A world without labels is beyond imagination. When you are not familiar with the product, you will never know what it is for, what company is manufacturing the product, what are the contents of that product, or what precautionary measures would you take while using the product. You see, labels are about branding and, at the same time, having important information regarding the product.
Thus, because a label features your brand name, it is important that you do well in your labels. You must make sure that you are making a label that is not only more visually striking than your competitors but also containing an effective branding appeal to your target market. In this article, discussed are some important details as regards labels as well as label templates and examples.
As stated previously, a label carries the brand of the company while also displaying the important information that a customer must know regarding the product. Simply stated, a label must be an eye-catcher and functional. What comprises a good label? What elements must be present in order for your label to be an eye-catcher and functional? Here are the mandatory features of a label that must be incorporated in your label:
1. Brand name: Firstly, your brand name must be placed on your label for your customers to be aware of the brand. It must appear on the front of the container and must be readily legible. It must also be positioned in a way that it is separate or be substantially more conspicuous than the explanatory information. Note that it must also appear on a contrasting background so it would be easily noticeable.
2. Class and type designation: The class and type of the product, its specific identity, must also be present in your label. Similar to the brand name, it must appear on the front of the container, must be readily legible, and must appear more conspicuous than the descriptive information. You may also see bottle label examples.
3. Name and address: For domestic products, the name and address of the producer or packer must appear on the label. You may also include an explanatory phrase, such as “brewed by,” “packed by,” or “bottled by.” For imported products, on the other hand, the name and address of the important must appear on the label along with an explanatory phrase, such as “sole agent” or “imported by.” It is a must for the trade name or the corporate name to be identical to that shown on the company’s basic permit. For the address, you can include the principal place of business of the manufacturer or the actual location where the product is packed or produced. Again, it must be readily legible and must appear separate from the descriptive information.
4. Net contents: The contents of the product must also be included in the label which is usually found at the back of the label. The measurements for each content must also be included as some people would really want to know the content of the product especially when it comes to food labels and when they are allergic to something or they are on a strict diet. You may also see luggage label examples.
5. Alcohol content: Unless otherwise prescribed by the state law, the alcohol content of a product must be disclosed on its label. This is especially applicable to those products containing alcohol such as beer and wine. It must be expressed in the nearest 0.1% or 0.01% for products containing less than 0.01% alcohol. You may incorporate the terms “low alcohol,” “reduced alcohol,” “non-alcoholic,” or “alcohol-free” apart from the alcohol percentage. It can appear anywhere on the container—front, back, or side. All portions of the alcohol content statement must be of the same size of lettering and must be of equally conspicuous color.
6. FD&C yellow #5 disclosure: Also known as acid yellow 23, food yellow 4, or tartazine, this product content is a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye that is primarily used as a food coloring. This must be disclosed in the product label because it is said to cause the most allergic and intolerance reactions of all the azo dyes especially those with asthma and aspirin intolerance. It may appear anywhere in the container, must be readily legible, and must appear on a contrasting background.
7. Saccharin disclosure: If a product contains saccharin, a disclosure must be included in the label. It must incorporate on its label the statements “Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals.” Similar to many other elements in a label, it may appear anywhere in the container, must be readily legible, and must appear on a contrasting background.
8. Sulfite declaration: If a product contains 10 or more parts per million (ppm) sulfur dioxide, a disclosure is required to be placed on the label of the product. The phrase “contains sulfites” or “contains sulfiting agents” must be incorporated on the products. This is so because sulfites are said to scavenge the vitamin from food. Again, it may appear anywhere in the container, must be readily legible, and must appear on a contrasting background.
9. Aspartame disclosure: If a product contains aspartame, the phrase “PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE” must appear on the label of the product. Note that it must be rendered in capital letters, must be readily legible, and must appear on a contrasting background. You may also see wine label examples.
10. Health warning statement: The words “GOVERNMENT WARNING” must appear on the product label in capital letters and in bold type. The statements in addition to the above may not appear in bold type but must appear as a continuous paragraph. It must be readily legible under ordinary conditions, appear on a contrasting background, and appear separate and apart from all other label information. It must not exceed the maximum number of characters per inch which are as follows: for 1mm, the maximum number of characters per inch is 40; for 2 mm, 25 characters; and for 3 mm, 12 characters.
11. Country of origin: The country of origin of the product must also be disclosed using an explanatory phrase “product of,” “brewed in,” “bottled by,” or “packed by.” There are no specific requirements as to the type size and legibility. It may appear anywhere on the label.
virginiafood.com.ph/virginiahotdogs.html
You can typically see a square-cut one-sided label anywhere. However, there is more to labels than what you basically know. Unique label types make your label appealing and striking to customers, especially your target market. Labels come in different types. Know when to use these different types as discussed below:
These are the answers to the most common questions regarding labels:
These terms are commonly used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between labels and stickers. The difference mainly lies in their function. A label “sells” something while a sticker “says” something. Labels contain information related to the product, while stickers usually make statements like “Nice Job!” or “Well Done!” Another difference is that labels are typically produced on rolls, while stickers often come on sheets.
The size and shape for a product label entirely depend on the type of product you are packaging, the regulations needed to be taken into account, the amount of information you want to include, and the image that you want to display on your label. You may also see vintage label examples.
In a label design, a bleed pertains to the extension of a background color or design beyond the edge of the product label so that a label will not be inadvertently cut off during the die-cut process. Usually, the bleed for the labels is 1/16 inches, but for circles, ovals, and unique shapes, the bleed is 1/8 inches.
While bleed pertains to the extended background color or design, a clear space refers to the space between the die line and any image or text. This is important so the edge of the design would not be inadvertently trimmed off during the die-cut process.