Resources · Guide
Which way should your labels come off the roll?
There are eight ways a label can be wound on a roll. Choose the wrong one and your labels go on sideways or upside down. Here’s how to read the chart, and what to tell your printer.
5 min read · October 2026
Why it matters
Whether a label goes on by machine or by hand, it comes off the roll one way. If the copy on the label faces the wrong way as it leaves the roll, it lands on the product the wrong way too: upside down, on its side, or on the wrong face of the container.
Your printer can’t guess this. The same artwork can be printed and wound eight different ways, and only one of them suits your line. That’s why it’s called the unwind direction, wind direction or copy position, and why every label quote asks for it.
Outside or inside
The first question is which face of the web the labels sit on.
- Wound out (positions 1 to 4). The labels face outward, so you can see them on the roll. This is the more common setup.
- Wound in (positions 5 to 8). The labels face the core. From the outside you only see the liner, and the labels come into view as the web comes off.
Which edge comes off first
The second question is which edge of the label leaves the roll first: the top, the bottom, the right side or the left side. Put the two questions together and you get the eight positions.
How to find yours
The quickest way is to look at a roll that already runs well on your line. Hold it so the web comes off toward you, then check two things: are the labels on the outside or the inside, and which edge of the label is nearest the loose end? Match that to the chart and you have your number.
If you’re setting up a new applicator, its manual or its maker will tell you which positions it accepts.
What to tell your printer
Along with your artwork and quantities, a label quote needs four details about the roll:
- Wind position. The number from 1 to 8.
- Core size. The inside diameter of the core, commonly 1 inch or 3 inches. Machines usually take 3-inch cores.
- Maximum roll diameter. The largest outside diameter your applicator or dispenser can hold.
- Labels per roll. Or the number of rolls you want for the run.
Not sure about any of these? Tell us what you’re labelling and how the labels go on, and we’ll help you work it out.
