How to Create Custom Labels: Step-by-Step Basics

The first time I watched a buyer pick up two nearly identical bottles on a line in a warehouse outside Chicago, the difference was not the formula inside or even the cap; it was the label, and that tiny sheet of printed material changed the whole perception of the product before anyone read a single ingredient. That is the honest reason I spend so much time explaining how to create custom labels: the label is often the first physical handshake between your brand and the customer, and if it misses, the rest of your product packaging has to work twice as hard. I still remember standing there with a notepad, thinking, wow, the bottle is basically doing a beauty pageant and the label is the contestant everyone judges first. That bottle was a 16 oz PET container from a co-packer in Illinois, and the label was only 3.5 inches wide, but it changed the shelf price by nearly 20% in the buyer’s head.

Most people think labels are just stickers. They are not. A well-made label can be a pressure-sensitive label on a roll, a neat sheet label for hand application, or a specialty piece with foil, varnish, or embossing that turns simple retail packaging into something people remember. I’ve seen custom printed boxes get all the attention in a design review, only to discover that the label is the part the customer actually touches first. Honestly, I think that is where a lot of brands quietly win or lose the sale. On a recent shelf audit in Austin, Texas, one candle brand had a $6.00 product and a $0.42 label, yet the label drove most of the premium perception because it used a 350gsm C1S artboard hang tag and a soft matte varnish on the jar label.

If you are learning how to create custom labels, you are really learning three things at once: packaging design, materials, and production planning. That mix matters for food jars, beauty bottles, beverage cans, health supplements, and gift items alike. And yes, the label has to look good, but it also has to survive the environment, the application method, and the customer’s hands. That is where package branding either feels polished or falls apart. I’ve seen beautiful concepts die on the vine because nobody asked a very unglamorous question: “Will this thing actually stay on the bottle?” On refrigerated kombucha in Portland, Oregon, that question is worth more than a mood board.

How to Create Custom Labels and Why They Matter

When people ask me how to create custom labels, I usually start with a simple truth from the factory floor: a label can raise the perceived value of a product before the lid comes off. I once visited a small beverage co-packer in New Jersey where the owner had upgraded from plain white labels to a soft-touch coated label with a subtle metallic accent, and his distributors immediately started talking about “premium shelf presence” even though the recipe had not changed at all. Same juice, same bottle, different customer reaction. That still annoys me a little, honestly, because it proves how much packaging can outshine the thing inside. His label cost went from about $0.11 per unit to $0.19 per unit on a 10,000-piece run, and the reorder rate improved within one quarter.

That reaction is why labels matter across so many categories. In food packaging, a label may need to communicate ingredients, allergens, and traceability. In beauty, the label often has to feel elegant and withstand oils, water, and frequent handling. In beverage and retail packaging, it needs to survive condensation, abrasion, and bright lighting while still carrying the brand story clearly. When I help clients think through how to create custom labels, I tell them the label is doing five jobs at once: branding, compliance, shelf appeal, handling durability, and product differentiation. If one of those jobs gets ignored, the whole thing gets wobbly fast. A snack label in Atlanta may need a UPC, a nutrition panel, and a lot code, while a serum label in Los Angeles may need a smaller footprint and a high-gloss laminate to handle repeated handling in boutiques.

Let’s define the main label types in plain language. Pressure-sensitive labels are the workhorse of the industry; they already have adhesive on the back and are applied like a sticker. Roll labels are wound onto cores and used in automated or semi-automated labelers. Sheet labels are laid out on flat sheets, which makes them convenient for smaller batches or office-style printing setups. Specialty labels may include clear film, textured stocks, metallic facestocks, or finishes such as gloss laminate, matte varnish, or foil stamping. If you are figuring out how to create custom labels, those are the core building blocks. Not exactly glamorous, but neither is calling your printer at 4:57 p.m. because a die-line was wrong. A 2-inch core versus a 3-inch core sounds tiny until a bottling line in Ohio stops for 45 minutes.

Here’s the part most people miss: the label is not separate from the package. It behaves differently on glass, PET, HDPE, coated cartons, and metal cans. That means how to create custom labels is partly a design question and partly a material science question, especially if the container is curved, cold-filled, frozen, or exposed to humidity. I have seen a paper label look beautiful in a sample book and then fail on a chilled bottle line because the condensation turned the adhesive into a problem within minutes. That kind of surprise has a way of turning a calm Tuesday into a long one. In Milwaukee, I watched a 0.0045-inch paper stock curl at the corners on a cold brew bottle within ten minutes because the ambient room temperature dropped to 58°F during setup.

“We thought the label was the easy part,” a cosmetics founder told me during a press check in Los Angeles, “until we saw how much the finish and adhesive changed the whole look on the shelf.”

That kind of comment comes up all the time. Honestly, I think a lot of first-time buyers underestimate labels because the unit feels small, but the business impact can be outsized. If you want a broader packaging program, you can pair labels with Custom Packaging Products or order matching Custom Labels & Tags to keep branding consistent across the line. A 500-piece test run in Nashville often reveals more than a polished presentation deck ever will.

How Custom Labels Are Made: The Production Process

The production process starts long before ink ever hits stock. In a proper label facility, we begin with artwork review, container measurements, and a dieline that matches the product’s real-world shape, not the guess a designer made from a screenshot. When I toured a converting shop in Shenzhen, the prepress team spent nearly an hour checking the label wrap on a curved bottle sample, because a 2 mm shift in placement can make type look crooked even if the print itself is perfect. That is the kind of detail that separates amateur jobs from production-ready labels. It is also the kind of detail that makes me slightly feral when someone says, “It’s probably fine.” Probably is not a spec. That Shenzhen plant was running a 12-color flexo press and a separate slitting line for 3,000-meter rolls, so nobody was guessing.

The next stage is proofing. A proof may be digital, but for more demanding jobs, a physical proof or test roll is worth the extra step. This is where how to create custom labels becomes less theoretical and more practical. If the barcode must scan, the metallic accent needs to register precisely, or the label has to wrap around a tapered jar, a proof catches the issue before you buy 25,000 pieces and regret it. A physical proof for a 4 oz glass bottle in Denver can save a $2,500 reprint, which is a lot cheaper than explaining a miss to your sales team.

Printing methods and when they fit

Digital printing is usually the best fit for short runs, frequent version changes, and faster turnaround. It can be especially useful for startups, seasonal SKUs, or product packaging with variable data. Flexographic printing is the old reliable workhorse for larger volume runs, consistent brand colors, and efficient repeat production. Offset printing can deliver excellent detail and color fidelity on certain label constructions, though it is less common for many pressure-sensitive label jobs than digital or flexo. If you are trying to learn how to create custom labels efficiently, the right print method depends on quantity, finish, and changeover needs. For 1,000 labels, digital often makes more sense; for 50,000 pieces, flexo can bring the unit cost down sharply.

There is no single best option. A 1,000-piece beauty label with five color changes may run beautifully on digital. A 50,000-piece beverage order with a narrow Pantone target may make more sense on flexo. A textured paper label for artisanal food packaging may benefit from an offset process followed by a specialty finish. I have watched buyers choose the wrong print method because they fixated on the headline Price Per Unit, and then spend more on rework and delays than they would have paid to pick the right process from the start. That one makes my eye twitch a little, because it is such an expensive way to save money. I once saw a startup in Seattle save $300 on the first quote and then spend $1,100 correcting color drift and a poor die-line fit.

Printing Method	Best For	Typical Strength	Typical Tradeoff
Digital	Short runs, versioned SKUs, fast proofs	Speed and flexibility	Unit cost can stay higher on large quantities
Flexographic	Large runs, repeat orders, standard colors	Lower unit cost at volume	Setup can be more involved
Offset	Fine detail, certain specialty stocks	Excellent image quality	Less flexible for frequent changes

Finishing and converting

After printing, labels go through finishing. This may include lamination for abrasion and moisture resistance, varnish for a glossy or matte protective layer, foil stamping for metallic detail, embossing for tactile depth, die-cutting for final shape, and kiss-cutting if the label is being cut without cutting through the backing liner. A converting facility also handles matrix removal, roll winding, slitting, and quality checks so the labels feed correctly in application equipment. A typical matte lamination adds about 0.01 to 0.03 mm of thickness, which can matter on tight wraps and small bottles.

That converting stage is where many label issues show up. Roll direction matters. Core size matters. Tension matters. If the labels are for machine application, the roll must match the applicator’s requirements or the line stops dead. I remember a food client who saved $240 on a rush order by accepting a roll wound the wrong way, then lost half a day on a bottling line because the applicator could not read the orientation correctly. Cheap only stays cheap if it works. Otherwise it is just expensive chaos wearing a discount tag. In practical terms, a 3-inch core, 8-inch outer diameter, and correct unwind direction can be the difference between a smooth run and a forklift conversation nobody wants.

Timeline depends on complexity, but a simple digital label job might move from proof approval to shipment in 7 to 10 business days, while a specialty flexo order with foil or multiple passes may take 12 to 20 business days or more. Material availability, press load, and proof revision rounds can stretch that. If you are planning how to create custom labels for a launch date, build in room for one revision cycle and one shipping buffer. In my experience, a more realistic timeline for many custom jobs is typically 12-15 business days from proof approval, especially if the stock is being sourced from a converter in Shenzhen or Dongguan and the finished rolls are shipping to Dallas or Miami.

For industry standards and sustainability considerations, I often point clients to resources from the Institute of Packaging Professionals and, for environmental compliance topics, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Those aren’t just nice references; they help keep the labeling conversation grounded in real production and regulatory expectations. When you are sourcing from Guangzhou, Guangdong, or printing in the Midwest, the rules still matter.

Key Factors to Consider Before You Create Custom Labels

If you want to understand how to create custom labels without wasting time, start with the container and environment, not the artwork. Paper labels can look lovely on dry cartons, but if you are labeling refrigerated bottles, hand creams, or anything that faces moisture, you may need polypropylene, vinyl, or a clear film instead. I have seen more reprints caused by substrate mismatch than by bad design, and that is saying something. On a 32 oz sanitizer bottle in Phoenix, a paper label failed after two days in a warehouse because the heat and humidity pushed the adhesive past its comfort zone.

Substrate selection is the first major decision. Paper can be economical and attractive for dry products. Polypropylene is a common choice for moisture resistance and clean print quality. Vinyl offers flexibility and durability, especially on curved containers or products that may get handled a lot. Clear film is a favorite when brands want a “no-label” look on glass or plastic. Textured specialty stocks can add warmth and craft appeal, which I often see in artisanal food packaging and premium candle lines. If you are figuring out how to create custom labels for a premium brand, the stock does a lot of emotional work before the customer reads a word. A 60# uncoated stock will never feel like a soft-touch BOPP film, and customers notice faster than designers think.

Adhesive choice is just as important. Permanent adhesives are standard for products that should not be removed. Removable adhesives make sense for temporary promos or containers that may be reused. Freezer-grade adhesives are built for cold storage, and high-tack adhesives help on difficult surfaces like textured plastic or low-energy containers. The wrong adhesive can create edge lift, tunneling, or outright failure. And no, a stronger adhesive is not always better; on some packaging, too aggressive an adhesive can distort thin films or leave residue. I wish that were intuitive. It is not. On a frosted glass candle jar, a high-tack adhesive can leave a sticky halo after 90 days, which is not the look anyone paid for.

Then there is shape and size. A label needs enough room for the logo, product name, barcode, ingredients, net weight, and any required legal text. If the container is round, tapered, or irregular, the label should be proportioned so the front panel stays readable and the seam lands in a safe spot. One thing I’ve learned in packaging design meetings is that designers often love tall, narrow labels because they look elegant on a monitor, but on a real bottle they may wrap too much and distort type. That is why how to create custom labels should always begin with the actual package dimensions. A 2.75-inch diameter bottle with a 0.25-inch taper needs a very different label plan than a straight-wall jar.

Artwork quality matters too. Use a vector logo where possible. Keep image resolution at 300 dpi at final size. Include bleed, typically 0.125 inch, though your printer may specify differently. Maintain safe zones so trim does not cut into a border or barcode. And if your brand uses strict color standards, ask for Pantone references or printed color targets so your label stays consistent with the rest of the branded packaging. For a label printed in Chicago or Los Angeles, I still prefer a hard-copy color target over a vague “close enough” email thread.

Cost Driver	How It Affects Price	Typical Impact
Quantity	Higher volume usually lowers unit cost	5,000 labels often cost less per piece than 1,000
Material	Paper is often less expensive than specialty films	Premium stocks raise cost
Print Method	Digital may be better for short runs	Flexo can be more economical at scale
Finish	Lamination, foil, embossing, and varnish add steps	Special finishes increase price
Turnaround Time	Rush schedules may require overtime or expedited shipping	Faster jobs often cost more

For a practical pricing example, I’ve seen simple 3" x 4" digital labels on paper stock start around $0.15 per unit for 5,000 pieces, while a polypropylene version with matte lamination and a custom die-cut may land closer to $0.27 to $0.39 per unit depending on the press schedule and shipping destination. That is not a universal quote, of course; it depends on the plant, the spec, and whether you need a rush slot. Still, it gives you a realistic feel for how to create custom labels without being shocked by the numbers. In Dongguan, that same spec might run a little lower on the press side but higher once air freight to the United States gets added.

If your label strategy stretches across multiple SKUs or line extensions, it helps to coordinate with other packaging assets at the same time. Matching the label style to cartons, inserts, and outer shipper graphics keeps package branding coherent, especially if you are also ordering Custom Packaging Products for retail displays or subscription kits. A 12-piece skincare set in Brooklyn, for example, often needs the label, carton, and insert card designed as one system, not three random ideas.

How to Create Custom Labels: Step-by-Step Planning Guide

Here is the practical path I use with clients who want fewer surprises and better results. If you follow these steps, how to create custom labels becomes much less intimidating, because the decisions build in a logical order instead of being made under deadline pressure. That’s the theory, anyway. The reality is still a few emails, a proof review, and somebody asking if the logo can be “just a little bigger.” On a 6,000-unit run in Philadelphia, that extra 2 mm is usually not “just a little.”

1. Define the label’s purpose, audience, and container type.

   Before opening design software, decide what the label must do. Is it primarily for compliance, shelf appeal, premium branding, or machine-readable inventory? A 2 oz tincture bottle needs different priorities than a 750 ml beverage bottle or a folding carton sleeve. This is the first checkpoint in how to create custom labels, and it saves a lot of backtracking later. For a wellness product in San Diego, the label might need a calm aesthetic and a 1.5-inch front panel; for a sauce jar in Brooklyn, the priority may be bold shelf contrast and a waterproof finish.

2. Gather exact measurements and request a proper dieline.

   Measure the container height, panel width, wrap area, and any curvature or taper. If the package already exists, a paper wrap test or a sample bottle sent to the printer can prevent costly guessing. For labels on curved or irregular surfaces, the dieline is not a suggestion; it is the map. I’ve had suppliers send me “close enough” dimensions before, and let me tell you, close enough is not a measurement. Use calipers if you can, especially on a 24 mm neck bottle or a tapered cosmetic jar where a 1 mm error turns into visible misalignment.

3. Build artwork with print-safe specs.

   Use vector elements where possible, keep text away from the trim edge, and include bleed. High-resolution photos should be at 300 dpi at final size, and black text should be set carefully to avoid poor registration. If you are serious about how to create custom labels, clean file setup is one of the fastest ways to improve final quality. A simple label with a 0.125-inch bleed and a 0.125-inch safe zone can save a lot of headaches on press in Rochester or Louisville.

4. Select materials, finishes, and adhesives with the product environment in mind.

   A frozen food label is not a beauty label. A label on an oily wellness bottle is not a label on a dry candle jar. Environmental conditions, storage temperature, shipping abrasion, and hand application all influence the choice. I’ve seen a removable adhesive chosen for a product that was meant to stay on shelves for 18 months, and the result was label peel after only a few weeks. If the label will live in a 38°F cooler in Minneapolis, specify the stock and adhesive for that exact condition, not the sunny version in your head.

5. Review proofs, approve samples, and plan production logistics.

   Check copy, color, barcode placement, spelling, legal text, and finish expectations. If possible, request a physical sample or test roll, especially for refrigerated or high-friction products. Then coordinate shipping, inventory storage, and the application method so labels arrive ready for the line. This is the part where how to create custom labels shifts from design work to manufacturing discipline. A good partner in Guangzhou or Chicago will confirm roll width, unwind direction, and core size before they print 10,000 pieces.

There is a reason I push the proof stage so hard. During a supplier negotiation with a beverage brand in Atlanta, the client wanted to skip the physical proof to save two days. I asked them to wait. The proof revealed that a metallic accent on the logo made the barcode area slightly harder to scan under their lighting setup. That one test saved them from a warehouse headache and a very awkward launch. I have never once regretted being the annoying person who says, “Let’s check it one more time.” The fix cost them one extra day and saved them a $1,800 relabeling bill.

If you need more formal environmental or transport guidance for packaging performance, standards from groups like ISTA can be helpful when labels are part of a ship-and-store system, especially if your label needs to endure vibration, compression, or moisture during distribution. For sustainability and fiber sourcing discussions, FSC is another credible reference when paper-based components matter to the brand story. Those organizations matter a lot more once your product is moving from Milwaukee to Miami in a refrigerated truck.

And if you are building a small business line, the easiest way to simplify how to create custom labels is to start with one container, one label size, and one substrate that works across multiple SKUs. That single disciplined decision can reduce setup time and keep your first run from turning into a dozen variations. I’ve seen brands in Denver cut their artwork prep time by 40% just by standardizing one 2.5-inch x 4-inch label across three flavors.

Common Mistakes When Learning How to Create Custom Labels

The most common mistake I see is choosing the wrong adhesive for the surface. Smooth glass, textured HDPE, cold-filled bottles, and coated cartons all behave differently. A label that sticks beautifully to a flat carton may fail on a slightly curved bottle if the adhesive cannot handle the surface energy. When people ask how to create custom labels that actually stay put, I always start by asking what the label is sticking to. A 12 oz amber glass bottle in a cool room needs a different adhesive than a textured shampoo bottle rolling through a humid warehouse in Houston.

Another problem is underestimating curvature. A label that looks perfect on a flat mockup may wrinkle, lift, or distort once it wraps around a bottle shoulder or tapered jar. That is especially true when the artwork includes fine type, narrow borders, or long regulatory paragraphs. I’ve seen a gorgeous premium beverage label go to press with a thin gold border that looked elegant on screen, only to expose a 1.5 mm misalignment at the seam on the actual bottle. Gorgeous on the mockup, messy in real life. Packaging loves that little joke. A 3-inch wrap on a cone-shaped jar can turn into a 3.25-inch headache very quickly.

Design mistakes can be expensive too. Tiny type, low contrast, overcrowded layouts, and poor barcode placement make the label harder to read and harder to approve. If your product packaging needs ingredient declarations or regulated statements, make room for them early. Do not force critical text into the leftover space after the logo has taken over the front panel. In food and supplement packaging, I like to keep a minimum 6-point type floor for legal copy unless the printer and regulatory team agree otherwise.

Rush approvals are another trap. When a team signs off too quickly, they may miss spelling errors, color shifts, or truncated copy. On one cosmetics job, a client approved a proof with a line break that cut off part of a batch code field. We caught it during a final check, but only because we had insisted on a last review before platemaking. That kind of mistake can force a reprint, and with labels, reprint costs are often more painful than the original order. A 20,000-piece correction can turn a neat $0.17 per unit into a bad Tuesday.

Production issues also show up when teams ignore machine requirements. Roll direction, core size, unwind orientation, roll diameter, and print tolerances all matter if the labels will be applied automatically. If the labeler is set for a 3-inch core and you send 1-inch cores, that is not a minor inconvenience. It is downtime. The first time you learn how to create custom labels for a production line, it helps to think like the operator who has to feed them. On a line outside Columbus, a mismatched unwind direction cost a crew 38 minutes and a whole lot of very direct language.

Prevention is straightforward, even if it takes discipline:

• Test the adhesive on the real container.
• Use a dieline based on actual measurements.
• Keep critical text away from trim and seams.
• Approve a physical proof for moisture, cold, or abrasion-sensitive labels.
• Confirm applicator requirements before final production.

That small list can save a lot of money. Honestly, I think most label failures are not printing failures; they are planning failures. A $0.14 label can become a $1.00 problem if it gets reprinted twice.

Expert Tips for Better Label Quality and Faster Turnaround

If you want faster turnaround without sacrificing quality, design with the application environment in mind from the start. A label intended for hand application should not be specified like a high-speed automated run, and vice versa. This sounds obvious, but I have walked into more than one client meeting where nobody had actually asked how the labels would be applied on the line. That one missing question can add days. On a manual bottling run in St. Louis, the right roll diameter alone can save 20 minutes per case.

Request a physical proof or test roll when the label must perform in cold, wet, oily, or high-friction conditions. If the product sits in a cooler, gets shipped with ice packs, or is handled by customers with damp hands, the proof tells you more than a screen ever will. In one brewery job, we discovered that a matte varnish looked beautiful but scuffed too easily when cases were slid across a metal table. A slightly different laminate solved the issue before launch. I still remember the production manager giving me that look like, “So the table is the villain now?” Yes. Sometimes the table is the villain. A 1.2 mil matte BOPP laminate fixed the issue in that case.

Another practical tip: batch your decisions early. Decide on the finish, artwork, quantity, and shipping address before you ask for a quote. Label manufacturers can move from proof to press much more smoothly when the file set is complete. If you are managing how to create custom labels for multiple SKUs, create a simple spec sheet with size, stock, adhesive, finish, and application method. That single document can prevent endless email threads. In practice, it also helps the plant in Dongguan or Ontario quote you correctly the first time.

You can also save money without weakening the brand impact. For example, a clear hierarchy in the design often lets you simplify special finishes. Instead of foil on the whole label, use foil only on the logo. Instead of multiple custom sizes, standardize one width across a product family. I’ve seen brands reduce unit cost by 12% to 18% simply by standardizing the die-cut and removing one finishing step that did not truly change the customer’s experience. On a 10,000-piece run, that can mean the difference between $0.31 and $0.26 per label.

Communication with the manufacturer matters more than most buyers realize. Tell them the product type, storage conditions, container material, application temperature, and expected run volume. If you are ordering from Custom Labels & Tags, the better the brief, the fewer surprises during proofing and the cleaner the final result. Clear communication is one of the simplest answers to how to create custom labels that arrive on time and look right the first time. Say “HDPE bottle stored at 40°F” instead of “it should be fine.”

A good label partner will also ask the right questions back. If they do not ask about roll direction, liner material, or whether the label has to survive refrigeration, I would treat that as a warning sign. Real production knowledge shows up in the questions, not just the quote. A plant in Malaysia or Mexico that asks for your applicator make and model is usually the one that has seen a few disasters before.

Next Steps After You Create Custom Labels

Once you understand how to create custom labels, the next move is to document your choices so repeat orders are easy. Finalize the product type, container size, material, adhesive, quantity, finish, and application method. Keep that information in one place, because a label specification sheet becomes incredibly useful when you launch a new flavor, scent, or size later on. I like a one-page spec with SKU, dimensions, stock code, adhesive type, finish, core size, and unwind orientation.

I recommend saving your working files, approved proofs, and any test notes in a labeled folder structure by SKU. That way, when a reorder comes up six months later, you are not digging through old email threads for a missing dieline or a forgotten color reference. In one factory meeting, a brand manager told me they had reapproved a label from scratch three times simply because nobody knew where the original proof was stored. That is avoidable friction, and it is the kind that makes you stare at a spreadsheet and question your life choices. A simple folder in Google Drive or Dropbox can save an entire morning in the office.

Once the files are organized, make a practical action plan:

• Measure the package again with a ruler or caliper.
• Choose the substrate that fits the environment.
• Confirm the adhesive for the container surface.
• Ask for the correct dieline and print specs.
• Request a sample, proof, or test roll before full production.

If you are still early in the process, this is the moment to compare your label needs with your broader branded packaging strategy. Sometimes the label should echo the carton graphics exactly. Other times the label should intentionally contrast with the shipper or display box so the product stands out in retail packaging. There is no single rule, which is why experienced production planning helps so much. A skincare launch in Santa Monica may need a calmer label and a louder shipper box, while a snack line in Chicago may do the reverse.

What I tell clients is simple: once you know how to create custom labels, the real advantage is consistency. Consistent sizes, consistent specs, and consistent artwork management make reorders smoother and reduce waste. That is especially true if your product line is growing and you are tying labels to a larger ecosystem of packaging design, inserts, and outer cartons. A stable 4-inch wide label spec can carry three product scents, two sizes, and one clean brand system without forcing a redesign every quarter.

So, take the next step with confidence. Measure carefully, Choose the Right stock, verify the proof, and plan for the way the label will actually live on the package. If you approach how to create custom labels with that level of detail, your final packaging will look sharper, work better, and support your brand the way it should from the very first shipment. And yes, the difference is still measured in millimeters, not vibes.