04 Mar How to Design a Product Label
Packaging design with labels is a key marketing tool for any product. Whether you’ve been crafting a recognisable brand for years, or you’re a brand-new start up, your packaging design and any associated labels is a key way to create new interest and bring in new customers.
As a consumer, you must have experienced the power of product labels at some point – perhaps you picked up a new bottle of wine because you liked the way it looked, or you finally tried a new food after it had a packaging refresh. Maybe you have a favourite product that you use often and it’s easy for you to spot on the shelf because of its unique design. Simple scenarios like these demonstrate the importance of labels in brand recognition, so it’s important to ensure your label design and quality is the best it can be.
But where to get started with label design? What works best? We’re giving you our 3 top tips for your product label design and showing you how to promote your product through thoughtful and clever designs.
1. Use Customised Die-Cut Label Shapes
Squares, rectangles and circles account for the vast majority of shapes on product labels, but have you thought about using customised die-cut label shapes? By choosing this option, you’re making a statement that you care about your label design, and therefore your product.
There are many wine and spirit companies who have achieved this look, with one notable example being Yellow Tail Wines. They combined a standard rectangular label with a special shape beneath and created an incredibly unique look. The pairing of a carefully chosen substrate with vibrant colours created a great look for their brand, so much so that they came top of a survey in the USA for most attractive wine label design.
2. Luxury Metallic Embellishments
Metallic hot foil is a fashionable way to help enhance a label design. It makes a product look more premium and luxurious, and the foil reflects light in a different way to the rest of the label, which helps the whole product pop and catch the eye. If you combine the print with the optimal colour palette, you’re winning!
Fais Botanicals is a great example of how subtle use of metallic foil can work really well. The gold print co-ordinates perfectly with the gold bottle top and overall colour scheme and they’ve used black for secondary text and information to ensure full legibility and great colour contrast.
3. Textured labels
Companies often prioritize visuals above all else when designing a product label, but you shouldn’t forget about touch as this important sense is vital for communicating a feeling of quality. Using textured or thicker papers, shows a commitment to quality and top of the range materials.
There are also textured synthetic options, such as vinyl laminates or matt laminates, which are perfect for when your product label needs additional protection.
Product Label Design Tips Summary
Digital print popularity has soared massively in recent years, so it’s no longer enough to just have full colour print as the standout design feature of your label. Our three top tips will help you stand out from the competition, and further appeal to consumers.
Some of these options are slightly greater in cost, but there is huge potential for a substantial return on investment. Get in touch with our team at RGS labels to talk more about your product label design.