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Although it’s hard to imagine, with the current cold spell we are having, summer is just around the corner and with food fairs, beer festivals and farmers markets on the horizon, what better time to start prepping your craft labels for the summer season.
What is a craft label?
Craft labels are generally used for artisan foods such as jam, honey, ketchup, and cheese; drinks labels such as craft beer labels, ciders and ale labels; or homemade products such as candles and hand soaps.
A craft label is used for homemade/artisan type products which has a textured feel and often made from recyclable paper material rather than a gloss Polypropylene (PP) or Polyethylene (PE). The look of a label is vitally important, as this is your customers first opinion of your product. So, taking time to think about your design, colours, materials and size of your label is not something that should be rushed.
Do you need to re-vamp your craft label?
Take a look at your current labels and ask yourself some questions and look at it in the eyes of your customers.
- Does it stand out?
- Can I tell what the product is?
- Can you see my product through the label? Would this make it look more appealing?
- Do the colours work well?
- How much would I pay for my product based on the way it looks?
These are some ideas that may help you gauge whether your labels need a re-vamp in time for the summer season, or if you just need to pre-order your existing labels to ensure your stocked up for the busy period ahead.
Ways to re-vamp your craft labels
A few simple ways to re-vamp your labels could be as simple as changing some colours. Say your colour scheme is a white label with red and yellow writing – you could change the yellow colour to gold to give the label a more premium look, or perhaps change the white label to red and the text to white to make it stand out more.
Another way to enhance or re-vamp your label is to have a look at the current material you are using and think about changing it to a thicker, textured material, or something that is pearlescent to look at.
The final way to re-vamp your labels could be to strip it back and start again with a fresh design. If you can find a graphic designer to sit down with and brainstorm some ideas of how you want your label to look, they can come up with several designs until you are happy. Read more here about how to go about designing your labels.
Ordering your craft labels
If you are just starting out with your business you may not have thought about your labels yet, as this often gets overlooked until the final stages, but can be the thing that turns your product from a small start-up business to a big supermarket brand that everyone is familiar with. Never underestimate the power of peoples first impressions and how important your brand is to selling your business.
Some things to consider when ordering your labels are:
- Design your label and ensure it display relevant information, including ingredients
- Choose your brand colour scheme and tie it in with your label design
- Select your label material and size – Do you want your label to cover the whole jar/bottle? Do you want the label to be opaque or translucent? Do you want a matt or gloss finish?
- Find a trustworthy label supplier to give you a quote for your labels – generally the more you order the lower the cost per label so it may be worth placing a bigger order to begin with to save you money in the long run
- Order some samples of your label – this isn’t vital but could be good for you to check you are happy with how the label looks and test the adhesive before placing your final order
Craft Events Spring/Summer 2019
If you are looking to exhibit at a craft fair or festival this summer, now is the time to start booking your stand, and here are a few events which are happening in the UK to help you get started.
Craft Fairs - Weald of Kent Country Craft Show | 1-3 May | Tonbridge
- Abergele Food & Craft Festival | 23 May | Abergele
- Hoveton Hall Country Fair 2020 | 24 May | Norwich
- Fleet Food Festival 2020 | 20 Jun | Fleet
- Conwy Celtic Fayre | 27 June – 1 July | Wales
- Henley Country Craft Show | 28-31 August | Henley-on-Thames
Beer Festivals - Maldon Beer Festival | 15-18 April | Essex
- Reading Beer & Cider Festival | 7-10 May | Reading
- Free Trade Inn Beer Festival | 31 May – 7 Jun| Leicestershire
- Collingham Real Ale Festival | 12-13 Jun | West Yorkshire
- Wincle Brewery Beer Festival | 26-27 Jun | Cheshire
- Birmingham Beer Week | 17-26 Jun | Birmingham
- Great British Beer Festival | 4-8 Aug | London
Farmers Markets - Edinburgh Farmers’ Market | Every Saturday | Edinburgh
- Truro Farmers’ Market | Every Wed and Sat | Cornwall
- Uplands Market | Last Saturday of every month | Swansea
- Orton Farmers’ Market | Second Saturday of every month | Cumbria
- Ripley Farmers Market | Second Saturday of every month | Surrey
- Otley Farmers Market | Last Sunday of every month | West Yorkshire
