There were merely containers in product packaging years back, and labels were only meant for specifying product details. But the time has changed now, and so are the market and product packaging. Good packaging and labeling are making a significant contribution to selling a product and building a brand identity. The changing market has put more responsibilities on those responsible for product packaging and labeling design of a company. They speak for themselves, draw customers’ attention, and convince them to pick them up from the shelf space.
Businesses— large or small retail stores— always look for innovative ideas and opportunities to grow their sales. Although there are many ways in which they can improve their sales, the two elements that have always been considered essential are—labeling and product packaging.
What Exactly Is Labeling?
Labeling or using labels is nothing but describing products in a word or short phrase. An essential part of product design and marketing is a label that lets customers know what it contains, brand, and important dates like manufacturing and expiry. It differentiates a product from another and a brand from its competitors.
Once a product is manufactured, the company needs to convey its importance to its target audience. And a thoughtfully-designed label design helps them achieve their goal. Since it also works as an important marketing material, it must be attractive and meaningful. Even if your product is excellent, if its label design fails to catch the customers’ attention, you may risk your sales volume.
The concept of custom labels is quite simple: create and print design. But getting a successful label (which looks appealing, print well, and stick properly) can be a different story, especially if you are new to the label world. So here are five simple tips for custom label printing success:
Do Your Research
The first and foremost thing is to gather as much information as you can about your competitors and audience. Whether you are creating a new label or redesign the existing one, it’s essential to know the latest trends that your competitors are following, such as how they are putting information on their labels, what colors, images, and symbols they are using.
As discussed earlier, the label acts as a great tool in selling products. Apart from knowing competitors’ strategy, try to learn more about your target audience and design the labels keeping their needs and tastes in mind. This approach will help you develop the right content and sticker designer to create an attractive and unique label design that would convince your target audience.
So before you kick off your label design, you must analyze your audience precisely, such as their gender, age, tastes, values, etc. No matter how good your product is, when customers look into a retail store, they choose more eye-catchy, having a clear description of the product on the label. Make sure you share your research report with your sticker designer so that they can have an idea of what to include and what to avoid.
Pick the Right Material for Your Label
Before you begin your label design, it’s imperative to clarify the type of material you would be using. Apart from the label’s information, your label’s overall look is also crucial that lets customers perceive your product. Make sure the label doesn’t get damaged in transit, as it may spoil your brand’s reputation. When it comes to printing a label, there are different options regarding the material they are printed on. Different materials provide various qualities and characteristics that can help a label achieve a specific look. Here are a few material options that you may consider for your product:
Gloss materials: These have a smooth coating that generates a shiny, bright finish. These labels are ideal if you are trying to achieve a specific look while also drawing customers’ attention to important details or information.
Transparent materials: These materials can be seen through, making an ideal choice if you want to highlight the surface of the product or face a color matching problem.
Opaque materials: If you want to cover up a mistake, then these materials are a perfect choice for you. The labels made with this material cannot look through.
Synthetic materials (Polyester/ Polyethylene): These materials offer the characteristics that don’t exist in paper material such as waterproof, durability, etc.
Premium quality materials: These materials give the label a high-end look. So if appearance is everything for your label, then these materials are an ideal choice for you.
Pay Attention to Design
Deciding on a design is really a creative bit. When you are planning your label, you need to consider the following things:
Brand name/Logo placement: This is a key element as it will give your brand good visibility. Though there is no fixed rule in placing a logo, you surely want to increase your visibility if you are new in the industry. So it’s better to put your logo at the top of the label design.
Color and typography: Both color and typography have the power to make or break the product. Both generate interest in the product and motivate a customer to make a purchase. While choosing a font, make sure it is easily readable. Instead of settling for default fonts, try to be creative without affecting the essence of a logo. When it comes to color, have a proper understanding of color psychology. In addition to that, before you finalize the label design, discuss with your sticker designer as some label types restrict you to print colors on it.
White space: When rendered, a white space doesn’t refer to a visible mark but usually occupies a space. It comes between two design elements. Apart from color and typography, white space is a perfect way to highlight the design elements and manage the content for a more effective visual communication experience. Most companies try to put all information on their product label design, thinking that this trick would increase their sales. But this is the wrong mantra to follow. If you really want to get consumers’ attention and make your label look rich and classy, pay attention to white space—include as much white space as possible.
P.S: If you are looking for graphic design services, you’ve plenty of options such as Designhill, Canva, etc. They’re affordable platforms where you can find the right designer for your design projects.
Size of the label: When it comes to labels, size really matters! The choice of a label mainly depends on the product’s container. Depending on the product, you may choose to have a single label or multiple labels (both on front and back). Multiple labels allow you to separate the branding (logo) and product information (ingredients, expiry date, warnings, etc.). Alternatively, you may choose to have a single ‘wrap-around’ label in such a way that it makes image and text appealing and attractive. Keep the design in the front and text at the back, depending on how you configured your packaging.12 x 50 mm, 15 x 50 mm, and 20 x 50 mm are the most common sizes in the label.
Research into printers: Last but not the least tip to make your custom label printing successful is the printers’ choice. If you work with a printer that uses low-quality products or cut corners, all your time and designing efforts will go in vain. You may end up with a bad label. In order to avoid such a situation, here are a few things that need to be followed before choosing the right printer:
- Read reviews
- Ask them to send a sample of your label
- Review their process
- Check their prices and quotes.
Conclusion
A thoughtfully designed product label can do wonders standing out of the crowd. It can draw your customers’ attention towards the product and influence the purchase. Printing custom labels can be a little tricky. But with strategic planning, you can go a long way. We hope that the above tips will help you in printing eye-catching label design.
Digital printer for labels -DepositPhotos
