Peptide Vial Labels

Sizes that fit 3 ml and 10 ml vials

A label wraps around the vial, so the number that matters most is the distance around the glass. You get it by multiplying the width by 3.14.

The widths come from the ISO 8362-1 vial table in a glass maker's catalog. Niimbot says many 3 ml vials are about 16 to 17 mm wide, which matches the 16 mm sizes in that table. The full chart, with body heights, is in the 3ml vial label size guide.

Height matters too. The straight part of a small vial is only 22 to 32 mm tall, depending on its size, and a label taller than that will curl onto the shoulder.

Two ways to print

On a label sheet

Sheets of sticky labels run through a normal inkjet or laser printer. Two US Letter sheets fit small vials well:

We measured these margins from the blank PDF templates on Avery's own site. The rows on both sheets touch, with no gap. The 5167 size is short enough to wrap a 3 ml vial. The 5160 size is long, so it suits a 10 ml vial better.

To print, pick Label sheet in the label maker, set How many, and press Print. Print at actual size, with the scale set to 100. Printers feed paper a little differently, so test one page on plain paper. Hold it over a label sheet against a window to check it lines up.

On a thermal roll

A small thermal printer prints one label at a time and uses no ink. Pick the size that matches your roll and set the printer to the same size. Rolls come in many sizes, and the Niimbot peptide label template guide lists the ones that suit vials.

Keep the label easy to read

Paper labels from an inkjet printer can smudge if they get wet. Cold glass from a fridge often gathers small drops of water, so let the ink dry well before you stick the label on. Bold, short lines stay readable longer than small text. If a label gets hard to read, print a new one rather than writing over it.

How to put a label on a vial

1. Wipe the glass clean and let it dry.
2. Hold the vial on its side. Stick down one short edge of the label first.
3. Roll the vial slowly so the label wraps on flat, with no bubbles.
4. Keep the label on the straight part of the glass, below the cap.
5. Leave a small gap where the ends meet, so you can still see the liquid inside.

What goes on the label

Keep each line short so the text stays big. Most people use a name, the strength, a lot number, the date opened, the discard date and the concentration. The label maker has a box for each one. It fills in the discard date as 28 days after opening, from the CDC rule in the multi dose vial expiration guide.