You can do a lot with a food jar. When you sell a product that comes in jars, anything from olives to jelly, you have options regarding your packaging strategy. Will you go with a colorful label, packed with colorful imagery, that wraps completely around the glass jar? Will you go with a sticker on the lid, leaving the color of the food to show through?

In between those maximal and minimal poles, there is an infinite amount of variety available regarding the size, shape, material and graphic style of your glass jar labels. From mason jar label styles that only involve stickers on the lid to more elaborate custom jar label designs taking full advantage of product label printing technology, your options are numerous.

The main goal is always the same, though: You're trying to make sure you show off your brand's identity in a clear and appealing way.

Making Food Products Look Great in Jars

What kind of feeling is your brand trying to create? This is the first question you must ask yourself when designing any kind of food product packaging. The answer will guide all your branding decisions going forward, both in terms of graphic design and in more technical aspects such as size, shape and label material choice.

If you're a manufacturer of comforting, old-time jams and preserves, your labeling strategy can be minimal and rustic, combining paper label material with classic typography and imagery. For a product with a healthy, nutritious focus, you can go with a clear, modern design, paired with seals of approval for which your products may qualify, such as organic certification.

Commitment to your company's identity can help you guide customers' buying decisions. When shoppers are choosing between products from multiple brands, they may naturally gravitate toward the version that offers a clear, coherent and appealing message about what the item will taste like and what its maker supports. Your custom jar labels exist to send that message.

Label Graphic Design for Product Types

The most obvious way to make your brand's identity felt on jar product labels is through your graphic design choices. Do you have a memorable logo, or a compelling image of your product that will give shoppers a clear impression of what they're getting when they buy your product?

Alternatively, especially if you're pursuing a more artisanal canning strategy, you may use a textured mason jar type that doesn't allow you to wrap standard labels around the jars themselves. In this case, a functional sticker on the lid will suffice. You'll have to make sure your logo looks good, however, because there won't be room for much more than a logo on the sticker once you've also included FDA-required elements, including ingredient lists, nutrition facts and quantity information.

A look at the 99designs inspiration gallery for jar labels shows how many directions companies can go in while pursuing their specific visions. Some brands opt for clear labels that contain their logos and imagery while also showing off the color of the food inside the jar. Others use minimal, modern designs that pair a black or white backdrop with sans-serif text. Old-fashioned aesthetics are also an option, with a combination of line art and parchment-textured label material.

If your particular product comes in many flavors or varieties, you have a great opportunity to craft a consistent look and feel across your complete line of offerings. This may mean using the same logo for each label, then customizing the color palette around it, combining familiarity and variation to make sure customers always know which company they're dealing with, while staying engaged and interested.

Label Shape, Size and Material: Make Your Choice

The designs printed on your labels are just part of the complete picture when it comes to creating an aesthetic. Die-cut product labels are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, which allows you to pick exactly how you want your items to appear on store shelves. Furthermore, you can complete the overall visual impression through an intelligent choice of label material.

Here's how each of these factors can affect your goods' overall look and feel:

• Label shape: Do you want to fill a lot of space with text and imagery? If so, there's likely no need to go too far with your labels' shapes. A basic rectangle will likely suffice. If, on the other hand, you're eager to show off the product underneath the label, or to craft a perfect sticker for a jar label, an oval or circle will be the perfect match. And if your label has a more eccentric shape to it, a die-cut label in that shape can prove very eye-catching.
• Label size: A small label on a big jar is a bold choice, but if you're especially eager to show off the color and texture of the product in the jar, this is the way to accomplish it. In exchange for usable graphic design space, you gain a window into the jar's contents, which can sometimes sell your product more effectively than any text or image.
• Label material: Your choice of material can say a lot about your brand. A clear polymer can help you combine product visibility with graphic design opportunities. Alternatively, recycled paper material can demonstrate your company's commitment to conservation. From waterproof labels to biostone labels made without paper, the options at your fingertips are surprisingly varied.

The right combination of design, size, shape and label material can present your products to the world in a flattering light, especially when produced by the right professional product label printer.

Finding a Jar Label Printing Partner

Working with a label printing business is the ideal way to make sure your jar labels live up to their potential. Experienced professionals with high-quality label printer equipment can help you reach your aesthetic goals, coming in at any step from graphic design services to re-ordering.

Lightning Labels has been the perfect label partner for brands for over 20 years, and uses all-digital label printer hardware to deliver jar labels in any shape, size, label material and finish you require, while also offering fast turnaround times, flexible order sizes and attentive customer service. When it's time to refresh your jar labels for maximum appeal, Lightning Labels is the perfect ally to have on your side.

Request a free quote, and envision the future of your jar labeli