Every new brand asks this in the first call. The short answer: sleeves for flexibility, printed cans for unit cost at volume. The longer answer depends on how sure you are about your artwork and your forecast.
Shrink sleeves
A sleeve is a printed plastic film applied over a plain (brite) can. You buy commodity brite cans, which are available in small quantities and short lead times, and you buy sleeves from a label printer.
Sleeves win when you have several SKUs at low volume each, when you expect artwork changes, or when you are still testing which flavors sell. The cost per unit is higher, and sleeving is an extra step, but your exposure is low: unused brite cans work for any SKU.
Printed cans
Printed cans are decorated by the can maker before they arrive. The unit cost is lower, the finish is premium, and there is no sleeving step. The trade-off is commitment. Can makers sell printed cans in truckload-scale minimums per design, with lead times measured in weeks to months. A discontinued SKU leaves you holding pallets of unusable cans.
A practical rule
Start sleeved. Move a SKU to printed cans once it has proven repeat demand and you are ordering enough per run that the can minimum turns over in a reasonable period. Many brands run a mix: printed for the hero SKU, sleeved for seasonal and test flavors.
We handle both formats. If you are unsure which fits, describe your SKUs and expected volume on the project form and we will recommend one.