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Beyond Gold and Silver: CG-71A Copper Gold for Shrink Sleeve Labels

Gold and silver may be the most familiar metallic finishes in label design, but different products call for different metallic expressions.

UNIVACCO CF4.6DU Lite Series web-fed cold transfer is designed for shrink sleeve applications with a double-sided metallic effect. Now, the new CG-71A Copper Gold expands the color possibilities with a warmer, more sophisticated metallic tone beyond conventional gold and silver.

To showcase its distinctive character, we applied CG-71A to a caffeine shampoo shrink sleeve, exploring how the right metallic color can connect an ingredient story with a premium hair care identity.







01 — Why Caffeine Meets Copper Gold

A metallic finish can do more than add decoration. Its color can become part of the product story.

Caffeine naturally evokes associations with coffee and its rich, warm brown tones. This makes CG-71A Copper Gold a fitting visual complement to the ingredient concept.

Compared with the bright appearance of conventional gold, Copper Gold introduces a warmer and more understated metallic character. Combined with its reflective finish, it helps create a sophisticated look suited to premium hair care packaging.

For this sample, Copper Gold was not simply added as a decorative accent. The design started with the relationship between the ingredient concept, color association, and desired brand image, allowing the metallic color to become an integral part of the shrink sleeve design.







02 — More Than a Copper Gold Color: The Brilliance of Cold Transfer

Metallic ink is one way to introduce metallic colors to shrink sleeve packaging. Cold transfer offers another option with a different visual impact.

Compared with metallic ink, cold transfer delivers higher metallic brilliance and a more pronounced reflective effect. With CG-71A, Copper Gold is therefore more than a flat metallic color. Its metallic surface responds to light and viewing angles, giving selected design elements greater visual presence.

This opens up opportunities to highlight brand names, logos, typography, patterns, and other graphic details across the sleeve.

Cold transfer also extends beyond solid metallic colors. Holographic effects can be incorporated into shrink sleeve designs as well, giving brands and designers an even broader range of decorative possibilities.







03 — Double-Sided Metallic Effect for Shrink Sleeve Design

Shrink sleeves are commonly produced using reverse printing, with the graphics printed on the inside of the transparent PET film and viewed through the film after the sleeve is applied to the container.

This printing structure makes the appearance of the metallic finish from both sides particularly relevant.

UNIVACCO CF4.6DU Lite Series provides a double-sided metallic effect, allowing the metallic finish to be visible from both sides and supporting the viewing structure required for shrink sleeve applications.

Combined with the 360° coverage of a shrink sleeve, CG-71A Copper Gold can become more than a small metallic accent. Metallic typography, fine lines, patterns, and larger graphic areas can extend around the package, interacting with the shape of the container and creating changing reflections as the package is turned.



04 — What Makes Cold Transfer on Shrink Sleeves Different?

Applying cold transfer to a shrink sleeve requires a different approach from conventional label applications.

Flexographic Printing

Shrink sleeves are commonly produced using gravure or flexographic printing.

UNIVACCO CF4.6DU Lite Series is a web-fed cold transfer designed for UV flexographic printing applications, providing an option for integrating metallic decoration into shrink sleeve production.


A Different Printing Sequence

Many shrink sleeves use reverse printing, where the printed side of the PET film faces the container after application.

Because of this structure, the process differs from conventional surface-printed cold transfer applications.

A typical sequence can be:

CMYK Color Printing → Cold Transfer → Sleeving & Shrinking



05 — CG-71A Copper Gold: Let Metallic Color Tell the Product Story

Metallic packaging does not always have to begin with a choice between gold and silver.

With its double-sided metallic effect, the CF4.6DU Lite Series brings cold transfer decoration to shrink sleeve applications. The new CG-71A Copper Gold further expands the palette with a warmer and more distinctive metallic option.

For our caffeine shampoo concept, the warm copper-gold tone connects naturally with the visual associations of caffeine, while the brilliance of cold transfer helps elevate the overall appearance toward a premium hair care aesthetic.

It demonstrates a broader design idea: metallic color can be selected not only for decoration, but also for how it supports the story behind the product.







06 — Explore More Metallic Possibilities for Shrink Sleeves

Beyond CG-71A Copper Gold, the CF4.6DU Lite Series also offers a range of double-sided metallic colors, including KG-310, KG-312, and U-220.

Holographic effects are also available, offering even more possibilities for distinctive shrink sleeve designs.



Explore More Possibilities for Shrink Sleeves

Ready to explore more possibilities for your shrink sleeve design?

Explore the CF4.6DU Lite Series to discover more double-sided metallic colors and holographic effects.

Explore CF4.6DU Lite Series →