labels I want to make a professional style label, with barcode nutrition etc.

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xar86413

A partner and myself are well on our way to producing and selling our hot sauce/salad dressings. We have the company incoporated, the website done with ecommerce, we have insurance and a commercial kitchen ready, bottles figured out, twitter, fb, instagram, and several local business' ready and waiting.
 
What we are missing is the label. I have been searching high and low for an actual template from which to start. We have temporary labels (which we purchaced from Stickeryou.com) which are fine, but they are very plain without a barcode, or a nutritional guide etc.
 
Can someone give me advice on how to produce something like this: https://www.google.ca/search?q=franks+red+hot+label&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=DjuiVbLKJZekyATK5o84&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1760&bih=867#imgrc=G4IR2JWDkyEN-M%3A
 
This is just a google search of Franks Red Hot. A once peice label that has artwork, barcode, nutrition guide, and a little blurb about the company.
 
There are several sites that will show you how to make a nice homemade sauce label to give to your friends, but we want to go commercial. I haven't been able to find anything close.
 
Also, one side note; we are located in Canada so laws dictate that we need to be bilingual etc. Which is fine, and we are well versed in the http://inspection.gc.ca/food/labelling/food-labelling-for-industry/eng/1383607266489/1383607344939Canadian website that mandates the requirements. This is not what we need. We need advice on the production of the actual label artistically.
 
Thanks so much for anyone that responds, very appreciated.
 
Gary
 
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You either need to get good with Photoshop or an equivalent software or hire a graphic artist to make the label for you. Here is a link to a Web site where graphic artists compete for your project and only get paid if you like the result: http://99designs.com/

Some from THP have used it. You can find a graphic artist on https://www.behance.net/search?field=44 or Google your local area. Also, I think there are a few on THP that do this as well. Good luck.
 
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I always like to keep the money in house - there are a number of folks on THP that have done this and had someone here help them with their label... a quick search should reveal a few names.
 
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Make a list of all the components needed on the label so whoever you work with gets everything on there.  It's be a bummer to get it all done and printed, only to discover you didn't include proper company contact info.  Whoever is your licensing authority should be able to tell you exactly what info is required.
 
Generaly it's-
Company name/logo
general/common product name
weight/volume
refrigerate after opening (if required)
ingredients with all sub-ingredients called out and all allergens alerted
company contact info
(?) the address of where the sauce is made (sometimes required if using a co-packer)
 
optional-
romance panel
heat level indicator
 
 
EDIT- in the USA, bar codes and NIPs (nutrition information panels) are NOT REQUIRED.  They are a good idea, can be expensive to get done, depending on who and where, but they are not required to sell a product.  That information can always be added later with a small sticker, profided the label doesn't go all the way around the bottle. There are several threads here on THP about bar codes and NIPs.  just scroll through the topics in the business forums and you'll find them.
 
 
Good luck with your venture!
salsalady
 
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a number of companies i worked with in the past used services from a company called sweetware.com. under labeling they have a canadian provision that may provide you with more information.
 
of course you can't just make up a bar code if you are planning the product to end up in retail. you have to apply to i believe it is called GS1 product license now, it was called united code council but they have changed their name a number of times.
 
once your label is created, you then have to go to a label converter and provide them with your artwork, i think it is called art film. the converter then makes a die and a art plate and that is expensive. 
 
i helped out a number of companies in the past(So Good Soy Milk was my largest client). Smaller clients included Quality Bakery and Mackay's Ice Cream. One of my competitors that produced nice labels was precision label, jet label was another - these are western based companies).
 
good luck.
 
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xar86413 said:
What we are missing is the label. 
Click to expand...
 
Okay you are missing the label, does that mean you already have a company logo and product logo etc.? Or do you need that designed too? You need to make sure your logos are vector so they can be scaled up for posters, billboards, what have you. The label itself does not need be vector and PS is fine, but the designer needs to use Illustrator or a vector program for your actual logos, branding, images that you want to resize later, etc.
 
The label is all layout, less design. You need the vector elements as well. 
 
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If you are looking for nutritionals ONLY then check this site out.  You can create an account and input your recipe and their calculator will spit out a (pretty much mostly) complete nutritional panel that you can then place on your existing label.  It's free for the first three recipes, thereafter you have to pay.
 
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Two thoughts:

1 - Congratulations on having the fortitude to follow your dream!  Not a sauce maker at all.  I just like growing things.  My heart is so lighter for being able to do what I love on a daily basis.  Yours will be too.

2 - If you can draw it on paper and mail it to me with dimensions, I can send you what ever format you want via email.  Just send me some finished product with the label on it so I got something to brag about.  PM me if interested and I will send to you my mailing address. 
 
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My suggestion: consult a graphic designer.  This is their domain, and their expertise will far exceed your own. Even if you're great as an artist or have wonderful ideas, a professional graphics designer will be able to turn something like:
 
CinderHabaneroLabel_zpsac07af4b.png

 
Into something like:
 
Sam & Oliver Cinder Label Final.png

Final Label size: 3.25" x 5.5" with rounded corners on Gloss White with Overlam
 
Before I finish though, I want to give a shout out to literally everyone on THP for helping me see the light about my labels.  Creating something you are proud of should be passionate.  As such, you will most likely have strong feelings of what your product should, or should not be, how it looks, what your vision is on your company, your style and should generally represent you.
 
Because of this, it's tough to take criticism sometimes... but remember to take a step back and try to look objectively at what others suggest.  Take it with a grain of smoked sea salt, but absorb what they are saying and be open minded.
 
In my example, I thought my labels were tits.  In my mind, it was animated fire and OMG awesome... and after displaying it here, the general acceptance was luke warm at best.  They couldn't see what I saw in my mind, and I wasn't even 100% sure of my company's direction at the time.  I sought out the aid of a graphic designer to help with the fine tuning and some of the ideas that were thrown around.  I put it all in a big pile and we started chipping away at it.  Cinder went through a ton of revisions before THP suggested I simplify and simply use my dogs as a logo, LD suggested I lose the "heart" and fire - which truly was a shield, shaped like a chili pepper and set on fire... haha.  SL had some great suggestions for wording.  GC and others chipped in with their suggestions and ideas.
 
Eventually it landed up as what you saw, and the layout works.  If my first label was tits, the final label is megatits.  Don't leave it 100% to your graphics designer though, have an active part in the matter.  It's your product.  You need to be 110% proud of it at the end of the day.
 
Don't get discouraged, and be passionate.
 
PS: I love you all.
 
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So just an update, I am currently holding a contest with 99designs.com.. So you submit what you want, and provide examples and then you chose how much you want to pay.. Like $345USD or $500USD or $800 etc. I chose the lowest tier. Within days I had several designs. One that I think is just as good as any Franks Red Hot, or Kraft label going. The contest ends in 2 days, and I expect more submissions. After you chose a winner, they hand you the .psd or vector files, and you own the rights to it.
 
The designers themselves unfortunately, other than one, receive nothing if their design is not chosen. The website takes a 30% commission and that is that.
 
Other than that, I have purchased ten barcodes for $130CAD and I'm ready to go with that part. The nutritional label I'm not sure how to proceed with that, although someone in this thread (thank you) had provided this website: https://www.recipal.com/that will produce close to what is in my sauce, although I'm not sure if Health Canada will agree with it.
 
I guess my next step is to get my label approved through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency 
 
http://inspection.gc.ca/eng/1297964599443/1297965645317
 
I suppose if my label is approved, with bilingual information, then I can move onto finding a bottler in Canada to accept my label.
 
--
 
I found a bottler in the states and ordered 12 woozy's and 12 larger glass salad dressing bottles. The total cost was about $40, and another $40 in shipping. And then when UPS showed up at my door, they dinged me another $40 for custom charges. What a disaster.
 
So moving forward, I'm trying to have everything bottled in Canada and as close to my residence as possible.
 
I'll keep you guys posted on the next steps if anyone cares..
 
Thanks again for all the advice.
 
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Hey, best of luck on your venture from a fellow Canadian.

For bottles in Canada, http://www.consbottle.com is great. They have a cash & carry with no minimum order or you can bulk order and pickup. I use the Toronto location, but they also have a Montreal location which might be closer for you. For a large order it might be worth the drive anyways.
 
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Don't print your labels until the sauce is actually approved and processed.   Or at least approved by your licensing authority. 
 
Keep us posted~
SL
 
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xar86413 said:
So just an update, I am currently holding a contest with 99designs.com.. So you submit what you want, and provide examples and then you chose how much you want to pay.. Like $345USD or $500USD or $800 etc. I chose the lowest tier. Within days I had several designs. One that I think is just as good as any Franks Red Hot, or Kraft label going. The contest ends in 2 days, and I expect more submissions. After you chose a winner, they hand you the .psd or vector files, and you own the rights to it.
 
The designers themselves unfortunately, other than one, receive nothing if their design is not chosen. The website takes a 30% commission and that is that.
 
Other than that, I have purchased ten barcodes for $130CAD and I'm ready to go with that part. The nutritional label I'm not sure how to proceed with that, although someone in this thread (thank you) had provided this website: https://www.recipal.com/that will produce close to what is in my sauce, although I'm not sure if Health Canada will agree with it.
 
I guess my next step is to get my label approved through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency 
 
http://inspection.gc.ca/eng/1297964599443/1297965645317
 
I suppose if my label is approved, with bilingual information, then I can move onto finding a bottler in Canada to accept my label.
 
--
 
I found a bottler in the states and ordered 12 woozy's and 12 larger glass salad dressing bottles. The total cost was about $40, and another $40 in shipping. And then when UPS showed up at my door, they dinged me another $40 for custom charges. What a disaster.
 
So moving forward, I'm trying to have everything bottled in Canada and as close to my residence as possible.
 
I'll keep you guys posted on the next steps if anyone cares..
 
Thanks again for all the advice.
Click to expand...
 
 
Here is the issue with 99 designs: your licensing authority may have some say in whether or not your labels are approved.  All labels must follow certain standards, and it's not up to the graphic artist to know the rules and regulations, it's up to you. 
 
So you can get the best label design ever, and if it needs more work, you'll want to keep in contact with the winning artist so that they can go back and make changes. It is always an iterative process. You'll likely have several revisions.  You'll also want to purchase a block of bar-codes if you intend to sell in stores, and that costs $. This will also have to be added to the label, along with any handling statements and net weight statements.  
 
Just a head's up - the "final" from your design bid isn't necessarily going to be the "final" revision of your label. 
;)

salsalady said:
Don't print your labels until the sauce is actually approved and processed.   Or at least approved by your licensing authority. 
 
Keep us posted~
SL
Click to expand...
 
D'oh!  :doh: 
 
I should always scan up to see if SL responded. Woulda saved me some werdz. :rofl:
 
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