Label Design UK

Labels that sell and stay on

A label often is the packaging. On a jar of chutney, a bottle of gin or a candle, it is the only thing telling a customer what the product is and why it is worth the price. dijitul designs labels as a range: a fixed structure for brand, product name and key details, with colour or illustration changing per variant. That keeps a shelf of your products looking like one brand and makes new flavours quick to add.

We also think about the physical job. Labels on bottles kept in ice buckets or fridges need waterproof polypropylene rather than paper. Clear labels need a white ink layer behind any colour that must stay solid. Curved jars cap the label height so it doesn't crease. Roll labels for machine application need the right wind direction and core size from your printer.

PPDS labels and Natasha's Law

Since 1 October 2021, food that is prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) in England, and across the UK under equivalent rules, must carry a label showing the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with any of the 14 regulated allergens emphasised within that list. This is known as Natasha's Law. PPDS food is food packed on the same premises it is sold from before the customer orders it, such as sandwiches, salads, cakes and pies packed in a cafe, deli, bakery or butcher.

Emphasis is usually done in bold, but capitals, a contrasting colour or underlining are also used. For example, an ingredients list might show 'wheat flour' and 'milk' in bold while other ingredients stay in regular weight. The Food Standards Agency publishes PPDS guidance with more detail. We design PPDS labels that leave room for long ingredient lists at a legible size, and we can build templates for common label printers so you can print them in-house as recipes change.

The 14 allergens are celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, and tree nuts. Your ingredients and allergen information must be accurate; dijitul lays out what you provide and does not verify recipes.

Other legal text on food labels

Fully prepacked food sold through shops usually needs more than PPDS food: net quantity, a best before or use by date, storage instructions, your business name and address, and in most cases a nutrition declaration. Mandatory information must meet a minimum x-height of 1.2 mm, dropping to 0.9 mm only where the largest surface of the pack is under 80 cm². Drinks over 1.2% alcohol show the alcohol by volume. Cosmetics and candles have their own safety and warning label rules. If in doubt, ask your local Trading Standards before printing.

Print setup for labels

• Artwork built on the printer's die-cut shape, with bleed (often 1.5 to 3 mm, as the printer specifies) and text kept inside a safe margin.
• Barcodes from GS1 UK placed dark on light with clear quiet zones.
• Spot colours for consistent brand colour across print runs.
• Separate layers for white ink, foil, embossing or varnish where used.
• Ingredients text set in a clear, open typeface, never condensed to squeeze it in below the legal size.

For boxes and cartons, see packaging design. For restaurant menus and allergen matrices, see menu design.

Price and next steps

Label design is quoted as a fixed price based on the number of products and variants. Extra variants on an agreed layout, and changes such as new ingredients, are £45 an hour + VAT. Label printing is separate; send your printer's template or let us arrange it through print management. Food and drink brands may also want our wider design service. Ask for a quote with your container sizes and product list.

What you get

• Print-ready PDF on the label printer's die template, with bleed
• Separate artwork for each variant in a range
• Editable templates for printing PPDS labels in-house
• White ink or varnish layers for clear and metallic stocks where needed
• 3D mockups on your bottle, jar or tub

How it works and what it costs

Logos from £150, brochures from £295, photography from £295 a half day and CAD at £45 an hour, all + VAT. You get a fixed price before we start.

1. Tell us the brief

   What it is for, who will see it, where it will be used and any examples you like. Rough is fine.

2. Fixed price

   We confirm the price and what you get, in writing, before any work starts.

3. First designs

   We design, shoot or model it and share the first version for your comments.

4. Refine

   We make the changes, check every detail, and prepare the files properly for print, web or manufacture.

5. Final files

   You get the finished files in the formats you need, ready for your printer, website, social channels or manufacturer.

Related