Less Is More — 4 Tips To Create Effective Product Labels
Designing an effective product label is key to marketing and selling your goods. But what is an effective label? In general, it's a label that allows customers to easily know the brand, understand the product, and see its appeal. And while you may be tempted to try to include more information to achieve these goals, less is often better. Here are a few ways to achieve this 'less is more' aesthetic.
1. Use Front and Rear Labels
If you find yourself struggling to remove information from a product label, break it up. Use a front label and a rear product label, for example. You might even use more than one, especially if you can include outer packaging. Having more options allows you to minimize text and details on the main label by moving it to a secondary location.
2. Start With White Space
Begin with a clear, one-color label. As you fill in elements, make them each justify their inclusion. Include the bare basics — such as your brand, the product name, a visual graphic, and the size or weight of the product. But once you go beyond these, ask what value it adds for the customer. White space may seem like a waste, but it's a good way to draw attention in a crowded market.
3. Learn Regulations and Standards
Every product label must include some type of required information. Begin your design by determining what your industry, state, or regulatory agencies require. Food labels, for instance, often have the most stringent and extensive labeling requirements. As you make a list of everything you must include, you may find that you need a multi-label method. On the other hand, you may find that you don't need as much as you thought.
4. Use a Small Palette
Limit the number of different fonts, colors, sizes, graphics, and words on labels. A small palette forces you to make sometimes tough choices by not giving you an easy way out. For instance, if you can't simply reduce the font size of a paragraph in order to fit it all on a label, you must reduce the words. And if you can't make a graphic more legible by changing the color, you may need to leave it out.
Where to Start
Need help applying these label design tips? Want more tips and tricks for creating an eye-catching label that communicates what you need without overwhelming customers? Start by meeting with a label design service in your area today.
Reach out to a company like Imagine Packaging to learn more.