What Should Product Label Design Include?

A product label carries far more than a brand name and product name. Mandatory regulatory items, brand information, product barcodes, environmental marks and special certifications each have their own placement logic and design rules. Arranging these five types of content within a limited label area is a basic skill for label designers.

1. Mandatory Regulatory Information

Whatever the product category, the label must first meet the basic regulatory requirements for product identification. According to GB 7718-2011, the National Food Safety Standard for General Rules for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods, food labels must include: product name, ingredient list, net content, name and address of the manufacturer and distributor, production date and shelf life, storage conditions, food production license number and product standard code.

Non-food categories such as cosmetics and household chemical products also have corresponding regulatory requirements. Under cosmetic supervision regulations, cosmetics need to show full ingredients, production license number, directions for use and precautions, and some products also require warning statements. These mandatory items are the baseline of label design. Missing any required item may lead to product removal from shelves.

2. Core Brand Information

The brand logo, product name and brand slogan form the visual core of the label. The brand logo is usually placed at the visual focus of the label, often at the top or slightly above the center. The product name must be clear and easy to read, with a font size noticeably larger than other information. For product series, such as different fragrances or specifications, a unified visual identity system is recommended so consumers can quickly recognize the brand on the shelf.

A brand slogan is not mandatory, but it helps express brand tone. Selling points such as "natural ingredients" or "no additives" can be placed in the lower middle area of the label with a smaller font size.

3. Product Barcode and Traceability Information

A product barcode, such as EAN-13 or UPC, is the "identity card" for products entering supermarket channels. It is usually placed at the lower right corner or bottom of the label so scanning equipment can identify it quickly. The barcode area needs enough quiet zone, generally at least 5 mm of blank space on both left and right sides, to avoid scanning failure caused by background color interference.

For special categories such as medicines and infant formula, electronic supervision codes or traceability QR codes may also be required. These traceability codes must be printed clearly, remain scannable, and must not be blocked by packaging folds or sealing areas.

4. Environmental and Recycling Marks

As environmental regulations become stricter, more product categories are required to display waste sorting or recycling marks. According to GB/T 18455-2010, Packaging Recycling Marks, packaging should show the recyclable symbol, usually the three-arrow loop, and material classification codes. Plastic materials use resin identification codes, such as PET 1 and HDPE 2, while paper packaging uses paper recycling marks.

Environmental marks do not directly communicate product selling points to consumers, but they affect product compliance. This is especially important for products exported to the EU, where the WEEE Directive and packaging directives have strict requirements for environmental labeling.

5. Special Certifications and Marks

Depending on product positioning and sales channels, certification marks may need to appear on the label. Examples include QS/SC marks, organic certification marks and green food marks for food products; CE, FCC and RoHS marks for electronic products; and FDA registration numbers or EU CE marks for export products.

The size and position of certification marks are often officially regulated. For example, an organic certification mark may not be smaller than one tenth of the label area and must be clearly distinguished from other marks. In design, certification marks are best placed together on the left side or lower right corner to form an independent visual block.

Basic Principles for Content Layout

The worst way to place these five content groups on a label is to simply pile them up. A good label follows a three-level information structure: the first level is the brand logo and product name as the visual focus; the second level is selling-point phrases and net content as purchase decision information; the third level is regulatory information and barcodes as compliance information. These three levels should have clear differences in font size, color and position so consumers can capture key information at a glance.

For small products with limited label area, such as cosmetic samples or seasoning sachets, mandatory regulatory information cannot be omitted because of the small space. The font size can be adjusted, but according to GB 7718, the minimum font height for mandatory labeling information must not be less than 1.8 mm.