The label is the first contact people have with your beverage whether it’s wine, beer, mead or any other beverage or product. Label design plays a very important role in how people will enjoy it. So, it’s imperative you give that label some thought before slapping it on the wine bottle or beer can. Here are some tips that will help you create a great label design that reflects both you and your beverage. Remember that rules can always be bent or broken with positive results, but adhering to these simple guidelines will help you create beautiful and impactful labels.
The very first thing you should do is match your wine or beer label size to the bottle. There’s no better way to jack-up your packaging than to slap a label on it that doesn’t properly fit, so make sure you always design your label to fit the container. It’s one of the most important and overlooked things people do, so you need to know beforehand how the label will look and fit on the bottle or can. You have to know what size and shape bottle you’ll be using before you begin designing a label, so you can make sure your label will fit on the flat surface of the bottle; if a straight label meets a curved surface, it is going to make ripples and look awful. If you have a tall Bordeaux bottle with straight sides your choices for the label size and shape are numerous; but if it’s a short Burgundy bottle with curved shoulders, you’ll be more limited. If you’re going to be using a mixture of bottles (either due to wine styles requiring different bottles, or using recycled bottles for example), there are 2 easy solutions; design one label to the smallest dimension so it will fit on everything, or create a label design that has multiple sizes so it works with all the different size bottles.
Next match your label to the bottle… I know I just said that, but this time pay attention to the color of the bottle. Remember your label is going to be framed by the bottle, so it will absolutely affect the appearance of it. Much like the matting and framing of paintings or photographs, the surrounding area outside the label will either benefit or detract from how the finished wine or beer will look. There are many different colored bottles out there… from blue and green to flint and yellow and clear; so it’s important to think about that while designing your label. And also think about the color of the wine in the bottle. A dark bottle with red wine in it will usually appear black, so make sure the label you’re going to put on top of that is appropriate. Conversely, brighter colored drinks like white wines and rose’s, fruit wines, or sodas will be different colors when in clear bottles, so pay attention to how these colors will coordinate with your label design.
Figure out beforehand what message you want your wine or beer label to communicate, and how you want people to feel when they look at it. The images, colors, and text will all play an important role in creating the personality of your wine or beer. The label is the first impression people get, and it takes only 4 seconds for that impression to be established. So you need to think about what you want that first impression to be; it’s just like choosing the clothes you wear to identify to others who you are. Decide if the label is going to be about you or the wine, and let the design go from there. Even something as simple as the font can make a huge difference in the mood of the label. So whether it’s classy, whimsical, traditional, or romantic, make sure you identify that first so you can visually communicate it.
The easiest way to communicate the mood and personality, and what the drinker can expect from your wine or beer, is using color properly. Color can be your most powerful tool to convey the right message. Give some thought about what you want your finished bottle of wine or beer to communicate, and think of the colors that go along with that. If you want it to be bright and happy, you should use bright and happy colors. Serious or elegant? Deep dark colors like black and dark red will ensure your wines, beers, and other beverages are taken seriously. Color can also prime the brain and actually help people taste what you want. Bright saturated colors like yellow and green can convey bright, crisp, and citrusy flavors for white wines, while rich reds and purples will help bring out dark berry flavors in red wines. Tan colors and rich browns are great for hearty beers. Also it’s important to pay attention to contrast… dark colors on a dark background may not print well (example dark red with black).
Finally, make sure the complete label design makes sense and is not all-over-the-place. Think of the entire package as a whole, and ensure all the elements… bottle, color, font, composition, images… all combine to create the right impression and coherent design. Some examples of doing it wrong would be using an angry and aggressive font for your text on a label with a delicate image of butterflies, or putting a silly cartoon on an otherwise traditionally serious label. Sending mixed messages with your design can turn people off and subconsciously effect how your wine is perceived. If the design has a bunch of elements that don’t go together like a goofy font on a serious label, it might make people uncomfortable and your wine or beer may be less enjoyable because of it. Your completed label design should be a lot like a movie poster… it tells you what to expect at just a glance.