Can I use a blow dryer or heat gun to apply shrink sleeves?

We don’t recommend applying shrink sleeves with a blow dryer, heat gun, microwave, or shrink wrap tunnel because shrink sleeves need to be applied with a uniform spread of heat. You should apply shrink sleeves with equipment made specifically for shrinking like a radiant heat tunnel, hot air tunnel, steam tunnel, or hybrid tunnel (combines heat and steam).

We recommend using a steam tunnel for shrink sleeves because it uses less energy to run than other types of tunnels, produces better results, and is easier to configure. Steam tunnels are becoming the label industry’s standard method of shrinking sleeves onto filled product containers because its relatively low temperatures (usually between 170-180 degrees) make it safe for filled products to pass through.