Label design as well as overall packaging design, in addition to the practical need for consumers to obtain accurate and direct product information, it also plays an important role in attracting their attention. In any case, labels must affect the subconscious of consumers and convey the overall experience of what product they are buying.

How to design a label?

It is important that before you start designing the label, make a good brief and prepare all the necessary material and information you need. By carefully planning all the steps, you will definitely save time in the later stages of the process.

The choice of packaging comes before the design of the label. Pay attention to the material, size / shape and prices for bulk orders.

There are common label sizes for packaging such as cans, jars or bottles of 750ml and 1l. On the other hand, there are characteristic packaging such as, for example, detergent bottles or alcoholic beverages, where the shape and size of the label depend primarily on the shape of the packaging. All in all, as long as you know the proportions of the packaging, you can easily create the appropriate dimensions and shape of the label that will suit you.

Printing services are also very important for label design. Label format, number of colors, UV varnish, blind print, plastic coating and circulation can affect the price of the label and thus the design.

When creating a label, do not neglect the book of graphic standards of the entire brand. Consider standardized logos, colors, typography, and graphics.

Common types of product labels

For each product, there are different types of labels.

Even when the packaging has a single label, such as cans or cosmetic jars and bottles, the label will have visually separate parts that differ in content.

Front label

The front or presentation label is what first comes to mind when label design is mentioned. For many, especially in the wine industry, this label is a business card of the product and has a special meaning. The front label has the role of visually highlighting the product in relation to others and attracting consumers.

It usually consists of the product name, variety name, taste, logo, slogan, decorative images and accompanying information such as packaging volume, year of manufacture or origin of the product. With this label, the amount of information is kept to a minimum.

Last label

The last label contains an extended description of the product, ingredients, bar code, expiration date, certificates and other information regulated by law.

Once the consumer is interested in the product through the front label, the back label has the role of providing more detailed and clear information about the product. Visually, it should be in line with the overall design of the label, but fine print will predominate.

Cover

Containers such as jars or plastic boxes may have a label on the lid. The function is essentially the same as with the front label, especially with cosmetic products that have almost no space on the side.

Bottle neck label

This label has a role to further enrich the visual effect of the packaging. They generally have a minimum of information such as possibly the brand logo and product name. They are most often practiced by beer and wine producers.

Design

Labels are intended to create a unique visual identity for a particular product within a company brand. This implies strategic creation so that the label is unique and original without deviating from the overall style of the brand.

It will happen that you will have to plan several variations of the same label design, in cases when there are other products in the same line only with different smells and tastes. Even when you don't have other products in the series, it's good to leave room for ideas in case more products are added. Some of the proven techniques are creating a label that works in different colors or that can easily replace images of a similar style. Create a label template so that with a possible change of image or color, you get a completely new design.

Make a Mockup

One of the best ways to test your label is to do it mockup. In addition to having the opportunity to notice design flaws, if there are any, you will also have the opportunity to present your design more directly.

Once you have completed the label design and prepress it is recommended that before you publish a complete edition, make test copies and mock-ups to make sure that the label works in terms of shape and dimensions. Also check if there are any typos and if the colors are as you imagined.

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