A Guide For Designing Custom Bottle Labels

Whether it’s artisanal honey, craft beer, or fine wine, your bottled product needs a label that informs and engages potential customers.

But there’s a lot to consider when it comes to designing custom bottle labels. You have to account for the color scheme, the material of the label, and the overall label design. All that can feel like a lot if it’s your first time creating a label. 

Never fear; Stomp is here to help you learn about the most important considerations of bottle label design, from navigating labeling requirements to selecting colors and fonts that resonate with your brand's identity.

Choosing Your Bottle

A bottle’s shape plays an important role in how the label will stick. Before designing your label, take a moment to understand how certain types of bottles may impact your design. Then, you can choose a bottle that’s best suited to your product and labeling needs.

Round Bottles

When dealing with round bottles, like a standard wine or beer bottle, opt for wraparound labels for seamless, 360-degree coverage. But keep in mind that these labels work best with a cylindrical bottle whose sides are mostly straight up and down. Bottles with curved or tapered sides might throw your label application off-kilter, causing wrinkles or uneven sticking. 

Flat Bottles

If your bottles have flat sides, you’ll probably want to use separate front and back labels. This strategy offers distinct visibility from all angles, ensuring your brand and product information are front and center, no matter how the bottle is oriented.

The Shoulder

The bottle shoulder is the tricky spot where a bottle’s body curves into its neck. Factor in how your label interacts with this area. If it's a constant curve, design your label to gracefully follow suit. Or, make your label short enough to avoid this area altogether. Play with shapes and sizes to ensure a snug fit without compromising aesthetics.

Bottle Label Design Considerations

Your material, finish, and label type play a major role in your custom label’s functionality and visual appeal. Consider each of the following elements so you can make a label that’s as great as your product itself:

Material

Your choice of label material is crucial. Paper labels will break down or stain when wet and are ideal for disposable products. Avoid using them on goods likely to experience condensation, like beers or other refrigerated drinks. On the other hand, vinyl labels are durable and water-resistant, perfect for products that might get splashed.

Finish

When it comes to the finish of your label, you’ll have to choose between matte and glossy. A glossy label offers vibrancy and shine. Matte finishes exude sophistication and are fingerprint-resistant, ideal for a minimalist, upscale look. Choose wisely; your label’s finish sets the tone for your brand!

Clear Labels

For bottles flaunting their contents, transparent labels are the clear winner. They maintain a clean, modern aesthetic that lets your product speak for itself. But remember, not every bottle is flattered by transparency. While a clear label may look stunning on a bottle of golden-hued honey, it might be hard to see on a bottle of dark red wine. Make sure to consider readability before committing to clear!

Tips for Designing Your Custom Bottle Labels

Now it’s time for the fun part — designing your bottle label! This is where your brand and product personality come to life through color palettes, fonts, and images. Remember that your label design could be your customers' first (and potentially last) interaction with your product. Make sure your label is eye-catching and stands out!

Color Scheme

Selecting colors is more than just picking favorites — it’s psychology in action! Use color schemes that evoke emotions aligned with your brand and product. 

Want people to see your brand as noble and mysterious? Opt for rich, purple hues. But if hope and joy are the emotions you want to convey, yellow is your best choice. You can also play with contrasts for readability and eye-catching appeal.

Font

Fonts serve as your label's voice, so choose wisely. Use clear, easy-to-read fonts that match your brand's vibe. Experiment with typography to add personality without sacrificing readability. Lastly, make sure your font is large enough for anyone to read (without squinting!).

Complementary Designs

Make sure your visuals match your product in a way that’s memorable. Go beyond logos — pick graphics that tell a story and connect with your audience emotionally. For instance, if you're selling honey, consider incorporating honeycomb patterns to reinforce and emphasize your product's identity.

Label Requirements

Regulations can be daunting, but they’re crucial to ensuring consumer safety and trust. For most food and beverage products, the label has to include the product name, the business’s contact information, an ingredient list, allergy information, and the product’s net weight. 

Dive into food labeling requirements specific to your product type to understand the guidelines, avoid legal hiccups, and demonstrate transparency to your loyal customers.

Applying Your Custom Bottle Labels

It’s time to apply your custom bottle labels! Depending on the size of your operations, you can choose between hand and machine labeling. 

Hand Labeling

For intimate, small-batch operations, hand labeling adds a personal touch. To apply labels evenly and consistently, ensure your bottle surface is clean and use labeling tools for precision. Take your time, and don’t be afraid to complete a couple of practice runs before the real deal. Practice makes perfect!

Machine Labeling

Machines bring efficiency to all sorts of tasks, and labeling is no exception. By investing in labeling machines, you can label more efficiently and accurately than if you were to do so by hand. 

This is the ideal choice for larger retail operations. Also, when you design labels with Stomp, we customize your labels to unroll in your preferred direction, ensuring smooth and hassle-free application.

Design Your Custom Bottle Labels With Stomp

No matter what bottled goodness you’re selling, a thoughtful label can help set your product apart in a competitive market. With a strong design and the right material, colors, and images, your label will stand out on crowded store shelves. 

Start designing your custom bottle labels with Stomp today. Our easy-to-use design tools help you create custom labels without the stress, transforming bland bottles into enticing works of art.

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