18+ Labels Examples, Templates & Design Ideas

Labels are basically just pieces of paper, plastic, film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. They are helpful in providing information about the product’s origin, manufacturer, use, shelf-life, and disposal.

They are also used for any combination of identification, information, warning, instructions for use, environmental advice, or advertising. Label designs can come in the form of stickers, permanent or temporary labels, or printed packaging.

Elements of a Good Label Design

Creating your own label design doesn’t come with rules and guidelines to be followed to be able to create an attractive design, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t work toward achieving one ourselves.

Below, we will discuss certain elements that will make a product label design examples compelling, and provide tips on how to use these elements to your advantage.

1. Color: If you want to grab the attention of passersby who are walking the aisles of the supermarket, you need to use color well. Think: what color is the container on which the label will be attached? If the container is clear, then what color is the product? You need to make sure that the colors you choose for the label don’t clash in a negative way to lessen the visual appeal of the entire package. Instead, they need to complement. This way, the label will not only be more readable, but it will also help make the product look more striking.
2. Graphics: Graphics and any other visual element is another basic necessity when it comes to design. It will help draw the attention of the public to your product. With stock photography and illustrations being so inexpensive and readily available these days, you can find a graphic for your labels easily and for just a few dollars.You may also see vintage label examples.
3. Readability: Your choice of fonts is a critical decision which deserves just as much attention as choosing colors and graphics. Don’t simply settle with the standard fonts, such as Times New Roman or Arial, but, at the same time, avoid overused fonts, such as Papyrus or Monotype Corsiva. The design is extremely important since your information won’t matter very much if people don’t feel inclined to read it, but the readability of your information is essential too, since your designing efforts will be wasted if nobody can understand whatever it is you are trying to tell them. A good-looking type that is easy to read is your best shot. You may also see save the date label examples.
4. Material: Before you even begin the design process, you need to consider the label material. Your design needs to fit the materials. Common material choices include white, clear, or a cream textured paper since it allows for a “no label” that can be very striking if you have a colored container or product. If you are going for a handcrafted image, textured cream paper can be very effective, especially for wineries, who want to create that old world look.
5. Label Size: If you are using a round container, then you most likely have a choice when it comes to the size of your label. Do you want one large label, or do you want two separate front and back labels? Choosing the latter will allow you to elegantly separate the front branding information from the ingredient and regulatory information, but they can be more expensive than a large wraparound label. You may also see beer bottle labels.

10+ Label Templates

Free Food Gift Label 

Thanksgiving Wine Label Bottle

Pill Bottle Label

Beer Bottle Label Template

CD Label Mock-up

Pink Wedding Address Label

Wedding Gift Bag Label Example

Kids Gift Label Template

Return Gift Label Template

8+ Label Examples

Body and Hair Product Label

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Woven Label Designs

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Water Bottle Label Example

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Diaper Labels

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Company Label Designs

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Patisserie Product Labels

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Blank Labels

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Illustrated Wine Labels

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Simple Tips For an Excellent Label Layout

There was a time when product packages were just a container and labels were meant only for specifying the product details. The changing market has now put many additional responsibilities on those in charge of product packaging design and labeling of a company. They now have the important responsibility of also attracting customers.

To successfully achieve that, here are some tips and tricks for making label designs more alluring to customers.

1. Look out for typographic pairing

Since a product label has usually little space for image and content, designers create a visual juxtaposition by typographic pairing. Viewers can easily recognize the pieces of information with the help of the contrast. Using the same font is only suggested if there’s a need for continuity between information. The main objective of typographic pairing is to display the relationship between the information and different type choices.

2. Emphasis on white space

White space is the area of a design that has not been used by the designer for images, text, or other illustrations. In other words, it is the background color of the design. White space is a significant element in designing a product label since it helps separate the chunks of different information so that customers can read the details easily. It is also used to create a visual distinction.

3. Illustrate

Some product labels require illustration and graphic design elements. It is used when you have to speak about the product more visually.

4. Maintain originality

Make sure that your label design looks unique, memorable, and original. Research into your competitors’ label and then get a design that stands out.

5. Focus on the print quality

This is the last but definitely not the least point to consider: get a good print of the label. Try and enhance the visual presence of the product with the quality cards to ensure a good first impression. So whether to make it a stick gloss, matte surface, or coated, get an expert to make it for you.

How to Create a Label

Here are the easy steps that you need to follow if you want to start creating your own label design:

1. Choose the right design software.

The first step involved in creating your own product label is deciding which software to use in the design process. There are many good graphic design software choices out there, such as Adobe InDesign, PagePlus, CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator, and Microsoft Publisher. Choose an application that you are comfortable using.

But it is also important to make sure that the software you choose has the ability to save or export your artwork as an EPS file or PDF file. You may also want to have the ability to convert all fonts in the design file to outlines, since some printers will request that you do this because converting fonts to outlines transforms all text in your artwork into vector objects, ensuring that the appearance of the text remains as you see it on your screen.

2. Spot color vs. Full-color printing

You should consider whether you want your product labels to be printed using spot or full-color printing. With spot colors, you are typically limited to choosing one, two, or three single colors. In this type of printing, you may just have black ink on the printed space, or you may choose black, red, and blue ink, and so on.

Full-color printing is more complex and uses all four main printing colors—cyan, magenta, yellow, and black—blended together to create the printed piece. Full-color printing is usually needed if you want to produce a color photograph on your label.

3. Product or company name

It should go without saying, but be sure to feature the product or company name prominently on the label design, so that it is easily identifiable and the first thing the consumer notices. It is also important to stay as consistent with the look of the brand as possible so that customers can quickly find the product on the shelf next time they visit a retail center to purchase merchandise. You may also see thank you label designs.

4. Label material

Before beginning the actual design process, it is a good idea to choose the product label’s material. Whatever your design, it ultimately needs to be in sync with your label material.

5. Bleed or no bleed?

Bleed essentially means that your artwork flows off the edges of the label. No bleed means your label has a white (or other colors) border around the artwork. Bleed can refer to the overall layout, as well as text or graphics that extend to the edge of the label. Product labels that extend all the way to the edge of the label without margins are referred to as bled off. 

6. Barcode

The barcode is the portion of the label that tells electronic scanners information about your product. First used in grocery stores, barcodes now make it easier for a product to be sold in stores of all kinds. Universal Product Barcodes (UPC) are also used to help companies track inventory or add security to their products.

Types of Product Labels

Here are four of the unique label types that are popping up in the marketplace and at our locations.

• Dry Peel Labels. Dry peel labels are a type of label that can be peeled away and removed from the product container or package. An adhesive is used to temporarily hold the label in place but is limited enough to easily peel the label off. Dry peel labels are often used for instant redeemable coupons at the point of purchase or to provide an additional copy. Another unique thing about dry peel labels is that another label can be positioned underneath them, so when they’re peeled off, there is still content that remains on the container. You may also see thank-you label designs.
• Foldout Labels. Foldout labels are those that fold out to provide additional content. Similar to a dry peel label, foldout labels are often used for instant redeemable coupons or to add additional copy. What makes them different from dry peel labels is that they are constructed of a single substrate that is then folded and stacked. Using an accordion style of effect, the label then unfolds to provide an additional copy.
• Reseal Labels. Release labels are exactly what they sound like—a label that is able to reseal the packaging or container it comes on. This usually takes place when an opening to the package or container is placed under the reseal label. Reseal labels are the perfect fit for adding convenience and functionality to a multi-use product.
• Prime labels. Prime labels refer to the primary label on your container or packaging. This usually consists of the label that has your branding or product at the front and center. A variety of enhancements can be used on a primary label to make them stand out from the rest of your packaging.

Popular Label Sizes

Rectangular Labels

• 1 per sheet (210 mm × 297 mm)
• 4 per sheet (00.1 mm × 139 mm)
• 8 per sheet (99.1 mm × 67.7 mm)
• 12 per sheet (63.5 mm × 72 mm)
• 14 per sheet (99.1 mm × 38.1 mm)
• 21 per sheet (63.5 mm × 38.1 mm)
• 40 per sheet (45.7 mm × 25.4 mm)
• 65 per sheet (38.1 mm × 21.2 mm)
• 84 per sheet (46 mm × 11.1 mm)

Round Label

• 12 per sheet (63.5 mm diameter)
• 15 per sheet (51 mm diameter)
• 35 per sheet (37 mm diameter)
• 70 per sheet (25 mm diameter)

An advantage of having your label created using a standard size is that it would be readily available to buy from stock, which means that you can simply choose to design and print your own label using any label printing software available to you. You may also see bottle label designs.

Label FAQs

What is a private label example?

A private brand is a product that is exclusively manufactured for a retailer. The retailer will market the product under its own brand name, which will be printed on the product to show consumers that they own it.

How many types of labels are there?

There are four types of labels: brand label, grade label, descriptive label, and informative label.

Whatever type of label you need, keep the suggestions and steps we have discussed in this article in mind to make sure that you come up with a design that will be both functional and eye-catching.