Container shape
Flat, oval, square, round and rectangular packs each need the right handling, guides and pressure control.
Front & back labelling machines UK
Twin-side labelling machines for professional front and back labels.
Lancing UK supplies automatic and compact front/back labelling systems for bottles, jars, flat containers, cartons and retail-ready packs. Configure around your product shape, label material, output target and available line space.
Front/backTwo labels in one pass
Compact + autoRange options by output
UK supportSpecification, installation and aftercare
Machine range
Front/back label applicators by automation level
Choose the machine route that matches your speed, available space, container shape and label placement requirement.
Automatic range
Automatic Twin Side Labeller
Automatic front and back labelling machine for flat, oval, square and round containers requiring simultaneous twin-side label application.
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Compact range
Compact Twin Side Labeller
Compact twin side labelling system for lower-volume production, product trials and factories needing front/back label application in a smaller footprint.
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Automatic range
Automatic Top & Bottom Labelling Machine
Automatic top and bottom labelling machine for flat products, boxes, trays, sleeves, cartons and packs needing labels on both faces.
View machine →Why front & back labelling matters
Consistent presentation on both faces of the container.
Front and back labelling is used where brand, ingredient, compliance, barcode or product information must be applied cleanly to two sides of the same pack. The correct machine depends on container stability, label material, label registration, conveyor handling and speed.
- Front and rear labels applied accurately in one pass.
- Suitable routes for flat, oval, square and selected round bottles.
- Options for transparent film labels and product detection sensors.
- Can be integrated with filling, capping, coding, inspection and conveyors.
Selection support
Configured around your pack, not just a model number.
A reliable label finish comes from matching the machine to the container, label and line conditions.
Label material
Paper, film and clear labels can require different sensors and setup methods for consistent registration.
Line integration
We can plan conveyor height, coding, inspection and interfaces with filling or capping equipment.
Applications
Common front and back labelling projects
Use the pack format to narrow down the correct machinery route before requesting a quote.
Flat bottles
Cosmetic, chemical and household bottles that need clear front branding and rear product information.
Oval containers
Stable twin-side application with guide adjustment and pressure control for shaped packs.
Round bottles
Front/back placement with container control where wrap-around labelling is not the desired finish.
Cartons & flat packs
Top and bottom labelling for sleeves, trays, boxes and retail-ready packaging.
Quick answers
Front/back labelling questions
What is a front and back labelling machine?
A front and back labelling machine applies two labels to opposite faces of a container. It is commonly used for flat, oval, square and selected round bottles where front branding and rear product information must be positioned consistently.
Can one machine apply front and back labels at the same time?
Yes. Twin-side systems use two independent label heads so the front and back labels can be applied during one pass through the machine.
Can these machines handle clear labels?
Clear labels can be supported when the correct sensor and setup are specified. Send label material, gap, backing and container details so compatibility can be checked.
What should I send for a quote?
Send container dimensions, label size, label material, target output, required label position, product photos or drawings, and details of any filling, capping, coding or inspection equipment that must connect to the labeller.
Popular searches
Front and back labelling routes by pack type and project need
These pages help buyers find the correct machine route for the container shape, label type and production environment.
Flat bottle front/back labelling
For rectangular, flat-sided and shaped bottles needing front branding and rear information labels.
Oval bottle labelling
For oval and rounded containers where guide control and pressure settings matter.
Clear label front/back labelling
Planning notes for transparent labels, film labels and sensor selection.
Labelling machine pricing guide
What affects the budget for compact and automatic front/back labelling systems.
Need a front and back labelling recommendation?
Send the container size, label size, target speed and a photo of the pack. Lancing UK can help confirm the most suitable machine route.
Engineering selection guide
Specify container control before comparing headline speed
Repeatable front and back label placement depends on how the pack is presented to two independent label heads. Container geometry, side-belt pressure, label-roll data and the agreed measurement method all need to be considered together.
How a twin-side labeller controls the application
A front and back labelling machine normally carries one applicator on each side of the conveyor. The two label heads can be positioned independently, allowing a branding label and an information label to have different sizes and vertical positions. The pack must remain upright, correctly oriented and stable while both labels are dispensed and wiped onto the surface.
Flat and rectangular packs often provide a clear panel for each label. Oval or tapered containers need more careful guide and pressure settings because the point of contact changes across the surface. Side belts, product guides and an optional top hold-down can reduce rotation or rocking, but the correct arrangement should be confirmed with production samples.
- Confirm whether the container is labelled filled or empty, capped or uncapped.
- Use production label rolls with the real face stock, liner, adhesive and winding direction.
- Define front and back position from repeatable bottle or pack datums.
- Test both label heads through starts, stops and normal steady running.
The diagram is qualitative. Final guides, belt positions and label-head settings are established from the real pack and label roll.
Information that makes a machine recommendation more reliable
The enquiry should describe the complete application rather than only the container width or a desired bottles-per-minute figure.
| Container | Shape, dimensions, material, weight, rigidity, taper, cap or closure, and whether the pack is full at the labelling stage. |
|---|---|
| Front and back labels | Finished label dimensions, required position, separation between labels, material, adhesive, artwork orientation and any barcode or mandatory information. |
| Label roll | Core diameter, outside roll diameter, backing-paper width, label gap, pitch and inside- or outside-wound direction. |
| Sensing | Opaque paper and film labels may use conventional gap sensing; transparent constructions can require a clear-label sensing option and a sample trial. |
| Placement evidence | State the allowed horizontal and vertical tolerance, the measurement datum and the sample size used for acceptance. |
| Line conditions | Normal running speed, upstream filler or capper, conveyor height, coding, inspection, accumulation and available floor space. |
Choose the application face
Front/back, wraparound, top/bottom or multi-panel?
The label layout determines the machinery route. Selecting the wrong application method can create avoidable handling, registration and changeover problems.
Front and back
Two separate labels on opposite faces of flat, oval, rectangular, square or selected round containers. Compare the automatic twin-side labeller and compact twin-side labeller.
Wraparound
A single label around a cylindrical bottle, jar or can normally belongs on the dedicated wraparound labelling machinery route rather than a twin-side machine.
Top and bottom
Labels applied to upper and underside faces of cartons, trays, sleeves and flat packs. See the automatic top and bottom labeller.
Three-panel or specialist
Projects needing a third side, corner wrap, barcode print-and-apply or unusual orientation should be reviewed as a separate handling application. For variable-data carton or case labels, use the specialist print-and-apply route.
Prepare a useful sample trial and quotation brief
Send representative containers, a production label roll, drawings or dimensions, photographs of the intended label positions and the normal line-speed requirement. Include the pack condition at the labeller, the required placement tolerance and any coding or inspection interface. Lancing can then compare the machine route against the real application instead of relying on a generic model description.
Application qualification
Turn a front and back labelling enquiry into an acceptance-ready brief
A useful machine comparison separates the finished label presentation from the engineering needed to hold, sense and transfer the pack. This avoids treating every two-label project as the same application.
Map every label face
Mark the front, back and any additional panel on a photograph or drawing. Include label orientation, required edge clearances, barcode direction and areas that must remain free of labels.
Describe the labelled pack
State whether the container reaches the labeller filled or empty, capped or uncapped, dry or recently washed. Weight, centre of gravity, flexibility and closure overhang can change the handling method.
Specify both label rolls
Front and back labels can use different sizes, materials and winding directions. Record label pitch, gap, web width, core size, outside roll diameter, liner and whether clear-label sensing is required.
Agree the trial evidence
Define how placement will be measured, the speed to be demonstrated, the sample quantity and whether starts, stops, changeovers, coding and inspection are included in acceptance.
Qualification information by project stage
The same information can be used to shortlist a compact or automatic machine, prepare a sample trial and define the final handover evidence.
| Pack drawing or photographs | Show the usable front and back panels, shoulder and heel transitions, taper, mould seams, handles, caps and any datum used to locate the labels. |
|---|---|
| Representative containers | Provide normal production samples, including the lightest or least stable format and any size that creates a difficult changeover. |
| Production label rolls | Use the intended face stock, adhesive, liner, gap and winding direction. Artwork samples alone do not confirm sensor or dispense behaviour. |
| Output requirement | Separate the desired line rate from the rate that must be sustained with normal product spacing, operator loading and downstream equipment. |
| Placement acceptance | Define horizontal and vertical measurements from fixed pack datums. Record both heads separately and include normal starts, stops and recipe changes. |
| Line interfaces | Confirm conveyor height and direction, upstream product spacing, coding, inspection, rejection, accumulation and the control signals required between machines. |
Use the specialist route for the finished label format
This site owns front and back, twin-side and related multi-face applications. A single continuous label around a cylindrical container belongs on the wraparound labelling route, while variable-data labels printed and applied to cases or cartons belong on the print-and-apply route.
For two discrete labels on opposite faces, compare the automatic twin-side labeller with the compact twin-side labeller. For upper and underside labels, use the top and bottom labelling machine.
Documents that reduce quotation assumptions
- A marked-up container drawing or clear photographs.
- Dimensions and samples for every pack format in scope.
- Front and back label specifications and production rolls.
- A normal line-rate requirement and changeover frequency.
- An agreed placement-measurement and trial method.
- Details of coding, inspection and conveyor interfaces.
Technical resource centre
Move from a machine search to a testable labelling specification
Use these final-stage guides when the application needs a third label face, heavy container handling, inspection, acceptance testing or structured fault finding.
Three-side and multi-panel systems
Plan a third label head, application order and product control.
Jerrycan front/back labelling
Assess filled weight, handles, recessed panels and large labels.
FAT and SAT checklist
Define samples, measurements, fault recovery and handover evidence.
Vision inspection and reject
Specify finished-pack checks, camera views and pack tracking.
Troubleshooting guide
Diagnose drift, skew, missing labels, wrinkles and sensor faults.
Container panel design
Review taper, radii, mould seams, recesses and usable label area.
Web, peel plate and wipe-down
Follow the label path from unwind roll to finished application.
Documentation and handover
Control formats, recipes, training, spares and acceptance records.
Buyer questions
More questions that change the machine specification
These questions help separate a nominal machine match from a configuration that can be tested against the real pack, labels and production line.
Why can two bottles with similar dimensions need different labeller settings?
Two bottles can share the same height and width yet behave differently because weight, wall stiffness, taper, panel radius, closure shape and surface finish affect how they travel between guides and application belts. Nominal dimensions start the selection process, but representative samples are needed to confirm pressure, orientation and wipe-down settings.
The useful comparison is therefore the complete labelled pack, not the outline dimensions alone.
Does label artwork affect the machine specification?
Yes. Label width, length, material, transparent areas, edge margins and the position of barcodes or variable print can influence sensor choice, peel-plate position, wipe-down and the usable container panel. Artwork also determines whether the front and back labels need separate datums or different application-head settings.
Early drawings can be used for planning, but final acceptance should use production-equivalent rolls.
Can a labeller be specified before the final artwork is approved?
A provisional machine route can be selected before final artwork when the maximum and minimum label sizes, material family, reel construction and intended positions are known. Final head capacity, sensing and acceptance conditions should not be signed off against an assumed label that may later change.
Supply the latest drawings and mark every dimension that is still provisional so the quotation states its assumptions clearly.
What limits future pack-format flexibility on a twin-side labeller?
Future flexibility is limited by the physical adjustment range of the conveyor, guides, side belts, hold-down devices and label heads, together with the sensor and label-roll capacities. A new format may fit through the conveyor but still place the label outside the head travel or require a different stabilisation method.
Include realistic future packs in the original format-range review rather than relying on a broad “adjustable” description.
When should label inspection be included in the project scope?
Inspection should be considered when a missing, duplicated, misplaced or unreadable label must be detected automatically rather than by periodic operator checks. The project must define the defect, inspection point, decision timing, reject method and confirmation that the failed pack actually left the good-product flow.
A camera specification should follow the acceptance requirement; it should not be added simply because “vision” is available.
Early project decisions
Resolve label supply and line sequence before selecting the machine
Two front and back projects can use the same bottle and label count but need different machinery because the labels are supplied differently or the pack reaches the labeller in a different condition.
One alternating reel or two heads?
Compare sequential front/back labels on one liner with separate front and back rolls on independent application heads.
Label before or after filling?
Choose the label point from pack rigidity, surface condition, temperature, closure geometry and the surrounding line.
Prove the route with production-equivalent samples
Use representative containers, both label rolls, the intended fill condition and an agreed placement method so the trial tests the real process.
Specification depth
Resolve code, output and installation requirements before ordering
Three details can change the project scope even when the container and label shape remain the same.
GS1 2D barcode planning
Place QR Codes with GS1 Digital Link or GS1 DataMatrix on a stable label panel and define print, inspection and reject requirements.
Labeller output calculation
Calculate theoretical throughput from conveyor speed and product pitch, then test the real bottleneck and sustained good output.
Installed-line safety planning
Include guarding, isolation, emergency response, training, inspection and modification control in the site-specific installation review.