Application conditions
A label applied before packing may perform differently from one applied to an already-cold container. Surface temperature and moisture affect initial adhesion.
Cold Storage Labels / Dry Ice Labels
CUSTOM DRY ICE LABELS · ULTRA-COLD SHIPPING
Keep critical identification intact from packing through delivery.
Dry-ice shipments expose labels to extreme cold, handling, and rapid temperature changes at their destination. CleanMark helps specify labels that stay attached and readable throughout your shipping workflow—not just while they’re packed in dry ice.
Get a label recommendation Reply within one business day
U.S. engineering & manufacturing
ISO 9001:2015 certified
Application-specific label solutions
DRY ICE SHIPPING CHALLENGES
The label has to survive more than the cold.
From packing through transit and receipt, a label encounters extreme cold, shipping abrasion, and warming that can produce condensation.
Frost & condensation
Moisture during unpacking and warming can challenge adhesion, print durability, and barcode scanning.
Time in dry ice
A shipment may spend hours or days in dry ice, sometimes with replenishment. Exposure duration belongs in the performance requirements.
Transit & handling
Packing, stacked trays, movement, and repeated contact can rub labels or damage identification during shipping.
Readable on arrival
Lot numbers, sample IDs, and barcodes must remain usable at receipt and during transfer into the next process.
WHERE DRY ICE LABELS ARE USED
Identification that travels with your materials.
From life sciences shipments to specialty applicators, labels need to support the people receiving, verifying, and using temperature-sensitive materials.
Pharmaceutical & biotech
Keep critical identification with temperature-sensitive materials through packing, dry-ice transit, receipt, and transfer into controlled storage.
Cell therapy & biologics
Maintain sample identity and scannable information while materials move between laboratories, clinical sites, and distribution points.
Laboratory & QC
Support product identification when packaged goods must travel in dry ice before returning to room or controlled temperatures.
THROUGH THE SHIPPING JOURNEY
What happens before and after dry ice matters, too.
A label can face very different conditions at the start, middle, and end of the same shipment.
Before packing
Confirm the container, surface condition, application temperature, and printing requirements before dry ice is introduced.
During transit
Account for approximately −78.5°C dry-ice exposure, shipment duration, abrasion, handling, and possible replenishment.
At receipt & transfer
Consider condensation during warming, destination scanning, and transfer to refrigerated, frozen, or ambient conditions.
BUILT AROUND YOUR APPLICATION
Your label needs to work through the entire shipment.
The right label is more than a dry-ice temperature rating. We consider the container, printing process, packing conditions, transit, and destination requirements together.
Stay attached to your container
Match the adhesive and material to the surface, curvature, application temperature, and expected time in dry ice.
Keep information readable at delivery
Consider barcode printing, ribbon or ink, abrasion, frost, condensation, and scanning at the destination.
Fit your equipment and workflow
Configure label size, liner, roll format, printing, and application to work with the equipment and packing process you already use.
Stand up to shipping conditions
Evaluate materials and print protection for packing, transit movement, handling, and the return to warmer temperatures.
APPLICATION SPOTLIGHT · TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE APPLICATORS
The label has to arrive ready for the next step.
Consider an applicator labeled at room temperature, packed in dry ice, and shipped to another facility. It may remain in ultra-cold transit for an extended period before being unpacked and handled in a warmer environment.
The label needs to remain attached and readable through that transition—not only during dry-ice exposure, but when the receiving team identifies and uses the product.
WHAT WE CONSIDER
Container & initial bond
Material, shape, and conditions when the label is first applied.
Dry-ice transit
Temperature, duration, handling, and abrasion during shipment.
Receipt & identification
Condensation, print integrity, and barcode scanning after delivery.
PREFER A CONVERSATION?
Have a challenging dry-ice shipping application?
Whether labels lift after transit, barcodes are difficult to scan on arrival, or you are qualifying a new shipping process, our team can help clarify the requirements and identify a practical next step.
HOW WE WORK
From shipping requirements to a qualified label construction.
We help turn the conditions of your actual shipment into a practical evaluation plan and an approved specification.
01 · Define
Review the container, label application conditions, shipping sequence, exposure duration, and receiving workflow.
02 · Recommend
Identify a construction and supply format suited to your printing, application, and dry-ice conditions.
03 · Evaluate
Test adhesion, print durability, and scanning through representative packing, dry-ice exposure, handling, and warming.
04 · Produce
Finalize the approved specification and supply configuration for ongoing production.
GET A LABEL RECOMMENDATION
Tell us what your dry-ice label needs to do.
Start with what you know. All technical details are optional, and our team can help clarify the rest.
Your request
Just your name and email to get started.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions about dry-ice labels.
Practical answers about shipping duration, warming, printing, and evaluation.
What temperature should I specify for a dry-ice label?
Dry ice is approximately −78.5°C at atmospheric pressure, but specify the actual shipment conditions, application temperature, exposure duration, and temperatures before packing and after receipt.
How long can a label remain exposed to dry ice?
There is no universal duration for every construction. Share the expected transit time, possible dry-ice replenishment, container, and handling conditions so samples can be evaluated for your shipment.
Can I apply labels before packing in dry ice?
Yes, depending on the construction and surface conditions. Applying to a clean, dry container before packing differs from applying to an already-frozen or frosted surface.
Can labels be applied to already-frozen or frosted containers?
Potentially, but frost, moisture, and low application temperatures can interfere with initial adhesion. The actual application conditions should be evaluated.
Will labels remain attached when the shipment warms?
The complete transition should be evaluated. Warming can create condensation, and handling at receipt can introduce additional stress.
Will barcodes remain scannable after shipping?
Evaluate barcode quality after representative dry-ice exposure, abrasion, frost, condensation, and destination handling using the intended printer and scanner.
Can labels work on vials, syringes, and curved applicators?
Yes. Container material, diameter, label dimensions, material stiffness, and overlap can influence fit and edge adhesion.
Can we print dry-ice labels using existing equipment?
In many cases, yes. We consider the printer, ribbon or ink, roll configuration, printing conditions, and required barcode quality.
Can dry-ice labels meet cleanroom or sterile requirements?
These are separate requirements that may need to be addressed together. Dry-ice resistance does not automatically establish cleanroom compatibility, sterile supply, or sterilization resistance.
What should we test before production?
Evaluate the label on the intended container through application, packing, expected dry-ice duration, transit abrasion, warming, condensation, handling, and barcode scanning.
How are dry-ice labels different from freezer or cryogenic labels?
Dry-ice shipping, frozen storage, and liquid-nitrogen use involve different temperatures, durations, and handling. One construction should not be assumed suitable for all without evaluation.
