Labels for jars, tins and spice containers

Pretty jar labels in a minute

The tool above is set up with the “Text only” template: a label with no barcode, the word large and centered, and a small line underneath for the details (for example “ground · best before 09/2026”). Replace the sample text with yours and you will see the result instantly: the word grows by itself until it fills the label without spilling over, and if it is long it wraps to two lines.

Which label size to choose for your container

• Small jars and spice containers: 52.5 × 29.7 mm (Avery Zweckform 3651, 40 per A4 sheet) or, on Letter paper, 2⅝ × 1 in (Avery 5160, 30 per sheet).
• Medium jam or honey jars: 4 × 1⅓ in (Avery 5162, 14 per Letter sheet) or 70 × 37 mm (Avery Zweckform 3474, 24 per A4 sheet).
• Large jars and bottles: 4 × 2 in (Avery 5163, 10 per Letter sheet) or 99.1 × 67.7 mm (L7165, 8 per A4 sheet), which leave room for a name, a date and ingredients.

These measurements are approximate: measure the smooth front of your container (without curves or embossing) and choose a label a little smaller. In step 3 of the tool you have every model and can check the full sheet before downloading.

What to add besides the name

• Date: the date made or a best-before date, whichever you prefer.
• Batch: a short number to trace the batch if you later need to know which one it is.
• Ingredients or contents, if the jar is a gift or for sale.

All of this goes in the “Reference” line, which takes up to three lines on labels with no code.

If you sell food, the label is not just decoration: the rules require things like the product name, an ingredient list (with allergens highlighted), the net quantity, the business name and address, and sometimes nutrition information. The requirements change by country and by how you sell: in the US, for example, “cottage food” rules differ from state to state, and the FDA publishes the federal labelling rules. Check the rules where you live before you sell.

A different label for every spice or product

If you have twenty different jars, you don't have to make them one by one. Switch to “Many labels” mode, paste the list from Excel (the name in one column, the detail in the reference) and one label is generated per row, all on the same sheet. More in the guide to Excel and CSV.

Making them survive the kitchen

Plain paper and inkjet ink smudge with moisture, grease and steam. For jars that live in the pantry a standard label sheet is enough; for jars handled with damp hands or kept in the fridge, look for vinyl or polyester sheets made for your type of printer (laser or inkjet), and check what the packaging says. Always print a test sheet on plain paper first.

How to print them without misalignment

Download the PDF and print it with “Actual size” or “Scale 100%”, never “Fit to page”. Before wasting sheets, use the “Test sheet”. More in the guide to Avery templates.