for every weird container, adhesive, material, and production process.
But for the typical small business ordering professional product labels, CustomStickers.com is where I would start.
References and Citations
PrintReviewer internal Sticker Maker Reviews and Overviews, including comparative quality, price, options, service, and turnaround scores.
CustomStickers.com official custom-label information, including laminated BOPP, roll-label materials, lamination, and dispenser-compatible products.
Sttark official custom product-label, waterproof-label, and roll-label information.
StickerGiant official custom-label information, including BOPP, paper, laminated, clear, matte, gloss, and roll-label formats.
MakeStickers official custom-label information, including current turnaround and BOPP, PET, clear, holographic, and paper materials.
OnlineLabels official information covering custom printed sheets, rolls, waterproof materials, and no-minimum configurations.
Avery WePrint official custom roll-label, sheet-label, design-tool, custom-size, and no-minimum information.
StickerYou official roll-label and specialty-material information.
UPrinting official custom-label, product-label, roll-label, cut-to-size, custom-size, and label-set information.