Your Guide to Custom and Effective Beverage Product Labels

Digital Printing for Beverage Labels

Digital printing offers you a nearly unlimited spectrum of colors, 100% perfect print quality, and no printing plates or setup charges, making it ideal for the small runs and more complex designs of craft beers. This gives you more flexibility with design and timing. Should you wish to personalize or vary your labels in any way, digital printing also allows you to create seemingly endless varieties all at once.

GMP Beverage Labels

GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) is a standard of manufacturing practices for both human and veterinary drugs, as well as food and beverage products. If your label will come into direct contact with food or drink (such as a beer can), your label or packaging likely needs to be produced in a GMP-compliant facility. Ask your packaging supplier if they can comply. (Hint: a GMP facility will always have a certificate from a third-party auditor saying the facility is in compliance for a certain period of time.)

What Else You Need on Your Beverage Product Labels

Beverage label requirements vary depending on your business, type of product and where your product is sold. In general, most drink labels contain some or all of the following:

Before printing labels, be sure to check that you are indeed using a unique brand name that is not already trademarked or registered by another brand. Also, check with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to find out exactly what you need on your labels before you or your designer create your label design. These steps will help limit costly revisions and reprints down the road. The requirements and necessities on your beverage label also vary based on type of drink. For example, drinks containing alcohol require more information like alcohol content/percentage, government warnings, presence of coloring materials, and other additives/agents. Alcoholic beverage labels must also be submitted to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) so make sure to check their specific requirements. Feel free to also use your label vendor for information and questions, as they have probably worked with alcoholic beverages before.

Customize Your Labels Based on Your Brand And Drink Type

To make your brand stand out, consider more modern, minimalist design trends as well as custom label shapes, colors and finishes. Typography is also your friend! Explore the many ways you can use words to help your brand stand out. A high-quality printer will ensure your words — and any unique design elements — come out clean and sharp so your brand looks high quality.

Cold Pressed Juice Product Labels

Digital printing would be best for those who need labels for cold pressed juices since it doesn’t require plates or long setups. A cold pressed juice company should search for a vendor that allows digitally printed labels so you can combine as many different versions of the same size as you’d like. This helps create unique, high quality labels for every type of juice in your product line. Instead of trying to predict which juices will be more popular than others in your collection, you can order smaller, initial quantities then buy them more frequently to keep inventory prices down while also preventing the possibility of throwing away labels.

Tea and Coffee Product Labels

Specialty teas and the constant emergence of coffee collections continue to seep into the competitive marketplace. This makes it essential to stand out with quality, custom tea and coffee labels. Whether you sell black tea, green tea or your own specialty blend coffee, your tea and coffee labels need to tell a story. Share the origin of your leaves on your tea label, the possible health benefits, or even the different notes and aromas of your coffee. Work with an experienced vendor to decide what kind of packaging is best — bag, bottle, or can? — as this decision will have implications for label possibilities and costs.

Startup to High-Volume Beverage Labels and Everything In-Between

When it comes to your brand growth, people always say to look at the bigger picture. Why not think long-term with your product labels, as well? Wherever you are in your business, whether you need 1,000 labels or 100,000 labels, choose a vendor who can get to know your brand and grow with you. The long-term relationship can really pay off in the long run. Sign with a vendor that is prepared to grow with your brand. A vendor with state-of-the-art facilities, digital printing capabilities, staff expertise and attention to detail are key signs and highly important factors when considering growth. Start the conversation now so you won’t need to have a new one later.

Are You Working With The Right Vendor For Your Beverage Labels?

At the Label Shoppe, we produce labels that take into consideration the many different environments your drinks will be in. From storage on a grocery store shelf to a refrigerator or cooler, we’ve got you and your beverages covered. At The Label Shoppe, we specialize in digital printing and understand firsthand the importance of meeting the rigorous standards and aggressive timelines of our customers. We also offer analog printing, affording you a wealth of possibilities. Our state-of-the-art facility makes nearly every label design you might have possible, from unique materials and die cuts to difficult-to-print designs, chemical-resistant labels, security inks, delamination or relamination, foil effects, screen printing, Expanded Content Labels, and 100% pharmaceutical-grade defect inspection. Our seasoned staff is known for delivering high-quality labels on-time and in-full, even with short turnaround times. We take climate control, minimal waste, team happiness and productivity seriously — even the simplest black and white bar code labels are held to our highest standards, ensuring you get the quality you deserve. If you don’t yet have a vendor, or if you need guidance on labeling, reach out to us for a consultation. We would love to help you achieve your label goals.