101+ Food Label Design Ideas That’ll Revolutionise Grocery Choices

A great-tasting product should have an equally good-looking packaging, right? Many big names are associated with the food industry, making it very important for smaller brands to attract consumers through their epic food label designs.

The packaging industry is growing at a rapid rate, too. The Indian packaging sector is expected to grow at a rate of 12.6% annually from 2022 to 2027. All these factors further make investing in good packaging and food label design for your food and beverage products essential. So, keep reading; we have 101+ free food label design ideas just for you.

What Attracts Customers to a Food Label?

When it comes to food label designs, you should keep a bunch of things in mind. What type of food is it? Will the label be on a can, sachet, packet or bottle? Most of the time, your food label design will act as a weapon against big brands and their products. Customers look for designs that are neat. For example, your label should be perfectly placed on the packaging, it shouldn’t be lopsided, and the adhesive shouldn’t be sticking out. The printing should be clean and provide all the necessary information clearly and in readable fonts. Overall, your design should be nifty and informative at the same time.

Elements of Effective Food Label Design

Here are the four major elements that determine an excellent food label design:

1. Typography and fonts for clarity and visibility

Your food label should be visually appealing. On top of that, you should try to make the information on the label hard to miss. It depends on the font type, colour and size of font you use on the labels. Some fonts may have great graphic and aesthetic appeal but may need to be more easily readable. Using such fonts is a strict no-no. Choose the right font, something that’s easy on the eye and readable.

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2. Colour psychology in food labelling and its impact on perception

Packaging and label colour are dominant design cues influencing consumers’ product perception. Often, colours trigger mental simulations that even influence their health assessments. For example, research shows that cool colour hues, such as blue and green packaging designs, lead to higher health and sustainability perceptions among customers. Meanwhile, warm colour hues such as red and yellow are often associated with less healthy products. So, you should choose the colour for your labelling, keeping such nuances in mind. Also, always opt for the CMYK colour space as it helps achieve actual colour and uses less screen for print.

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3. Use of images and graphics to enhance appeal and communication

Similar to the food product’s taste, your food label’s graphics should be evocative. It should remind your customers of something tasty and good. You can show how good the food looks and tastes through its label. Use appetising photos or graphical depictions of the ingredients and food inside that packaging. Make people smell the taste of the food inside through your real-like imagery and eye-grabbing food label design.

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4. Organise crucial data for better consumer understanding

You should always follow a proper information hierarchy in your labelling. In most cases, the text on the label should move from left to right and top to bottom. The product’s name is the hero on the label, so it should be in the most prominent typeface. Next, the most significant information should be placed in a good position, such as in the top right corner or directly under the product name. Other crucial details include health warnings (if any), net quantity, ingredients and storage instructions. All these should also be placed strategically on the label to ensure maximum visibility of the product.

Creative Food Label Design Ideas And Tips to Make it More Engaging

We have a few secrets for you! The following approaches can make any food packaging and label design grab the customer’s attention instantly.

1. The minimalistic design and cleaner look

Labels should always be simple and clean. Just think about it: a small label has to endure so many things at once: the name, the logo, the necessary information, images and graphics, barcodes, and so on! So, the most important approach for an A+ food label design is to keep it minimal and neat. It also helps customers view your product as pure. Less is always more, and we can’t stress enough about it. Simple and straightforward designs also help people get a sense of clarity about your product.

2. Interactive labels with QR codes and other elements

It’s 2024! This means if you still need to keep up with the changing trends and digitisation, it’s high time you do. The latest trend in the FMCG food industry is using interactive food labels. Use QR codes which customers can scan to dive deeper into your products. Through such codes, you can share your brand’s story, display other products in the range, and show the nutritional values. You can even use augmented reality for elite and fun packaging. Using augmented reality, labels have a special visual cue or microtext that loads computer-generated images once scanned. You can let your customers see snippets of the manufacturing process, promote social awareness campaigns or even add games for some fun.

3. Eco-friendly and sustainable packaging labels

When you’re ideating for food label design, remember to keep sustainability as one of the aspects of packaging. You can use design techniques to influence people to make environmentally responsible choices, such as labels made from recycled paper or reusable packaging. Sustainability isn’t just limited to eco-friendly materials and resources. It also applies to using sustainable graphic design. Now, you might be wondering what that means. Simply put, sustainable graphic design encourages graphic designers to think about how their creative decisions add to or subtract from the overall sustainability of an item. For example, if your design fits nicely in a smaller space, it would mean using less packaging material.

4. Customisable labels for consumer engagement

It would help if you always customised your food label to suit your brand’s aesthetic and narrative. It includes the graphics, textures and even finishes. Whether you use a glossy finish to add impact or a matte finish for a simple and classic look, they should reflect your company’s taste. If you have multiple product lines with variations, each line or variation should have labels with consistent design themes. The colours you use should be from the same palette as your brand colours. If your brand is into kids’ products, reflect it through custom labels and designs that feature cartoonish elements. Using such tactics ensures that customers spot your product quickly.

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5. Cultural art incorporation

Have sprinkles of cultural elements in your designs. Trust me, it will make your customers choose your food products over goliath brands. Cultural elements such as customs, art, social behaviour, rituals and norms of a society should be translated into the visual elements of your food label design, such as colour, symbol and text. For example, if a wine company from France uses the colours red, blue and white on their bottles, people will immediately spot it. It would raise their level of trust in the brand as they will immediately associate it with French wine. Similarly, even if your packaging design uses English, you can add one or two letters of the local alphabet to evoke emotions in your potential customers.

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How does food label design influence purchasing decisions?

A well-designed food label sells more products by adding credibility and desirability. Research shows that people often attach considerable importance to food labels and read them before making a final purchase decision. They also want to check the product’s nutritional facts, ingredients and allergens. So, when designing food labels and packaging, always consider your target audience, as different segments of people respond to different fonts, styles, colours, etc.

Your goal is to gain consumers, even the ones with no intention of making a purchase. And food labelling can play the role of a magnet to get such customers. If any of your food products fall under gluten-free, low-calorie, or sugar-free, be sure to emphasise that on your label. After all, these are buzzwords that immediately grab people’s attention.

Explore Our Collection of Best Inspiring Food Label Design Ideas

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Conclusion

Food label design is the no. 1 deciding factor for customers making their food-buying decisions. Your food label design should add character and personality to your product. An attractive food label compels people to have a look at your product and even turn them into loyal customers.

Our design ideas and influential tips will help immensely in your next food label creation process. Finding a trustworthy and knowledgeable partner can make your process much more manageable. If you need one, then consult us today!

Author: Megha Malik

As a passionate entrepreneur and creative brand consultant with experience of 14 years in digital, branding and packaging industry, it is my honest effort to put my experiences and knowledge of industry towards readers. A chartered accountant by degree but a marketing personality in blood has motivated her to take in designing industry as a career. With her fun-loving personality and sharp branding skills, she is a great motivational speaker on her YouTube channel, an active member in various business channels offline as well as online. Do connect me personally via my LinkedIn and I love to share my expertise with you.