When it comes to designing eye-catching beer labels for your craft brews, sometimes you just need a little creative inspiration. Today, we’ll share some design inspiration along with creative tips for crafting beer labels that make just as much of an impression as your craft beer.
Bottles vs. cans
Before diving into the creative, you should first consider your container. And in this case, you’ll need to know if you’re working with bottles or cans for your craft beer. There are benefits to both packaging types, but it’s a consideration that matters in labeling. Bottles have a limited surface area for printing your message and designs. Cans, on the other hand, allow for a complete surface area for designs.
Creative theme ideas
When you sit down to design your craft beer labels, allow yourself some creative freedom in the process. Think about the personality of your craft brewery. Start by identifying themes that align well, whether simplistic, vintage, seasonal, or modern. Keep your messaging and designs consistent by first outlining an overarching theme that captures the essence of your craft beer. Your theme will help you then make future decisions about imagery, font, and color combinations.
Designs that resonate with your craft beer brand
With a theme in mind, you can then move forward with choosing beer label designs. Again, the style you bring to your craft beer labels should align with your brewery brand. When customers see this label, it needs to evoke a feeling and a direct correlation with your brand. Recognize if these core buyers are going to be more attracted to bold designs, artistic designs, or subtle designs. And be mindful of the impression these beer labels will make, ensuring they resonate with your brand.
Color combinations matter
Spend some time with the color combinations you choose for your beer labels. Different colors will inspire different emotions from your potential buyers. For example, vibrant colors convey high energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. If you’re targeting an active, playful consumer, bright colors make sense. Alternatively, more subdued colors translate to more calming emotional responses. Using lighter shades and tones can be ideal for your more mature consumer interested in relaxation, tradition, and trust.
Word choice and font distinctions
Next up on your craft beer label design to-do list is the content. You’ll want to be mindful of choosing words and phrases that capture the essence of your brew. The right words, along with font distinctions, can say so much more about the sipping experience. And your target customers will be looking for words like robust, smooth, hand-crafted, organic, or hearty to know if it’s a flavor they want. And fonts can convey if your craft beer experience is formal or elevated, playful, or light. Choose wisely and be careful not to be too wordy or elaborative in a way that your label appears crowded or hard to read.
Images and styles
More traditional beer labels stick with one or two colors and bold text featuring the name and flavor. But in the craft beer industry, there’s so much room for artistic flare and creative styles. It’s not uncommon for craft beer labels to display brilliant images, artistic drawings, and engaging styles. Whatever images and designs you choose to add to your craft beer labels, make sure they align with your brand, resonate with your core buyers, and add to the aesthetics of the label without detracting from your message.
Don’t forget the fine print
Remember to leave enough room in your craft beer label design space to include the required small print. Listing your net content, alcohol content, beer class, and business information is the law. And while you can reduce the font size, these details still need to be legible on your can or bottle.
Let Ritter’s Printing & Packaging help
Keep this guide handy for crafting success in designing eye-catching craft beer labels that look great. And you can always trust the professional team at Ritter’s Printing & Packaging to guide you through your beer label design project.
As a premier printing, label, and packaging company, we can assist in making sure your craft beer labels are a great fit for your brew. Call our team at 954-771-7204, and let’s start designing today!
