Whether you are looking at designing labels for commercial products, wedding favours or handmade products it is important to get every detail right, not just because of the branding or marketing efforts, but to avoid revisions and reprints that could become expensive.
Here, we will discuss some helpful tips to consider when designing your next label project.
Using colour, texture and typeface to convey your message and brand
It is best practise to design all of your printed media such as labels, flyers and stickers in CMYK as opposed to RGB; this will produce more vibrant colours and darker blacks giving a more professional look.
Typeface and colour choice are also important considerations when designing labels because some combinations can make it harder to read from a distance, especially metallic or reflective labels which may be eye-catching but could be difficult to read when combined with certain colours and textures.
There is also the perceived psychological interpretation of colours when designing labels and stickers for products and packaging. Silver and gold labels can project luxury, sophistication and a hi-tech feel, whereas rustic-looking labels are ideal for conveying earthiness, reliability and sustainability.
Designing the label with the container in mind
This may seem obvious to many people, but making sure that the label fits the product container is easily missed by designers, especially if they have a great idea and jump straight into the design phase without studying the packaging.
Proper measuring is as important as the actual design when making a label that compliments the product. What shape is the container? Round, square, tapered or textured, these considerations must be taken into account in the design phase to ensure that the label fits smoothly and gives all of the information needed to the consumer.
It is also important to decide how much of the product you want to show, an example of this is if you are using an opaque container then a larger label can be used, whereas if the product is in a transparent container such as jam or honey then a smaller label may complement it better.
Creating designs that are distinctive and memorable
Creating label designs that are distinctive and memorable will make your products stand out from the crowd and is a great way of attracting customers to buy and promote your products. Whether the products will be sold in stores alongside competitors’ products, sold through a stand-alone website or through an online buyer and seller community, presentation is key.
A clean, eye-catching and distinctive design can be the difference between a sale or not, so ask yourself these three questions to see if you are on the right track during the design process:
- Is the labels design distinctive compared with its competitors?
- Does the label clearly and accurately reflect the product and the brand?
- Will the products target audience find it captivating enough to purchase?
Get feedback from customers
Creating your label design and getting it to market is only the beginning of the marketing efforts and being proactive with the design will ensure that your products stay relevant to your customers and will continue to attract your target audience.
Invite your customers to take part in a survey asking what about the packaging attracted them to the product in the first place. This information is a great way to spot changes in the market, mood and lifestyle of your customers meaning that future label designs can stay relevant even with changing demographics.
The information gathered can also be used to learn from any mistakes from the initial design such as hard to read fonts, colour clashes and whether you are using the right type of label.
By putting into practise some of these suggestions when designing your labels it will undoubtedly make your designs stand out from the crowd and will produce a process to make future label designs not only more relevant but also more efficient.