When it comes to label graphic design, the best customer service comes from designers who communicate fully, collaborate consistently and continually expand their horizons.

Don Alles, Lightning Labels’ senior graphic designer, offers insights on finding the best designer for your product label and/or packaging. First and foremost, seek out a print specialist.

What works in the digital world doesn’t necessarily translate to print. And there’s an entirely different set of skills and knowledge needed to create top-notch print designs that will translate into effective and impactful branding.

For example, blends and fades don’t translate to print the same way they do when presented online. CMYK is the color “palette” for print, while digital features RGB. In general, the resolution of what appears on-screen isn’t high enough to use with print.

Here are some other customer service tips to get the best product label design:

1. Know the print world inside and out. Broader knowledge of, and experience in, print beats narrow focus. Besides specific graphic design skills and experience, it helps to know such other areas as printing press operation, prepress, workflow and fulfillment.

2. Advocate brevity and priority for label inclusions. Use a designer who understands the importance of keeping copy to a minimum and prioritizes what’s most important. With a product on the shelf, consumers typically spend only a couple seconds to understand what it is and why they should buy it. Make it attention-grabbing, even intriguing. And remember that key inclusions such as ingredients, supplement facts, disclaimers and bar/QR codes all need to be considered. 

3. Match designer skills to the motif. Make sure the designer can fit the bill for a particular challenge or motif. For example, some products – such as CBD – need to convey professionalism, high-quality and trustworthiness. The design must make these qualities come across clearly and in compelling fashion.
At the same time, all required elements must find their way on to the label, and it needs to stand out from competitors. That’s a lot to expect from label design, so it’s imperative to select the right designer with the right experience and right understanding. This is critical to ultimate product success in the marketplace.

4. Blend creativity with sensitivity to your preferences. There’s the label, and then there’s the product manufacturing client. While a good graphic designer will advocate and offer creative input, he or she also needs to understand that ultimately the client is the boss.

The most dynamic and dramatic design in the world will never see the light of day if the client has a different vision. So, it’s vital first to “read the room” and ask defining questions that will establish the position, preference and needs of decision makers around product labeling. Some clients want to explore a wide variety of options, looks and effects. Others know exactly what they want, so it’s important that the design reflect that vision. Suggestions along the way as warranted can help confirm and define, subject to client willingness to entertain them.

5. Know all angles and uses. Many questions can jump out when considering the best design options. How well does the label show in the light? Reflective labels can be great but must be tested out in all conditions to make sure they don’t “wash out” in certain lighting types or intensities. The same is true with colors, fonts and special effects.

There also is the critical component to viewing the label in tandem with the product inside. For example, a clear label that looks great on a translucent bottle can “disappear” when filled with the contents – depending on colors and viscosity of the liquid.

Other considerations, such as flexible packaging, introduce another dimension of label design complexity. How will it look when folded, twisted or crunched? Will vital, sometimes health-critical disclosures around ingredient cautions and warnings continue to be prominent when the package changes shape? Will the label material and ink remain pristine when subjected to such stressors as sunlight and water? Many factors merit consideration.

6. Thirst for new ideas, perspectives and capabilities. Technologies change. Trendy looks and designs come upon the scene. Ink colors and special effects expand and evolve. Visionaries come up with new, avant-garde ways to present products. Graphic designers need to stay up-to-date on advancements and the best ways to incorporate them given specific product challenges and markets.

Graphic designers need to be constantly learning and applying new ideas while maintaining a pragmatic view of function, as well as form.


Mark Lusky is a marketing communications professional who has worked with Lightning Labels, an all-digital custom label printer in Denver, CO, USA, since 2008. Find Lightning Labels on Facebook for special offers and label printing news.