Graphic Design for Labels
Need some label design advice? You have come to the right place. The design and appearance of your custom self adhesive labels will directly impact the way potential customers perceive your products, your company, and your brand. Or, to put it another way, the way your labels look can help sell your product, or help sell your competitors'. Not to be left for last, label design is something that should be considered early in your product development cycle. Don't forget to check the many resources listed at the bottom of the page. They will help you avoid the many pitfalls of encountered by designers unaccustomed to designing for labels.
There are two sections of our Frequently Asked Questions page dedicated to Label Design and Label Art & Editing that you may find helpful, as well as several in depth blog posts listed below.
One of the most common issues we see is ordering the wrong size label– especially labels that are too big for the container they will be applied to. Oversized labels create all kinds of problems, so please read this guide on How to Figure Out Which Size Label You Need.
Click here to read our guide to understanding your label proofs.
Label Design Guides
Whether you are designing your pressure sensitive labels yourself, using your in-house designer, hiring an agency, or utilizing the Advanced Labels art department, we offer label design help. We understand the importance of high quality labels that help differentiate your products from the competition.
We currently have more than 5,300 label shapes and sizes in stock (also called "dielines"). Our label artwork submission guidelines will help guide you or your designer with your label artwork setup. You can browse the most common label materials and stocks, and browse the many blog posts we have written about graphic design for labels.
Free ebooks
We've created label design guides for several industries. Our "5 Keys to Labels That Sell" ebook series is currently available for wineries, distilleries, and breweries, health & beauty and cosmetics products, pet food & pet products, coffe and tea products, and vitamin supplement & nutraceutical makers. We are hard at work on future ebooks for other industries.
In addition to our popular ebook series, we have written many informative articles (see below) intended to provide label design help.
Label Design Advice – Resources
Just Say No to JPEGs for Print and Label Design
A low resolution photo will always print poorly. Even at 300 dpi, you should never use JPEGs.
8 Resources to Help You Get Started With Labels
Like any packaging project, label orders have a lot of moving parts. It can be easy to get overwhelmed.
How to Figure Out Which Size Label You Need
Your label needs to do several things to be successful: Fit on your bottles, stay on your bottles, and of course look good doing it.
Top 7 Triggers for Testing Your Label Material
One of the most important aspects of planning and purchasing your labels is the testing process, to determine if the material of choice actually meets all label performance expectations for your specific application.
Simple Visual Hierarchy For Labels Explained
Using the basic principals of visual hierarchy you can direct shopper’s attention and communicate your brand message more effectively.
Consider Color – Common Perceptions of Color
Color matters. It's often the most important consideration when designing your labels. Certain colors mean certain things to your consumers.
Matte and Gloss Varnish on Labels
Using the basic principals of visual hierarchy you can direct shopper’s attention and communicate your brand message more effectively.
Banish Unattractive Labels In 4 Easy Steps
Hopefully you've never received custom labels that were less perfect than what you expected. Unfortunately, it does happen sometimes. Taking the time to research your label provider and view their samples can go a long way to ensuring you get gorgeous labels every time.
Let's Talk About Your Graphics
With a little understanding you will be able to save yourself time and money while communicating more effectively with your graphic designer.
4 Buzzwords to Bypass on Your Label Packaging
Nothing kills a good word or phrase like overuse. The words on this list are not inherently bad, but they have been hijacked by big business and completely diluted by years of cynical marketing.
Free Fonts for Your Next Label Project
The appearance of text on a label can be hugely important, even on graphic-intensive designs. Unless you're working on a design project with a big budget, the cost of commercial typefaces can be prohibitive. Mention the idea of free fonts to an experienced designer and they're likely to respond with a grimace.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Sales
For labels, packaging, and the web, professional product photography is essential to your brand image, sales, and bottom line. Read on to learn the basics of photos, filetypes, and image and graphic printing.
