Custom Bottle Colors & Logos: Pad Printing, IML & Decoration

Decoration is where a bottle stops being a moulding and starts being your product. It is also where brands most often underestimate cost, lead time and compliance work — because a logo is not just ink on a surface. It sits in the food-contact article chain.

This guide covers the main decoration methods used on feeding products, what each one is good at, and the decisions you need to make before requesting a quote.

The Main Decoration Methods

Method	How it works	Best for
Pad printing	Ink transferred from an etched plate via a silicone pad onto the part	Curved surfaces, small logos, multiple colours, low to mid volume
Heat transfer	A printed film is heat-pressed onto the surface and the carrier released	Detailed multi-colour artwork, gradients, photographic elements
In-mould labelling (IML)	A pre-printed label is placed in the mould and fuses with the part	Durable graphics, high-volume runs, decoration that cannot rub off
Silkscreen printing	Ink pushed through a mesh stencil	Flat or gently curved areas, bold solid colours
Frosting / matte finishing	Surface texturing applied through the tool or a secondary process	Premium tactile feel rather than graphics
Colour masterbatch	Pigment compounded into the resin before moulding	Body colour across the whole part, not surface graphics

Most ranges combine two of these: a masterbatch-tinted body plus pad-printed or heat-transferred branding.

Colour: Masterbatch Versus Paint

Body colour almost always comes from masterbatch — pigment mixed into the resin — rather than surface paint. The consequences matter:

Colour is part of the material and therefore part of the food-contact specification. It must be tested, not assumed to be covered by a natural-colour declaration.
Colour consistency depends on pigment batch. A substituted masterbatch is one of the most common causes of a mismatch between the approved sample and production.
Not every colour behaves the same. Deep and dark shades demand higher pigment loading, which can affect processing and migration results.

For these reasons food-contact testing should cover the colour you actually ship — and our inspection system treats colour verification as an incoming-material check, described in quality control in baby bottle manufacturing.

Choosing a Method: The Real Trade-Offs

Consideration	What it favours
Small order quantity	Pad printing — low setup cost, no tooling commitment
Detailed or photographic artwork	Heat transfer
Graphics that must survive heavy use and washing	In-mould labelling
Lowest unit cost at high volume	IML — setup amortises over large runs
Multiple colourways in small batches	Pad printing or silkscreen
Premium tactile impression	Frosting or matte tool finish

The pattern is consistent: setup cost falls as volume rises, and durability rises with the method’s complexity. Cheap decoration on a premium product is a positioning mistake, not a saving.

Cost Drivers in Decoration

Number of colours — each colour is a separate print pass in pad and screen printing.
Print area and position — curved, recessed or angled surfaces are harder to print consistently.
Plate or film setup — a one-off cost per design, per colour.
Decoration yield — rejects during printing add real cost.
Compliance testing — each decoration material may need its own documentation.

This is why decoration is one of the six factors that move a quotation: see how to read a manufacturing quote.

What to Prepare Before Requesting a Quote

Artwork in vector format with defined colour references, not a screenshot.
Placement diagram showing position, size and clearance from functional areas.
Colour specifications — a reference standard plus acceptable tolerance.
Durability expectation — will the product be washed, sterilised, brushed?
Volume forecast so the method can be chosen economically.
Target market, because it determines the testing the decoration must support.

Incomplete inputs are the main cause of revision cycles, which is the same lesson that applies to packaging: see custom packaging for baby products.

Quality Points to Verify in Production

Registration: multi-colour layers aligned to each other and to the moulded part.
Adhesion: ink that survives normal washing without flaking.
Colour match: checked against the approved standard under consistent lighting.
Placement consistency: the logo sits in the same place on every unit.
No print in functional areas: decoration must not intrude on threads, sealing surfaces or the nipple.

These checks belong in the in-process and final inspection stages, not only in the pre-production sample.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we print our logo on an existing bottle?

Usually yes, provided the surface suits the method and your volume justifies the setup. Pad printing makes this economical for modest quantities; IML only makes sense at volume.

Does decoration require extra testing?

Often, yes. Decoration materials can enter the food-contact chain, so they may need their own documentation depending on your market. The safest approach is to specify decoration early and include it in your testing plan.

Why did our production colour differ from the sample?

In most cases a masterbatch substitution or a pigment batch change. This is why colour is verified at incoming material, and why the approved standard should be a physical reference rather than a verbal description.

Will in-mould labelling work on a curved bottle?

IML suits parts where the label can be positioned during moulding. Complex curvature and small radii make it technically harder, which is why the method should be confirmed against your actual part design.

Can decoration affect the safety of the product?

Decoration should stay clear of functional and sealing areas, and the materials used must be appropriate for food-contact use. Both are specification decisions, not afterthoughts.

The Bottom Line

Choose the decoration method from your volume, artwork complexity and durability requirement — then treat colour and print materials as part of the product’s compliance file, not as a finishing touch. Freeze the artwork, define the colour standard, and inspect adhesion and registration in production.

BebeFree supports pad printing, heat transfer, IML and colour masterbatch across our bottle, nipple, cup and tableware ranges, with decoration inspected in process. See our product range or send us your artwork for a feasibility check.

Custom Bottle Colors & Logos: Pad Printing, IMD & Decoration Options