A QR code on a label or bottle can carry what the label has no room for: ingredients, tasting notes, sourcing, recycling and reorder links. Print it on a flat part of the label, keep the code small enough not to wrap around the curve, and verify it on a filled, wet or chilled bottle, not a flat proof.
What can a label QR code do?
- Wine, beer and spirits: tasting notes, food pairings, vineyard or brewery story, and ingredient and nutrition information. EU rules for wine allow some mandatory information to be provided electronically; see the EUR-Lex reference below and check your market's rules for what must still appear on the pack.
- Food and drink: sourcing, allergens, recipes. The food allergens guide explains why a code supplements legally required label information and does not replace it.
- Cosmetics and household goods: ingredient lists, how-to-use video, refill and recycling instructions.
- Craft and small-batch products: batch story, reorder link, reviews.
How do you place it on a curved bottle?
A code wrapped around a cylinder distorts at the edges. Keep it on the flattest front or back panel and limit its width to roughly a quarter of the bottle's circumference. For a typical 75 cl wine bottle, a width around 2 to 2.5 cm placed on the back label works. Slim or small bottles may not take a reliable code at all, in which case place it on a neck hanger, carton or gift box instead.
| Surface | Printing method | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Paper label, flat panel | Digital or flexo print | Best scanning; use a matt varnish |
| Film or clear label | Flexo, digital | Needs a white underlay for contrast |
| Direct-printed glass or plastic | Inkjet, screen print | Check ink adhesion and curvature |
| Laser-etched glass | Laser | Low contrast; test on filled bottle |
How do you make it scan reliably?
- Print a verified sample. Test on the real substrate, filled and cold. Condensation and wet labels scan worse. See printing guide.
- Use a dark colour on a light opaque area with the full four-module quiet zone. Metallic foil or embossing behind the code ruins it; see the colour guide.
- Keep the encoded text short so modules stay large; avoid logos in small codes (logo guidance).
- Supply vector artwork to the label printer: SVG.
If the label also carries a retail barcode, check the packaging guide for the GS1 Digital Link route before you design a second code.
Should the code be dynamic?
Yes, in most cases. Labels are printed in long runs and stay on shelves and in cellars for years, while the page behind the code changes with each vintage, batch or promotion. A dynamic QR code allows one printed label to point to updated content, and scan counts by batch show where product is actually being opened and enjoyed.
Related: packaging, merchandise, all placements.