Resources/Portal
Reference · Portal

Using the
portal.

10 min read·12 sections
i
Before you start

This is the full tour — from creating your first label setup to tracking a finished order — plus the handful of terms worth knowing. If you only read one thing, read the next section: it explains the two words the whole portal is built around.

Reference · 10 min

Using the portal.

10 min·12 sections
i
Before you start

This is the full tour — from creating your first label setup to tracking a finished order — plus the handful of terms worth knowing. If you only read one thing, read the next section: it explains the two words the whole portal is built around.

01The two words that run everything: setups and labels

Almost everything in the portal hangs off two ideas. Get these and the rest falls into place.

A label setup

is the recipefor a label — its size, material, finish, shape, winding, and roll size. It doesn't contain any artwork itself; it's the physical specification. Each setup gets a reference like STP-00031.

A label

is an individual design that lives inside a setup — your IPA, your stout, your seasonal. Each label gets a reference like LBL-0009, and you can give it your own product reference (your SKU) too. Every label in a setup is printed to that setup's exact spec.

The simplest way to picture it: a setup is the format, and labels are the designsprinted in that format. That structure isn't just tidy — it's how pricing works. Because all the labels in a setup share one spec, they're produced and priced together, by the combined quantity across the setup. So designs that share a size, material, and finish belong in the same setup.

02Your dashboard

The dashboard is your home base. At the top, four cards give you the state of play:

  • Awaiting action — the one to watch. It flags anything that needs you, most often a softproof waiting for your approval.
  • Active label setups — how many setups you have on the go.
  • Approved labels — designs that are signed off and ready to order.
  • Orders this year — your running count.

Below the cards you'll find your label setups and your recent orders, each a click away. New customers may also see a prompt here about a free first order.

03Step one — create a label setup

Click to start a new setup and a short wizard walks you through it:

  1. Container — pick your can or bottle; the portal fills in a suggested size to match.
  2. Size — keep the suggestion or adjust it in 5 mm steps to fit your exact container.
  3. Material — a polypropylene film (White, Silver, Clear) or a wine paper.
  4. Finish — matte or gloss, a tactile option like Sand or Soft Touch, and so on.
  5. Winding & roll — how the labels come off the roll (matters for applicator machines) and how many per roll.

That's a standard setup — instant, self-service, and ready to use straight away. If you need something outside the standard menu (a custom size, an unusual material, a special 3D finish, or a custom shape), choose a custom setup instead: you describe what you need and it comes to us to set up and price for you. Either way, you end up with a setup, referenced STP-…, ready for labels.

04Step two — add your labels

Open your setup and add a label for each design. Give it a name (and your own product reference / SKU, if you use them). Each new label starts in Draft — it exists, but it has no artwork yet. Once artwork is in, the label shows a thumbnail so your range is easy to scan at a glance.

Add as many labels as you like to one setup, as long as they share that setup's spec — that's what gets you the better combined-quantity price.

05Step three — upload your artwork

On a label, drag and drop your print-ready PDF to upload it. (For exactly how to prepare that file — sizes, bleed, colours, fonts — see the How to prepare your artwork files guide; it's worth following before you export.)

Once your file is in, the label moves to Files received. That's your signal to us that you've handed it over, and ours to start preparing your proof.

06Step four — approve your softproof

A softproofis a digital proof of exactly how your label will print — your artwork laid out on the final spec, for you to check before anything goes on press. It's your last chance to catch a typo or a colour you're not happy with, so it's worth a careful look.

We prepare the softproof and let you know it's ready; the label moves to Waiting for approval. Open it, check everything — text, colours, layout, your barcode — then either:

  • Approve it — the label becomes Approvedand is ready to order. Nothing prints until you've done this; approval is the safety gate.
  • Reject it — with two paths. Reject with a comment and we'll make the change and send you a fresh proof. Reject without a comment and you upload a corrected file yourself. The label moves to Rejected until the new version is sorted.
The one rule to remember
Only approved labels can be ordered. That's deliberate — it means nothing ever prints without your explicit sign-off.

07Step five — place your order

When your labels are approved, add them to your cart and:

  1. Set quantities for each label. Remember pricing is by the combinedquantity across the setup, and it won't drop below the 500-piece price — so larger combined runs reach better rates.
  2. Choose a delivery address (add a new one if you need to).
  3. Add a PO number and notes if that helps your own paperwork — both optional.
  4. Accept the terms, and pay: by card, by bank transfer, or — if your account is on credit terms — simply place the order and settle later. New customers may have a free first order available here.

Your order is created with a reference like ORD-00042, and you're on your way.

08Track your order

Every order moves through a clear set of stages:

Received → In production → Shipped → Delivered → Invoiced.

When it ships, you'll get a tracking link and the carrier (FedEx or DHL) so you can follow it to your door. And each order keeps its paperwork in one place — your order confirmation, the delivery note, and the invoice — all attached to the order itself, so you're never hunting through email for them.

09Invoices and payments

The Invoices page lists your invoices and their payment status. You can pay an outstanding invoice by card or by bank transfer, right from the portal.

One thing worth knowing up front: if an invoice goes unpaid past its terms, your account is placed on hold— you won't be able to place new orders until it's settled. It's not dramatic; paying the invoice clears the hold automatically and you're straight back to normal. Established customers can be set up with credit terms(paying within an agreed window rather than upfront) — just ask once you've ordered a few times.

10Your account and team

In your settings you can manage:

  • Company details and VAT — keep your VAT number current; a verified EU VAT number is what enables reverse charge (no VAT added) at checkout.
  • Delivery addresses — save as many as you ship to.
  • Your team — invite colleagues so more than one person can manage your setups, labels, and orders. Handy when design and purchasing sit with different people.

Your currency is set when you join and applies everywhere in the portal, so prices always show in the money you actually pay in.

11A quick glossary

Label setupSTP-…
the spec/recipe: size, material, finish, shape, winding, roll. Holds your labels; priced as a whole.
LabelLBL-…
an individual design inside a setup. Carries your artwork, proof, and optional SKU.
OrderORD-…
one or more approved labels with quantities, placed for production.
Softproof
the digital proof you approve before printing.
Winding
which way labels face as they come off the roll (matters for applicator machines).
Roll size
how many labels per roll.
Label statuses
Draft (created, no artwork) → Files received (artwork uploaded) → Waiting for approval (proof ready for you) → Approved (signed off, orderable) / Rejected (needs a fix). Archivedtucks away ones you're no longer using.
Order statuses
Received → In production → Shipped → Delivered → Invoiced. Awaiting payment appears before a prepaid order is paid; On hold means an overdue invoice is blocking new orders.

12Need a hand?

You can leave a message right on an order or a label if something needs discussing — it keeps the conversation attached to the thing it's about. Or reach the team any time and we'll help you through it.

Resources/Portal
Reference · Portal

Using the
portal.

10 min read·12 sections
i
Before you start

This is the full tour — from creating your first label setup to tracking a finished order — plus the handful of terms worth knowing. If you only read one thing, read the next section: it explains the two words the whole portal is built around.

Reference · 10 min

Using the portal.

10 min·12 sections
i
Before you start

This is the full tour — from creating your first label setup to tracking a finished order — plus the handful of terms worth knowing. If you only read one thing, read the next section: it explains the two words the whole portal is built around.

01The two words that run everything: setups and labels

Almost everything in the portal hangs off two ideas. Get these and the rest falls into place.

A label setup

is the recipefor a label — its size, material, finish, shape, winding, and roll size. It doesn't contain any artwork itself; it's the physical specification. Each setup gets a reference like STP-00031.

A label

is an individual design that lives inside a setup — your IPA, your stout, your seasonal. Each label gets a reference like LBL-0009, and you can give it your own product reference (your SKU) too. Every label in a setup is printed to that setup's exact spec.

The simplest way to picture it: a setup is the format, and labels are the designsprinted in that format. That structure isn't just tidy — it's how pricing works. Because all the labels in a setup share one spec, they're produced and priced together, by the combined quantity across the setup. So designs that share a size, material, and finish belong in the same setup.

02Your dashboard

The dashboard is your home base. At the top, four cards give you the state of play:

  • Awaiting action — the one to watch. It flags anything that needs you, most often a softproof waiting for your approval.
  • Active label setups — how many setups you have on the go.
  • Approved labels — designs that are signed off and ready to order.
  • Orders this year — your running count.

Below the cards you'll find your label setups and your recent orders, each a click away. New customers may also see a prompt here about a free first order.

03Step one — create a label setup

Click to start a new setup and a short wizard walks you through it:

  1. Container — pick your can or bottle; the portal fills in a suggested size to match.
  2. Size — keep the suggestion or adjust it in 5 mm steps to fit your exact container.
  3. Material — a polypropylene film (White, Silver, Clear) or a wine paper.
  4. Finish — matte or gloss, a tactile option like Sand or Soft Touch, and so on.
  5. Winding & roll — how the labels come off the roll (matters for applicator machines) and how many per roll.

That's a standard setup — instant, self-service, and ready to use straight away. If you need something outside the standard menu (a custom size, an unusual material, a special 3D finish, or a custom shape), choose a custom setup instead: you describe what you need and it comes to us to set up and price for you. Either way, you end up with a setup, referenced STP-…, ready for labels.

04Step two — add your labels

Open your setup and add a label for each design. Give it a name (and your own product reference / SKU, if you use them). Each new label starts in Draft — it exists, but it has no artwork yet. Once artwork is in, the label shows a thumbnail so your range is easy to scan at a glance.

Add as many labels as you like to one setup, as long as they share that setup's spec — that's what gets you the better combined-quantity price.

05Step three — upload your artwork

On a label, drag and drop your print-ready PDF to upload it. (For exactly how to prepare that file — sizes, bleed, colours, fonts — see the How to prepare your artwork files guide; it's worth following before you export.)

Once your file is in, the label moves to Files received. That's your signal to us that you've handed it over, and ours to start preparing your proof.

06Step four — approve your softproof

A softproofis a digital proof of exactly how your label will print — your artwork laid out on the final spec, for you to check before anything goes on press. It's your last chance to catch a typo or a colour you're not happy with, so it's worth a careful look.

We prepare the softproof and let you know it's ready; the label moves to Waiting for approval. Open it, check everything — text, colours, layout, your barcode — then either:

  • Approve it — the label becomes Approvedand is ready to order. Nothing prints until you've done this; approval is the safety gate.
  • Reject it — with two paths. Reject with a comment and we'll make the change and send you a fresh proof. Reject without a comment and you upload a corrected file yourself. The label moves to Rejected until the new version is sorted.
The one rule to remember
Only approved labels can be ordered. That's deliberate — it means nothing ever prints without your explicit sign-off.

07Step five — place your order

When your labels are approved, add them to your cart and:

  1. Set quantities for each label. Remember pricing is by the combinedquantity across the setup, and it won't drop below the 500-piece price — so larger combined runs reach better rates.
  2. Choose a delivery address (add a new one if you need to).
  3. Add a PO number and notes if that helps your own paperwork — both optional.
  4. Accept the terms, and pay: by card, by bank transfer, or — if your account is on credit terms — simply place the order and settle later. New customers may have a free first order available here.

Your order is created with a reference like ORD-00042, and you're on your way.

08Track your order

Every order moves through a clear set of stages:

Received → In production → Shipped → Delivered → Invoiced.

When it ships, you'll get a tracking link and the carrier (FedEx or DHL) so you can follow it to your door. And each order keeps its paperwork in one place — your order confirmation, the delivery note, and the invoice — all attached to the order itself, so you're never hunting through email for them.

09Invoices and payments

The Invoices page lists your invoices and their payment status. You can pay an outstanding invoice by card or by bank transfer, right from the portal.

One thing worth knowing up front: if an invoice goes unpaid past its terms, your account is placed on hold— you won't be able to place new orders until it's settled. It's not dramatic; paying the invoice clears the hold automatically and you're straight back to normal. Established customers can be set up with credit terms(paying within an agreed window rather than upfront) — just ask once you've ordered a few times.

10Your account and team

In your settings you can manage:

  • Company details and VAT — keep your VAT number current; a verified EU VAT number is what enables reverse charge (no VAT added) at checkout.
  • Delivery addresses — save as many as you ship to.
  • Your team — invite colleagues so more than one person can manage your setups, labels, and orders. Handy when design and purchasing sit with different people.

Your currency is set when you join and applies everywhere in the portal, so prices always show in the money you actually pay in.

11A quick glossary

Label setupSTP-…
the spec/recipe: size, material, finish, shape, winding, roll. Holds your labels; priced as a whole.
LabelLBL-…
an individual design inside a setup. Carries your artwork, proof, and optional SKU.
OrderORD-…
one or more approved labels with quantities, placed for production.
Softproof
the digital proof you approve before printing.
Winding
which way labels face as they come off the roll (matters for applicator machines).
Roll size
how many labels per roll.
Label statuses
Draft (created, no artwork) → Files received (artwork uploaded) → Waiting for approval (proof ready for you) → Approved (signed off, orderable) / Rejected (needs a fix). Archivedtucks away ones you're no longer using.
Order statuses
Received → In production → Shipped → Delivered → Invoiced. Awaiting payment appears before a prepaid order is paid; On hold means an overdue invoice is blocking new orders.

12Need a hand?

You can leave a message right on an order or a label if something needs discussing — it keeps the conversation attached to the thing it's about. Or reach the team any time and we'll help you through it.

Ready to dive in?

Create your first label setup in the portal, or grab a sample kit first.