How To Create a Product Label Design That Sells

A good label design is a crucial aspect of product packaging. Product labels include vital details, such as the product’s name, manufacturer, ingredients, nutritional components (for food items), instructions for use, and warnings or cautionary statements.

Product details help users make informed buying decisions and use the product after purchase. But beyond providing necessary information, a visually appealing label can help your product stand out and attract potential buyers.

Research suggests that as much as 81% of  “consumers’ decision to buy a particular product… was accounted for by the packaging style.”

Considering the importance of product labels, creating quality label designs is important. What factors define a quality label design? And how can you create that quality of design?

We’ll discuss crucial tips and tools you can use to create an eye-catching label design.

Label design best practices

Several practices go into creating high-quality labels that catch customers’ attention and provide the information to convince them to make a purchase.

Let’s look at some in detail.

Determine necessary information

Some of the information provided on product labels are regulated, and manufacturers must meet these requirements to store their products in supermarkets and retail stores.

Check the product quality inspection agency in your area for specific packaging guidelines and regulations.

Some information usually regulated include:

• The names and addresses of the companies that manufactured, packaged, and distributed the product
• A statement identifying the name and type of product
• A section highlighting the product’s weight in pounds or metric units (Food and drug items must also have a nutritional table with the common names and weights of major nutrients or active ingredients in each package.)

While the regulating body provides the minimum label design standard, you can add valuable information for your customers.

For example, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes packaging has information showing how customers can prepare meals with the cereal.

Keep it simple

One rule with product packaging is to keep the information simple because simplicity sells. Insights from Siegel+Gale’s World Simplest Brands report reveal 76% of customers will recommend a brand that provides simpler communication.

Keeping it simple helps customers in search of a specific product decide if yours is the right one for them.

You’ll want to find ways to present the necessary details and designs on your packaging in the simplest forms possible.

The customer should be able to look at the package and quickly find the information they need—like the name of your brand, the active ingredients in the product, and recommended ways to use it.

A few tips for keeping your label design simple include:

• Using a clear and easy-to-read font. Examples are Arial or Helvetica. Avoid using decorative or script fonts, as they can be difficult to read.
• Limiting the color palette. Too many colors can be overwhelming and make the label look cluttered.
• Including plenty of white space. This helps draw the eye to the most important elements of the label and makes it easier to read.
• Using clear, concise language. Avoid using technical jargon or long, complicated sentences.
• Keeping the layout clean and organized. Use a grid system to help align elements and create a cohesive look.

Make it stand out

Another aspect of great packaging label design is its ability to stand out on the shelf—especially when the shelf holds other similar products. Product packaging should have colors that invite customers to take a closer look.

However, your choice of color should also represent your product, brand, and industry.

For example, green typically depicts security, growth, health, and environmental friendliness—making it a good color for natural supplements or organic products.

Besides color, shape and size can draw attention to the product. Unusual sizes or shapes help differentiate your product and communicate what sets your brand apart.

Some tips for making your label design stand out in a competitive environment include:

• Having a strong, memorable brand identity. A cohesive brand identity—including logo, color palette, and typography—can help your product stand out and be more easily recognized by consumers.
• Differentiating your product. Communicate what sets your product apart from the competition. This could include highlighting unique features, ingredients, or benefits.
• Using product copy that compels. Use descriptive and persuasive language to convince consumers why they should choose your product over others.
• Including social proof. Including badges, ratings, or certifications on your label can help build consumer trust and credibility.
• Considering the packaging. Product packaging can also help your brand stand out on the shelf. Use a unique, sleek, or eye-catching packaging design that complements your label to draw attention to your product.

Label design printing information to consider

There are a few key things to remember when designing a product label. First, make sure your label design is easy to read. Then, choose a printing method that gives you the best results.

Consider these label design and printing tips to help you get started:

• Select a paper. There are various types of materials you can use for printing product labels. Your choice of the label will typically depend on the product you’re packaging. For example, polyester can resist tears and scratches, making it a good material for packaging food products and beverages. Polyethylene is better for bottles and curved surfaces because it’s flexible to work on, while polyamide is more suited for electronics due to heat resistance.
• Choose the right printer. Label printers typically use thermal transfer or direct thermal methods to print. Thermal printers work by melting a ribbon and imprinting the design on the label material. This type of printing tends to fade over time, so it’s more suited for products with shorter shelf lives. Direct thermal printers heat the labels onto the printing material. These printers commonly print using lasers or ink, making the designs less likely to fade away.
• Scale the page and align the print. Turn off shrink-to-fit or fit-to-page settings and make sure the scaling is set to 100%. Printing with this approach helps preserve the image quality and allows the image to print with the correct orientation as in the design.

Understand proper label sizing for the product

When designing a product label, consider the label’s size relative to the product’s. The label should be visible and readable but not so large that it dominates the product or looks out of proportion.

Appropriately sized labels help ensure enough space for necessary information, such as ingredient lists, nutritional information, and warning labels.

For example, products with circular or rounded containers (like wine bottles) typically have a circle or oval-shaped label. Tapered bottles may go with wrap-around rectangular or curved labels.

Maintain proper alignment of design elements

Alignment refers to the arrangement of design elements relative to one another and the overall layout of the label. Proper alignment helps create a sense of order and hierarchy, making it easier for the consumer to read and understand the information presented.

You can choose from several alignment options, including left alignment, right alignment, center alignment, and justified alignment. Each option achieves a different look and feel, and the appropriate option depends on the specific design and layout of the label.

Proper alignment can also help draw the eye to specific aReas of the label, such as your brand or product name, which can help draw the consumers’ attention to important information.

It creates a sense of balance and symmetry on the label, which can be visually pleasing to consumers.

Ensure high image quality

When designing a label for printing, make sure all images have a high-quality resolution. In other words, the images should have a high number of pixels per inch (PPI) or dots per inch (DPI).

This is especially important when working with small-sized labels, as low-resolution images can become pixelated or blurry.

Additionally, consider the color profile of images during the design process. Convert images to the appropriate color profile to ensure they appear correct when printed.

Different printing processes use different color models, and the same image can appear differently based on the color profile.

Your images should also be in a suitable file format for printing. Some image file formats like JPG, PNG, or GIF are ideal for web use but not for printing.

Formats like TIFF or EPS are better suited for printing images and vector illustrations, as they allow you to scale your design size without losing the high-quality resolution after resizing.

Leave label bleed areas

A bleed area is an extension of the label design that extends beyond the intended cut line of the label.

The purpose of the bleed area is to allow for slight variations in the cutting process, which can occur due to factors like machine tolerance or variations in the thickness of the label material.

Including the bleed area in the label design ensures that any variations in the cutting process won’t result in white or unprinted areas being visible on the final label.

A bleed area is especially important for labels with backgrounds or images that extend to the edges, as any variations in the cutting process can result in these elements appearing uneven or incomplete.

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Tools to help you design a product label yourself

Designing product labels can be a great way to add a personal touch to your products, and several tools are available to help you with the process.

In this section, we take a look at some popular options.

Adobe Creative Suite

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Adobe Creative Cloud gives users access to graphic design, video editing, web development, photography, and cloud services. Some popular creative tools in the suite include:

• Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop is standard among graphics designers and photographers who use it for digital photo editing, graphics design, and creating packaging labels.
• Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator has numerous tools for creating, editing, and styling digital graphics, illustrations, and typography. The app allows you to resize designs without losing the image quality. Many graphic designers, artists, and label designers use the software to create vector artwork and branding assets.
• InDesign. Adobe InDesign provides a collection of formatting tools that allow users to create complex layouts with texts and format typesetting. Because of its unique typesetting tools and ability to export documents into PDF and other print-ready formats, professionals use it to design books, magazines, and brochures.

Pricing. Adobe Creative Cloud is a paid platform and offers subscription plans, starting from $54.99 per month for individuals and $84.99 per month for businesses to access all the apps on the platform.

Canva

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Canva is a graphic design platform that allows users to browse through its library of design templates to make logos, product labels, business cards, and social media advertisements. You can also start from scratch and create a new label.

Graphic designers, label makers, and marketers can use Canva to create high-resolution graphics, short videos, and presentation slides. You can lay out images, text holders, shapes, vector images, and other in-app design objects.

The app also allows you to adjust the color, typography, and position of the design elements. You can then export your designs in different printable formats, including JPG, JPEG, PNG, SVC, and PDF.

Canva provides several tutorial resources to guide you in creating your own images on the platform. You can also log into your account from any mobile or desktop device.

Pricing. Canva offers free and paid subscription plans, with paid plans starting at $12.95 per month.

Avery Design & Print

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Avery Design & Print is design software developed by Avery, a company that produces labels, business cards, and brochures. Avery Design & Print is suitable for many users, including beginners and professional designers.

Thanks to the software’s intuitive interface and step-by-step instruction guides, beginners can create professional-looking designs using templates and design tools.

Additionally, integration with Avery’s online design library allows professional designers to access a wide range of design assets and online label templates to meet their clients’ needs.

Pricing. Avery Design & Print is free to use for all users.

When to hire a professional designer for your product label

Several benefits come with hiring a professional label designer on Upwork, including:

• Expertise and skills. Professional label designers have the expertise and skills necessary to create high-quality designs. They typically understand the needs of different industries and create designs to meet those needs.
• Saving time. Hiring a professional label designer can save you time, as you can focus on other aspects of your business while the designer works on your product label.
• Quality. Professional label designers can create high-quality designs that stand out from the competition. This can be especially important if you’re in a crowded market and want to differentiate your product from others.
• Professionalism. Working with a professional label designer can help you present a professional image to customers and stakeholders.

How much does it cost to have a product label designed?

The cost of having a product label designed on Upwork varies depending on the design’s complexity, the designer’s experience, and the time needed to complete the project.

The average cost of hiring a product label designer on Upwork is about $15 to $35 an hour. However, this is just an estimate, and the actual cost might be higher or lower depending on the specific requirements of your project.

Some designers also prefer to charge a fixed price depending on the nature of the job.

It’s a good idea to request proposals from several designers and compare their prices, portfolios of work, and reviews from past clients to get an idea of the cost of your project.

You can then choose the designer who best fits your budget and needs.

Quickly and easily hire a label design expert on Upwork

Creating a custom label design that sells involves:

• Choosing the right software and design tools
• Selecting a suitable color scheme and fonts
• Understanding your brand identity and the needs and preferences of your target audience

Whether you design the label yourself or hire a professional designer, you’ll want to put in the time and effort to create a label that promotes your product and attracts customers.

But if you don’t have the time, expertise, or resources to create a custom label design, consider hiring a label designer. With a wide range of experienced and skilled designers on the platform, Upwork makes it easy to find the right designer for your project.

Are you a label designer? Find label design work on Upwork.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.

Prices are current at the time of writing and may change over time based on each service’s offerings.