Packaging that stands out on the shelf and describes the product correctly.

What you need to know about packaging and label design

Packaging and label design is the work of presenting the brand and the product visually on a product's box, bottle, pouch or label and making this design suitable for production. Good packaging stands out on the shelf, explains what the product is at first glance and leaves a legible area for mandatory information. Sova Ajans designs packaging to your manufacturer's die-cut template and delivers it with print-ready files.

What should good packaging achieve?

Packaging works like a salesperson; at first contact with the customer it should answer these questions within a few seconds:

1. What is this? The product type and name should be readable from a distance. A creative design should not hide what the product is.
2. Whose is it? The brand logo should sit in a consistent place and be recognizable.
3. Why this one? The product's real difference, for example its production method, region or ease of use, should stand out in a short, honest statement.
4. Which one? In a product line, varieties, sizes or aromas should be easy to tell apart by color and layout.

During the design process we think of the product together with the competitors that will stand next to it on the shelf. If everyone on the same shelf uses similar colors, choosing a different color area can make the product more visible; however, this choice needs to be balanced against the familiar codes of the product category.

The sales channel also shapes the design. The front of a product that will stand on a supermarket shelf must be readable from a distance, while the packaging of a product sold only online must be recognizable even in a small product image and leave a positive first impression when the box is opened. For products sold in marketplaces or local points of sale, the feel of the packaging in the hand, the paper texture and the quality of the label come to the fore.

Who is responsible for mandatory label information?

For food, cosmetics, cleaning and similar products, the information that must appear on the label is determined by the relevant regulations. The product name, ingredient list, net quantity, expiry or best-before date, producer or importer details, storage conditions, and allergen and warning statements are examples. Depending on the product and sector, there may be other requirements as well.

The accuracy of the content of this information and its regulatory compliance are the responsibility of the manufacturer, that is, the customer. Sova Ajans takes this information from the approved text you provide, places it in a legible layout and reserves enough space for it in the design. However, we do not decide which statement is mandatory, whether the nutrition table is accurate or whether a claim may be used. Where you are unsure, we recommend seeking an opinion from the relevant authority or an expert in your sector.

The barcode is handled in a similar way: your business obtains the barcode number and we place it at the right size and contrast. We recommend testing the barcode's readability before printing.

The same care applies to promotional statements on the packaging. Statements such as natural, additive-free, organic or good for health may require documents or special conditions in some product groups. We place such statements on the packaging only when you have verified them and take responsibility for them; we do not make designs that imply a feature the product does not have.

How is a production-ready file prepared?

In packaging design, a picture that looks good on screen is not enough; once the design is cut and folded, it needs to land in the right places. That is why we move to the production stage with the following preparations:

• Die-cut template: For boxes, the template provided by the packaging manufacturer is used; for labels, the real dimensions of the bottle or jar.
• Fold and glue allowances: The logo or important text should not fall on a fold line, a glue area or under a lid.
• Printing technique: In offset, digital, flexo or screen printing, the number of colors and the level of detail differ.
• Material: On kraft paper, clear labels or metallized surfaces, colors look different from how they look on a white background; the design is adjusted accordingly.
• Special applications: If foil, embossing or spot varnish will be used, separate layers are prepared for them.

Skipping these preparations leads to the design being rearranged at the production stage and to a longer schedule. For this reason we prefer to get your manufacturer's contact details at the first meeting and to clarify technical questions before design begins. Where possible, we recommend that you do a final check with a sample production run or a proof print.

Legibility in label design

On a small jar label, the brand, the product name and the mandatory information all have to fit. That is why building an information hierarchy is essential in label design: the product and brand on the front, the contents and legal information on the back or side. Very small type, low contrast, text over patterned backgrounds and ornate typefaces seriously reduce legibility. For labels applied to round surfaces, it should also be taken into account that text close to the edges may go out of the viewing angle.

The durability of the label is also part of legibility. For products kept in the refrigerator, stored in humid conditions or handled often, choosing a label material resistant to water and friction keeps the information legible until the product is consumed. We recommend evaluating the material choice together with your manufacturer.

On-site and online work

With producers in Sakarya and the surrounding area, we can work by seeing the product, the existing packaging and, if needed, the production area on site. Holding the product makes it easier for us to understand the dimensions and surface properties correctly. With clients across Turkey we run the process online: we can receive the product sample by courier, share designs with 3D preview images and send the production file directly to your packaging manufacturer.

Common mistakes

• Starting the design without obtaining the die-cut template and then having to change the whole layout.
• Putting too much information on the front and losing the product name in the crowd.
• Sending the label text to print without an expert check.
• Designing each variety in a product line independently and losing the family look.
• Approving the design only on screen without asking for a proof print or sample production.
• Putting claims on the packaging that the product cannot meet or that are not documented.