After drying, the corks are again sorted — this time by hand — to the customer's specifications; then, if required, they are branded or printed with the identifying mark or logo of the distributor or winery.

A thin film of paraffin wax and/or silicone is applied to each cork, to make it easier to insert into and extract from the wine bottle.

Finally, batches of corks are packed in polyethylene with sulfur dioxide (SO₂) gas, a widely-used preservative in the wine industry, and sealed in readiness for storage and shipping to cork distributors and wine producers around the world.

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