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How to Taper a Label for Your Products

Are you wondering how to put a label on a curved surface and how to apply them straight? Designing for a flat surface is pretty straightforward. A straight edge will still be straight, a square will still be a square, etc. Curved or inclined surfaces are more difficult. Depending on the shape of your container, especially if it’s tapered, this can be trickier than you expect.

A container is tapered when it isn’t perfectly cylindrical and gradually changes in width. An easy way to tell if your container has a tapered shape is tapered is to compare it to something that’s completely flat or straight, whether it’s something like a rectangular box or a ruler. If you stand both items next to each other and the side of your container isn’t flush against something flat, it has some degree of tapering to it.

Why Can’t You Use Rectangular Labels on Tapered Containers?

Tapered labels can create some problems for even the most basic of label shapes. Straight lines appear uneven when placed on tapered containers, even if the change in width is very slight. This can lead to crooked label placement or noticeable creases or bulges that result in an unprofessional overall packaging design.

While it may seem easy to simply switch to a non-tapered container, these labeling challenges shouldn’t scare you away from utilizing uniquely-shaped packaging that stands out to your consumers. Even standard beer bottles feature a tapered neck, so you may not be able to avoid some form of tapering depending on your container.

You also may not want to change your container. Tapered shapes can attract eyes and create an exclusive silhouette for your brand. Instead of settling for standard containers, you can create a curved dieline that will allow your custom product labels to account for the gradual tapering of your container.

Labels that were tapered for custom-shaped bottles.

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How to Adjust Your Label to Fit a Tapered Container

One option is to downsize your label so that the effect of the tapering isn’t as noticeable. However, this limits the amount of label space you have to showcase your brand, describe your product, and include any necessary regulatory information.

The other option is to tailor your label to better suit the shape of your container or tapered bottle. If you still want your label to look rectangular, you’ll need to create a curved dieline. You’ll need to do some math to figure out the right shape, but the process may not be as tricky as you think.

Step 1: Decide where your label should go

Before you can solve anything, you’ll need to acquire some information. First, figure out exactly where you want your label to stick to your container. Since the width of your container gradually changes, it’s important to measure exactly where a label needs to go or else your measurements could be wrong. This also means you should have an idea of whether you want a partial or full wrap for your label as that will greatly impact the width. Once you’re set, use a pen, pencil, tape, or some other item to mark where the top, bottom, and sides of your label should go.

Step 2: Measure your dimensions

Once you have your container marked, you’ll want to measure the following:

Width of the top of your label
Width of the bottom of your label
Height of your label

Regular rulers won’t be too helpful in this stage since you’ll need something that can curl around your container and measure the top and bottom parts of your label. If you don’t have a loose tape measure, contact your Blue Label representative and request a custom flexible ruler or you can download and print a paper ruler. Another is to wrap string around your container and mark or cut it to fit the right lengths.

Please note that if you measure completely around your container, those measurements will make for a full wrap label dieline. If you don’t want a full wrap label, you’ll want to factor in your desired gap into the measurements. Once you’re all set, you can use your measurements to create a curved shape in Adobe Illustrator.

Step 3: Use Adobe Illustrator to create a curved dieline

In order to turn your measurements into an actual curved shape, you’ll need to do some geometry. Fortunately, there’s a convenient online cone calculator that will do the hard work for you. All you need to do is plug in the height and widths from your container to generate the following measurements.

Arc angle
Radius 1
Radius 2

A cone with measurements used to taper product labels.

These numbers will allow you to create your exact custom container label shape in Illustrator. First, take each radius and create a pair of circles that share a common center (also known as concentric circles). Now you can use the drawing and transform tools to create a triangle that shares an apex point with the center of the two circles. The triangle should use the arc angle generated by the calculator and extend past the larger of the two circles. In the end, the two circles and triangle will intersect to create a curved dieline for your container.

Example dielines for rectangular and tapered labels.

Step 4: Identify an ideal rectangular shape

Even though you have a curved dieline, you still need to figure out how to warp your design to fit your container. To start, you’ll want to convert your curved dieline into an ideal rectangular shape.

Before you find your shape, make sure to add a bleed area that extends your design artwork at least 1/16” past the edges of your curved label dieline. This will add some extra insurance that your labels don’t have any accidental white spaces once they’re cut. It’s also important to add this now because you’ll need to measure the top and bottom chords of your label to identify your ideal rectangular shape. A chord is the straight line between two corners of a curved dieline.

Once you use Illustrator to find these measurements, you’ll then need to average the top and bottom length together. You can now build out your ideal rectangular shape with the measurements for the average chord length and your original height and use the Illustrator warp tool to curve your artwork.

Make Sure Your Labels Stay Ahead of the Curve

Preparing a label for a tapered container may seem like a lot of work, but it doesn’t mean you have to settle for something you don’t want. At Blue Label Packaging Company, our experts work directly with you to ensure that your tapered labels are catered to your needs. That way, you don’t have to sacrifice your container or other important aspects of your packaging. If you need a professional designer to help you create a specific look for your products, we can even point you toward our approved designer directory.

Ready to wow your customers with tapered product labels by using our custom label printing? Contact us today to talk to one of our experts about your label design and project.

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How to Protect Your Bottle Labels: Laminates vs. Varnishes

After making an investment in new bottle labels, the last thing you want is something to scratch them up or tarnish them. A damaged label is bad for your brand image, but there are ways that you can proactively protect your designs through label lamination and varnishes.

Do I Really Need a Protective Coating for My Bottle Labels?

There is no set rule that you must add a laminate or varnish to your custom bottle labels, but we strongly recommend that you do so. If you choose to go without any protective coating or lamination, you run the risk that something could scratch the ink or moisture could compromise your label, depending on the material of your label.

Without something to protect the ink, any form of friction could damage your design. For example, some distilleries decide against laminates or varnishes because it gives their paper bottle labels a rustic, unfinished look. When those bottles are shipped, they tend to rub up against the cardboard and other bottles. Those attractive labels won’t look nearly as good thanks to scuffs, scratches, and other preventable damage.

There are also other factors that can impact your label. Water and other liquids can wreak havoc on unprotected materials, which is especially problematic for certain bottles. Laminates and UV coatings can also protect ink from the sun and other outdoor elements.

A product label with a spot varnish.

What’s the Best Option to Protect My Bottle Label?

While laminates and varnishes both offer protective capabilities, they have some key differences that may make one a better option than the other for your packaging. In fact, there are ways that you can utilize both laminates and varnishes. The answer to which protective solution is right depends on a few factors.

How much label protection do you need?

Both options will help protect your label, but a laminate offers a greater level of protection than a varnish. A laminate is a separate film that adheres over top of your label, while a varnish is a clear resin that’s applied then cured. This means a laminate allows you to build additional layers of protection instead of reinforcing your existing material, which is good for bottles that may end up in a cooler or other potentially damaging environments.

Do you want to take advantage of decorative effects?

Of the two options, varnish offers you more decorative bang for your buck. There are various types of laminates, such as gloss, semigloss, and matte films, but varnish can help you enhance your design to a greater effect. A spot varnish can apply resin to a very specific part of your label, such as your logo or a specific element of your design to create contrast with the rest of the material. You can even apply a spot varnish on top of a laminate if you want to maximize protection and decoration.

Which label material will you use?

Your label material can play a part in your protection options. If you’re using a synthetic material like a BOPP or plastic-based material, we strongly recommend that you use a laminate. While paper naturally has a grit to it that allows ink to soak into the material, film facestocks are so smooth that the ink lays on top of the material. As a result, the extra layer provided by a laminate is very valuable.

Are there any cost advantages?

The price difference between laminates and varnishes in minimal unless you plan to invest in a large run of labels. In that case, laminates are a bit more cost effective.

Bottle labels being printed with a protective laminate.

Protect Your Custom Labels

Your label can make a good first impression, but an unwanted scuff isn’t going to do you any favors. At Blue Label, we work with you to make sure that your labels a perfect for your needs, both in terms of performance and aesthetic. Contact us today to talk to one of our experts about printing quality, eye-catching labels for your products.

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Types of Labels for Unique Containers: What You Need to Know

Uniquely-shaped product containers can make for eye-catching packaging. However, designing the right label to fit on the container may present some challenges. You’ll have to get creative as you factor in the shape and size of the containers and the different materials you can use to create your label. Below, we’ve outlined several different label considerations for your uniquely-shaped containers.

Specialty Die Cut Labels

Designing a specialty die cut label is the most common way to create the most versatile packaging for your container. These labels can be cut to your exact specifications, no matter the shape of your container, ensuring a perfect fit all around.

Die cut label

Tapered Labels

Tapered bottles or containers are unique in that they aren’t perfectly cylindrical. A standard label won’t lay flat when adhered to your container, which is when tapered labels come in handy. Instead, tapered labels can be made to form perfectly by calculating the degree of tapering on your container. Using this type of label will ensure it won’t crease or slant on your tapered container.

Double Sided Labels

Containers made of clear material may benefit from double-sided labels. These labels give you twice the space to market your products and can add depth and originality to your uniquely-shaped container. While important information like nutritional content and FDA warnings need to be clearly displayed on the front of your label, the second side can be used to add a surprise or accent like a patterned background or catchy slogan that you might have not have space for on the primary side.

Specialty Materials

In addition to the type of label, you’ll also want to consider the material of your label. For instance, if you’re in need of a label for a uniquely shaped bottle or tube that will be squeezed a lot, MDO film is a flexible, moldable material that’s much less rigid compared to a paper stock. For products like lotions or shampoos, when you squeeze the bottle, the MDO resists wrinkling and creasing. MDO is just one of hundreds of specialty materials that can be chosen to accommodate your containers needs and functionality.

Custom Packaging Labels

Whatever type of packaging or containers you use, it’s important to work with a digital label printing company that can create high-quality labels to meet your unique needs.

Blue Label is a digital printing company that will work with you to create custom labels for your unique packaging. Our state-of-the-art HP Indigo digital printing presses allow us to find the best solution to provide you with labels that not only attract eyes, but also best suits the needs of your product.

If you need help with your label design, check out our Designer Directory to find the right partner for your product. Once you’re ready to start your next project, contact us to talk to one of our experts about how we can create custom labels for your brand.

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Why Don’t Beer, Wine, and Spirits Labels Have to Disclose Ingredients or Serving Facts on Labels?

It didn’t take long for someone to make waves in the beer labeling world in 2019. Just 11 days into the year, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced that Bud Light would feature serving-facts labels on its boxes starting in February.

While the move may not seem noteworthy for people unfamiliar with the rules and regulations of beer labels, the announcement is notable for one big reason: beer doesn’t need to divulge that information on its packaging. In fact, alcohol in general is exempt from disclosing ingredients and nutritional facts that are commonplace on labels for packaged food products.

So why is it that beer, wine, and spirits labels are exempt from listing nutritional information when those products have just as many–if not more–calories and carbohydrates as juice or other typical beverages? It turns out there’s one big reason why alcohol labels don’t require nutrition or ingredients labels: tradition.
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What You Need to Know About FDA Health Claims on Food Labels and Dietary Supplements

For something that can’t talk, labels say a whole lot about your product. A good label should be able to communicate a whole story to consumers, including what your product is, how it can help them, and why they should choose your goods instead of someone else’s. These messages are critical to the success of your products, but you need to be careful that what your label says doesn’t get you in trouble.

Health claims on food labels are one major way to help communicate the benefits of your product to your intended audience. However, the FDA is very particular about exactly what businesses try to claim. The FDA has strict guidelines for what is and isn’t acceptable on product labels to prevent consumers from being swindled by false or misleading promises. One claim may be fine, but another could result in recalls, seized products, and criminal prosecution.

As you may have guessed by now, health claims are serious business. Unfortunately, the FDA’s various definitions and rules of health claim usage are a bit difficult to understand without some help. That’s why we wanted to break down the different health claims with examples to see what it takes to ensure that what your labels say is okay with the FDA.

The Different Types of Label Claims

In general, health claims on food labels are statements made on food product labels or dietary supplements that boast some type of health benefit. This may seem simple, but the FDA doesn’t treat every claim the same way. Label claims come in multiple forms:

Health claims (which comprise of authorized health claims and qualified health claims)
Nutrient content claims
Structure/function claims

While they all have the same goal, there are distinct differences for each type of claim. In turn, the FDA has different guidelines that you need to follow depending on which claim you use.

A food product label with health claims being handled by a label printing expert.

What are health claims?

A health claim is a statement that creates a relationship between a product and some type of health benefit. For example, a specific ingredient may be tied to reduced risk for heart disease or some other condition. These claims can be represented in a few different ways:

Written statement
Symbols
Vignettes
Third-party statements

No matter how they’re represented, they still need to meet certain standards. Health claims require scientific evidence to be deemed acceptable for use. However, there are two different levels of health claims that dictate just what evidence is necessary:

Authorized health claims
Qualified health claims

Authorized health claims must meet the Significant Scientific Agreement (SSA) standard. Essentially, experts create a consensus of whether there’s enough publicly-available evidence that a certain health claim is accurate. For example, you can make the connection that diets that are low in sodium “may” or “might” reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

Qualified health claims aren’t quite as strict as their authorized compatriots. These claims don’t need to meet SSA standards, but still requires some significant scientific evidence. For example, scientific evidence suggests that including whole grains as part of a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet, may reduce the risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 .

Of course, you need to be careful with the specific wording of statements. Fortunately, the FDA does provide approved lists of both approved health claims and qualified health claims online.

What are nutrient content claims?

While health claims dictate a certain relationship between certain ingredients or products and a health condition, nutrient content claims involve statements about specific nutrients found in your products. These include, but are not limited to:

Calories
Sugars
Cholesterol
Saturated fat
Sodium

Essentially, nutrient content claims showcase how the level of certain ingredients relate to typical products. However, your products must meet certain FDA standards to do so. For example, your label can make the claim that it’s “100 percent fat free” if it contains 0.5 g fat per 100 g. Whether you want to market that your product is an excellent source of something or contains a small amount of something else, make sure you check the FDA’s guideline for content claim criteria on page 87 of the Food Labeling Guide.

It’s also important to note that the FDA cares about not only what you claim, but also how that claim is presented on your label. The FDA mandates that any nutrient content claims should be no more than twice as prominent as the name of your food or dietary supplement. In general, that means you should make sure your claim’s type size isn’t more than twice as big as your product name. If your claim is too big or too bold in comparison to your statement of identity, the FDA will probably want to have a word with you.

What are structure/function claims?

According to the FDA, structure/function claims “describe the role of a nutrient or dietary ingredient intended to affect the structure or function in humans or that characterize the documented mechanism by which a nutrient or dietary ingredient acts to maintain such structure or function.” In short, these claims cover any statements about how a certain nutrient generally impacts the human body, as long as it doesn’t make a connection to preventing disease.

A good example of a structure/function claims is that “calcium helps create strong bones.” As long as the claim is truthful, the FDA is fine with using structure/function claims on food products.

However, the FDA is more particular about these claims if you plan to use them on dietary supplements. In that case, you need to meet the following three requirements to use these claims on your packaging.

You must have substantiation that the claims are truthful and not misleading before you make any claims
You must notify the FDA that you’re using the claim within 30 days of first marketing your product
The claim must include a mandatory disclaimer statement that is provided for in the law

Employees at a label printing company reviewing labels with health claims.

Stake Your Claim with Quality Product Labels

Health claims on food labels can help you attract customers, but it’s only one piece of the packaging puzzle. A good label needs to balance compliance and quality, which means that it’s important to work with the right label printing company.

Blue Label Packaging Company offers the right combination of printing technology and expertise to bring out the best in your label designs. In addition to offering a variety of custom label printing capabilities, we’re committed to customer service as well. We work with you throughout the process to ensure a quality product and turnaround times of three to five business days after proofs are approved.

When you’re in need of eye-catching product labels, we’re ready to help. Contact us today the next time you need custom labels for your products.

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4 Science-Backed Ways to Create Eye-Catching Labels

Many brands struggle to find new and creative ways for their products to stand out on the shelf. Tapping into the subconscious mind of the customer, there are several psychological elements that can influence the decision to buy a product, or even notice it for that matter. It all starts with having the right product label design. Here’s how you can use design science to help your product stand out.

Font Type

Different font types can evoke different emotions. Decorative fonts (so long as they are legible) are great for brand and product names, while sans-serif fonts are best for the body copy of your label.

The type of font you choose for your label will depend on your product and brand personality. If you want to portray a simple elegance, maybe for a wine label or perfume label, use fonts that are orderly and classic with narrower lines. On the flip side, quirky and high-spirited fonts with lots of curves and maybe some embellishment comes across as playful and personable and could be used for beer labels or cannabis labels. For earthy and artisanal products, handwritten fonts can be effective in grabbing a customer’s attention. These warmer, more personal fonts would work well on candle labels and organic food labels.

Layout is important in product label design.

Layout Design Science

Spacing between letters and words can impact the way consumers feel about a product. One study, by researchers at Microsoft and MIT, found that participants who read content with a good layout felt more focused and had a stronger sense of clarity, as opposed to those who read the same content with a poorly designed layout.

Good layout design works because our eyes follow a natural pattern that breaks up phrases into scans and pauses when we read. Your eyes typically scan across a label between 7 to 9 words before needing to pause to process what you’re reading.

For your product label design, consider the layout. Rather than long lines of text, it’s scientifically better to break up the text into a series of shorter lines to create the natural pauses needed for visual processing. When customers are scanning shelves for a product, they’ll be significantly more likely to choose a label they can grasp.

Product label designs using the color red can grab a customer’s attention.

Color Psychology

The color of your label design can influence a customer’s purchasing decision, as it can evoke certain moods and feelings. For example, red has been known to increase metabolisms and stimulate appetites, so a food product might want to incorporate red into the label design. Red is also known for its ability to quickly grab people’s attention, so using red on any label is an easy way to make your product stand out.

Keeping in mind that your label likely won’t be one single color, especially when you factor in other elements like text and images, you’ll also want to think about mixing and matching colors. Using complementary colors will help make elements pop. For a more relaxed look that flows together, use analogous colors (any three colors next to each other on the color spectrum) in your product label design.

Applying color psychology to your label is an effective way to make your product stand out in the marketplace.

Visual Processing

You’ve likely heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that couldn’t be more true when it comes to product label design. Research below has found that customers are more likely to process and remember text on your product label if it’s paired with images.

People process visuals quicker than words, so adding imagery to your product label design can help it get noticed. In fact, 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual. Keep in mind that, according to the Social Science Research Network, 65 percent of the population are visual learners. Needless to say, an image on our label can go a long way.

Make Your Product Labels Stand Out

Blue Label is a full-service digital printing company that will work with you to create labels to help your product stand out. Our state-of-the-art HP Indigo digital printing presses and variety of finishing techniques allows us to find the best solution to provide you with labels that not only attract eyes, but also best suit the needs of your product.

If you need help designing your label, check out our Designer Directory to find the right partner for your product. Once you’re ready to start your next label project, contact us to talk to one of our experts about how we can bring your labels to life.

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3 Key Considerations for Compelling, Cost-Effective Cannabis Labels

The medical and recreational cannabis industry is booming, which means more cannabis products are showing up in stores and online. Of course, this means that you have more competition, which makes quality, eye-catching labels a high priority.

There are plenty of legal considerations for cannabis labeling, but it’s also important to weigh different printing options as well. Certain printing or finishing capabilities can help you capture the right look and feel for your products, so make sure you consider the following factors when it’s time to order custom labels for your medical or recreational cannabis products.

Label Material and Finish Options

Depending on your printer, you probably have several potential materials you could use for your label products. Of course, it’s hard to know the exact pros and cons of each label material without some extensive printing experience. When it comes to figuring out which material is right for your label, you’ll want to weigh a few factors:

What type of aesthetic are you trying to achieve?
What are the performance needs of your product?
What’s in your budget?

There are many different types of materials that can each create a different vibe for your label. If you want to emphasize the medical nature of your cannabis product, you might opt for a very professional glossy film laminate. If you want to embrace the natural aspect of cannabis, a natural-looking kraft paper material might be best.

Of course, the aesthetic is just one area of concern. Adhesive options, environmental hazards, and other factors can all help a printing company narrow down which label material is best for your needs and budget. On top of that, a good printing company can help you enhance and protect your designs through means like hot foil stamping or label lamination. Each capability offers a special benefit, so it’s good to find a capable printing company that can guide you through the selection process.

A professional measuring out a label for cannabis products.

Sizing and Dimension Concerns

Containers for cannabis products come in all shapes and sizes. That means your cannabis labels must do so as well.

It’s important to consider exactly how the sizing and dimensions of your cannabis container plays into the design of your label. For example, a small cannabis oil bottle only offers a few inches of label space. This will greatly impact the way you choose to design your label since the legally-required information will require you to balance design and compliance.

Custom label shapes are another consideration for sizing. Sometimes the dimensions of your container will require some creativity, but even standard boxes, pouches, or other packaging options can benefit from a custom shape that adds some originality to your brand. A good label printing company can work with you to weigh your sizing options and provide the tools to help ensure what you order is right for the dimensions of your container.

Product Variety and Turnaround Times

Change is inevitable, especially when it comes to cannabis legislation. When a change in regulations forces you to update your product labels, you can’t settle for long turnarounds. In addition, the shifting nature of packaging compliance can also make it difficult to commit to large orders of individual product labels. Fortunately, digital printing technology can help protect you from future surprises.

Variable data printing allows you to customize aspects of your labels in a way that allows you to use one design version for multiple SKUs. Not only does this allow you to diversify label art and keep track of products with serialized barcodes, it also makes it easy to batch multiple product labels into a single printing project.

Even if you don’t opt for variable printing, digital printing offers other key advantages that shorten turnaround times. For example, digital printing doesn’t require the lengthy setup process associated with more traditional printing methods. Instead, a print-ready PDF file with your design is all it takes to get the job in motion, which means earlier access to press proofs and final prints without having to pay a premium for quicker turnarounds.

Cannabis labels being digitally printed.

Find the Right Digital Printing Company for Your Cannabis Labels

Whether you make edibles, oils, or any other type of cannabis product, your labels needs to make an impression. Blue Label Packaging Company has the experience and technology it takes to provide your business with eye-catching labels within three-to-five days once your design is approved. Contact us today about how we can make the perfect labels for your cannabis products.

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3 Food Safety Labeling Considerations

Food safety is serious business, and packaging plays a pivotal role in protecting the consumers. While good food labels won’t prevent a product from spoiling, it can provide consumers with information to protect themselves from potentially harmful factors.

Some food safety measures are required by law, which means taking certain precautions with your labels can not only protect your consumers, but also your wallet and reputation. Here are three food safety concerns you should consider for your labels.

Specifications for Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products

You need to be careful with the language you use on labels meant for meat, poultry, and egg products. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is very particular about certain descriptions that you may use on your labels, such as fresh poultry versus frozen, claims of “no hormones,” and other identifiers.

Fortunately, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) offers a glossary of labeling terms and what it takes for you to legally use them. These guidelines can range from the temperatures of certain products to the process by which the meat, poultry, or eggs are prepared. Some terms, such as “chemical free” are not allowed at all.

Food labels that meet safety regulations.

Identify Food Allergens

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) of 2004 placed an emphasis on proper labeling for food allergens. According to the FDA, a group of eight allergens, which the FALCPA call “major food allergens,” account for at least 90 percent of all food allergies:

Milk
Eggs
Peanuts
Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)
Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)
Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
Soy
Wheat

If your packaged food product contains one of these allergens in any form, such as an ingredient, flavoring, coloring, or any incidental additive, you’re going to need to make sure your label reflects that. According to FALCPA, you can call out allergens on your labels in one of three different ways.

Include it in the ingredient list while using the allergen’s common name
Add the less common form of the allergen in the ingredient list and add the major allergen type in parentheses, such as “albumin (egg)”
Add a line that begins with the word “Contains” followed by the name of the allergen, such as “Contains eggs, milk”

As with any violation of federal law, a failure to list major food allergens can result in some major consequences. The FDA can pursue legal action against any offending companies and even seize packaged food products that aren’t compliant with labeling regulations. Long story short, make sure your food labels properly list any allergens to protect your business and your customers.

A digital label printing company working on specialty food labels.

Proper Food Dating

“Best by” and “sell by” dates are a common sight on food labels, but aside from infant formula, there are no federal regulations that require product dating. The FDA views dates as an indicator of product quality and have made efforts to move away from the usage of “best by” and “sell by” on labels.

According to the FDA, between 30 and 40 percent of food in the United States goes uneaten, which is partially caused by consumers confusing food product dating with safety concerns instead of quality. This miscommunication has led FSIS to recommend that food products use a “best if used by” date. However, the addition of this date is voluntary. If you do decide to include a date you also must include a phrase that explains what “best if used by” means to communicate that the date is a quality standard and not a safety indicator.

Quality Food Labels for Quality Products

Food safety is a big priority, and so is branding. The right food safety label needs to include all the proper information for your product, attract customers to buy your food, and do so while dealing with scratches, condensation, and any other potential hazards for your food packaging labels.

Fortunately, a good digital label printing company can help you accomplish all three goals. At Blue Label Packaging Company, we have the technology and expertise to create the product labels made specifically for your needs. Contact us today to talk to one of our experts about your next food label project.

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Minimalist Design Trends for Product Labels

The minimalist movement is making its way into label design as more brands are forgoing flashy and opting for simple. You’ve surely heard the phrase, “less is more,” which can be especially true when it comes to the design of your product and bottle labels.

A minimalist’s mantra is to remove the unnecessary. In an era of information overload, brands are realizing that customers appreciate minimal labeling. It’s an effective trend that works because of its simplicity. (more…)

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New Tricks for an Old Material: The Ongoing Paper Label Trend for Wine Bottles

Even an old business can learn new tricks. Paper wine labels have been a staple in the industry since the Persian empire. While these labels were necessary for detailing the many varieties of wine available, modern wine labels have another major purpose: to attract buyers.

Paper labels have maintained a close connection to wine bottles for centuries, both literally and figuratively. While different label materials have their advantages, paper maintains a classic look and feel that’s tied to the long history of winemaking. Of course, as wine label packaging changes, so too must the humble paper label. Here are some ways that wineries are wowing customers through paper labels.
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