There’s a lot that goes into designing the perfect gin label. From the elements of the label itself down to its placement, the gin label design you ultimately choose should reflect everything about your particular brand of gin.
Gin labels – why they matter
Gin is all about achieving novel flavours through artful infusion. Each gin aims to create a unique sensory experience for the drinker and highlight the exclusive distillates it possesses.
Little information can be gathered about the alcohol itself by simply looking at the gin through the glass bottle, even if it’s a coloured glass bottle. The gin label design is where your messaging, branding and even promotion comes in.
The material you use, such as embossed labels, hologram labels, or gloss versus matte lamination, the colours you choose, and the shape you opt for should all complement your particular gin. In that way, it will catch the eye of prospective customers and entice them to choose your gin over a competitor’s.
The alcoholic beverage labelling checklist
To help you out, we’ve created a complete gin label checklist for you to work through.
Front of label
- Brand Name. Make sure the name is accurate, including the age, origin and product identity.
- Volume. Always include an accurate measure of the units of millilitres or litres in the bottle.
- Alcohol. The alcohol content as a percentage of total volume must be on the front of the gin label.
Back of label
- Volume. Once again, include the amount of volume in the appropriate unit on the back of the gin label.
- Alcohol. Ideally in the same visual line, include the alcohol content statement as well.
- Standard drinks. Include a reference to the approximate number of standard drinks contained in the bottle.
- Allergens. Make sure to add a statement referring to relevant allergenic substances.
- Origin. Remember to include a statement that denotes the actual country of origin.
- Company details. From company name and number to address, all the information must be on the label.
- Codes. Both the lot identification code and barcode must be included on the label.
- Logos. Include all relevant logos such as the DrinkWise logo, the pregnancy warning sticker and even the recycling symbol.
- True nature statement. This refers to the true nature of the specific type of gin contained in the bottle.
- Nutritional information. Any relevant nutritional information should be included on the back label.
Would you like to know more about what to include on your gin label? Click here to read more about the requirements in Australia for labelling of alcoholic beverages and gin labels.
How to design the perfect gin label
Think branding
Strong branding is always important regardless of the product, but with alcohol it’s especially vital. Your gin label design needs to reflect the overall brand positioning of your company. Are you going for something dark and moody or a light and bright tone?
When designing your gin label and organising beverage label printing, take the time to think about how you want your bottle to look lined up on a bottle shop’s shelf. Does it draw attention? Does it stand out? Does it look professional and enticing?
Complement the bottle
Gin usually comes in a range of unique and creative bottle shapes and designs. When you’re thinking about your gin label design, it’s important to bear in mind the particulars of the bottle you’re placing it on.
Always make sure that the gin label matches the bottle and complements the overall aesthetic rather than clashing with different shapes or mismatched sizing.
Setting on a shape
If you’re not sure what sort of shape to go with for your gin label, consider the following as a basic guide. Oval, circular or plaque-like labels are more suited for longer and rounder bottles. If your gin bottle is more angular, squared or wider than it is tall, consider going for a rectangular or square label.
Size does matter
Beverage labelling comes in just about any size, especially when you’re ordering from a professional outlet like The Label Factory. Play around with a few designs to find the one that best enhances the visual aesthetic of the gin inside the bottle whilst still creating a striking and eye-catching design to grab the attention of customers.
Choosing colours and imagery
The colour, design and imagery on your label is your best opportunity to make your gin stand out. Gin labels with high colour contrasts, unusual designs, or bold colour schemes will jump out from a crowded shelf more.
It is always recommended that you take your colour and gin label design right to the edge of the label itself, without a border. That makes it look the most sleek and professional, as well as giving you the maximum surface area to showcase your amazing design and colouring.
Remember to keep your choice of colour and label design in line with your overall company branding and complementary of your logo.
The finish
You might be surprised to realise just how many choices there are when it comes to your gin label’s finish.
You can go with a gloss lamination look in the form of a plastic label, or a more low-key paper label in either a natural, gloss or matte lamination as well. Textured paper or embossed labels can look sophisticated and luxurious, or you can really go all out with a hologram label to really make a statement and leave an impression. There are even clear labels available, which are ideal if you’re looking to highlight more of your bottle and gin.
We’re here to help
At the end of the day, your gin label design needs to suit your brand, your preferences and your gin.
If you’re not sure where to start with your gin labels, don’t worry! The team here at The Label Factory are first-class label designers and fabricators. Let’s bring the perfect gin label to life for you. Contact us today to get started.
