Professional Label Design

Professional label design is a form of art. Whether you design your labels on your own or choose to let the designers at label.co.uk do the job: creating an attractive label is a complex task.

Mirsad Ramic has been in the business for over a decade and works as a designer for label.co.uk‘s design service. He will give you tips on label design to increase the success of your products. But first, he introduces himself:

“Hello, I am Mirsad Ramic (33) and I have been working as a graphic designer for 11 years. At label.co.uk, I enjoy creating label designs for our customers. For me, graphic design is not only my profession, but also my greatest passion. I love to see how proud customers are of their products, for which I designed the labels. I like sharing my knowledge, so here are some tips for people who want to design labels. But I also have some advice for those who let me design their labels!”

#1 Be unique! Unleash your creativity and go for originality! Unique designs are crucial to stand out from the competition. But also because you don’t want any legal problems with other brands. Boring and copied designs are a no-go! Be innovative and go for fresh ideas that make your product an eye-catcher. Don’t forget to include your company’s contact details and a barcode for your product in the design – these are essential elements for the authenticity and integrity of your design.

#2 The format should perfectly match the size of the packaging. Whether you choose a single label or a front and back label, or a wrap-around label, it has to fit! But before you decide on the format of your label, it is useful to collect all the information and images you want and/or need to include on the label. Only when you have a clear picture of what you want to put on the label can you determine the size of the label. Important: a well-designed label should have a strong design, contain the right information and match the packaging perfectly.

#3 Ensure good legibility! A label usually contains text consisting of the product name, brand name, ingredients, measurement units and more. It is important that the text is easy to read. Keep this in mind when choosing your font and font size. Avoid text that is too small, use at least 7p for letters. Make sure your customers can also read the details clearly. Also important for readability is that the colour of the text contrasts well with the background.

#4 Typography is important: When placing the different text sections in your design, make sure the information is presented in a logical way. Feel free to mix different fonts for contrast and style. When choosing the font, remember that it should match the product and reflect the look and feel of the brand. I wouldn’t use more than 3 different fonts in one design, otherwise it can look unprofessional. But using one font, in different font sizes for all texts is of course fine too, then the design stays consistent and therefore looks professional.

#5 Don’t be afraid of empty space! The presence of ‘white space’ is especially important if you choose a minimalist design. White space separates information and creates visual clarity. It gives the label a simple and ‘clean’ look, which stands for honesty and purity. The use of blank space is especially recommended for labels for cosmetics, baby products and the like.

#6 Getting your label printed. Once your design is ready, a very important step comes next: printing the labels. For this, make sure to choose the right label material. Of course, the design must look good on it, but the material must also match the desired look of your product. It is also important that the material is suitable in a practical sense, so, for the way your product is used and stored. But  you also have to pay attention to the quality of the printing. That means: sharp, legible text and colours that come across well.
I therefore recommend ordering a proof before committing to a larger print run of your labels. This allows you to test the chosen material as well as your design and printing.
Are all texts sharp and easy to read? Are the colours right? And does the design come across well as a whole? If everything is right, you can then confidently place the order for labels with your own design!

#1 The logo is the game changer! It makes your product recognisable at a single glance and adds value to your brand. Imagine: a product without a logo is like a book without a title – somehow incomplete, right? That is why it is super important that you send us your logo in vector format. That’s the only way we can make sure it really comes into its own and gets your brand off to a flying start.

And if you don’t have a logo yet…we can design that for you too!

#2 A mood board is a must! In order to design something for you, I need to dive into your world, so to speak! Send me some cool designs you like and tell me what your favourite colours are. This helps me a lot in understanding what style you want for your labels. The goal is to make sure your design is exactly what you want and that your brand catches on! So share your vision with us so we can create a custom and stylish design that will make you happy! You can also send illustrations, photos or other inspiration to show us even more what kind of designs you like.

#3 Send your packaging. To make sure the label is going to fit perfectly on your bottle or packaging, it’s best to send us a copy of your packaging. Based on accurate measurements, we can then determine the optimal size of the label. Also, I can then determine, for example, the colour of the design to match the bottle. In other words, if we know your packaging, we can develop a label design that fits your product perfectly.

#4 Think about special finishing touches for your label. Imagine how cool your label could look with fancy finishing such as hot foil or spot varnish! These finishes give your design a real wow effect that makes your product stand out instantly from the crowd. Which brings me to the last tip: You can get a free sample book to see which materials and finishes you can choose from with us. Get inspired and give your products that little bit extra!